Abstract

Organizations usually engage in standardization activities by collaborating with others through participation in standard-setting organizations (SSOs), thereby giving rise to a standard cooperation network (SCN). This cooperation is dynamic rather than static; over time, organizations continuously form new variations of standard cooperation, resulting in the ongoing evolution of the SCN. However, previous studies have not thoroughly explored how SCN evolves, nor have they examined the key factors and underlying mechanisms that lead to the formation of standard cooperation driving this evolution. In this study, we employ social network analysis and a stochastic actor-based model to examine the evolution of SCN and the corresponding driving factors behind the formulation of standard cooperation within the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), one of the most influential SSOs in the ICT industry. The study’s findings indicate that the SCN exhibits a significant core-periphery structure during its evolution, and the key factors driving the formation of standard cooperation fall into two categories: endogenous factors, primarily preferential attachment and transitivity; and exogenous factors, such as research and development (R&D) capacity, geographic proximity, technical proximity, and organizational proximity. These findings contribute to a new understanding that supports the sustainable development of the SCN and aids organizations in selecting standard cooperation partners based on their capabilities and strategic needs.