Platforms: a multiplicity of research opportunities Articles uri icon

authors

  • Sriram, S. Sriram
  • Manchanda, Puneet Manchanda
  • ESTEBAN BRAVO, MERCEDES
  • Chu, Junhong Chu
  • Ma, Liye Ma
  • Song, Minjae Song
  • Shriver, Scott Shriver
  • Subramanian, Upender Subramanian

publication date

  • August 2015

start page

  • 141

end page

  • 152

issue

  • 2

volume

  • 26

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0923-0645

Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)

  • 1573-059X

abstract

  • Platforms refer to intermediaries that facilitate economic interaction between two sets of agents wherein the decisions of one set of agents are likely to have an effect on the other via direct and/or indirect externalities. Given their nature, platforms need to find the appropriate balance between the competing objectives of agents and act as catalysts by facilitating the beneficial effects of externalities. In this paper, we discuss the current theoretical and empirical literature on two-sided platforms. We then identify three dimensions that offer opportunities to advance the empirical literature: (a) unanswered theoretical and conceptual questions, (b) data-related opportunities, and (c) methodological challenges.