Institutional approach to platform governance: Google’s control over Samsung in app store ecosystem

Problem setting. The scientific work is devoted to the study of directions and measures of regulation of digital platforms and digital ecosystems. The functioning of digital platforms and ecosystems has its advantages, but citizens, businesses and the state face risks of information security, inequality of relations, loss of sovereignty. That is why in countries with a developed digital economy, the issue of state regulation of platforms and ecosystems is among the priorities. For Ukraine, which is significantly lagging behind in the application of breakthrough innovations, it is important to study world experience in order to develop its own state policy. analysis of recent researches and publications. The issues of regulation of digital platforms and ecosystems are discussed in the scientific literature. In the studies of scientists, in particular, B. Chew, M. Jacobides, B. Kyra, J. Wu, a wide range of aspects are considered, such as the complexity of developing regulatory solutions in the digital economy due to constant innovations, the specifics of protecting competition, data, and human rights in digital ecosystems, the need for regular rethinking and updating of state influence approaches, the need for big data analytics by regulators to identify patterns of behavior of subjects, the feasibility of building a national digital ecosystem of state regulation. The question of the specifics of the development and implementation of an effective state policy in the field of digital ecosystems for emerging economies remains unexplored. Purpose of the research is to substantiate theoretical provisions, analyze legislation and develop practical recommendations for the formation of a state policy for the regulation of digital platforms and ecosystems in Ukraine. article’s main body. To solve the problems of the ecosystem economy, the European Union adopted a number of regulatory documents regulating the activities of digital platforms, in particular the Law on Digital Markets and the Law on Digital Services. The regulatory requirements of the EU for digital platforms are aimed at reducing the risks of monopolization, unfair competition, security of data and operations, misuse of information. Similar requirements can and should be introduced in developing countries. It is important for all countries to ensure the security and stability of a single digital ecosystem. To measure progress in achieving the EU’s digital development goals by 2030, the EU has introduced monitoring measures. On the basis of monitoring, it is expedient for each country to form state supervision over the functioning of digital ecosystems. The systematic approach to the formation of state policy is as follows. The strategic goal of regulating digital platforms and ecosystems must be aligned with national goals. The chosen goal should be decomposed by levels and directions for systematic processing and implementation of strategic decisions. Policy tasks should be defined taking into account the goals, identified weaknesses, risks and threats. conclusions and prospects for the development. States should respond to the potential and existing dangers of the ecosystem economy through the implementation of a policy for the regulation of digital platforms and ecosystems and its systematic updating. In conditions of insufficient funding and in the case of technological lag, emerging countries can implement effective low-cost public policy by implementing regulatory requirements for digital platforms, state supervision in the field of ecosystem economy, development of regulatory measures taking into account a systemic approach. The perspective of further research is the systematic analysis of risks in digital ecosystems and the development of regulatory measures for their management.

Digital platforms are among the key drivers of digital transformation. Following the successful example of platform providers within the business-to-consumer (B2C) sector, such as Facebook and Google, B2B companies increasingly strive to tap the potential of digital platforms for their business. Especially for industrial corporations, digital platforms offer novel opportunities to digitalize and to foster inter-organizational collaboration in their networks. Therefore, industrial corporations search for guidance and actionable insights on how to transform into a digital B2B platform provider. For this reason, we conduct a qualitative case study and interview twelve representatives of two companies-an industrial corporation and a start-up-that cooperate to establish a digital B2B platform. Drawing on the dynamic capabilities framework as a theoretical lens, our work identifies seven enablers that foster the transformation of an industrial corporation into a digital platform provider. We find that adopting a service ecosystem perspective supports sensing market opportunities such as complementary service providers to incorporate on the platform. To seize these opportunities and build a digital platform with a cooperation partner, especially social and relational capabilities are required such as establishing a trusting relationship at eye level. Overall, our study offers three valuable contributes to theory and practice. First, it provides empirical insights into B2B platform building and establishing, which is still an under-researched phase. Second, it suggests social and relational aspects in cooperative platform building as a promising area for future research. Third, it equips managers seeking to build digital platforms with actionable guidance with respect to digital transformation and cooperating with platform complementers.

Digital entrepreneurship platforms have created opportunities to marketers and manufacturers to achieve their marketing objectives with digital technologies through various digital platforms. Implementation of digital platforms have changed the traditional ways of doing business in bricks and mortar to digital channels such as online marketing, App store, purchase via internet or smartphone, e-transaction and e-commerce. There is a general belief that by moving firms towards digitalization world and selling products or services through digital platforms will increase firms’ capabilities and directly increase sales finally lead to better firms’ performance. In fact, this is not applied to all the firms involving selling and buying in digital platforms. The main advantages of doing digital platforms business are do not need much capital in starting up the business and this business model allows digital entrepreneurs to work from anywhere and anytime without the restriction of locations and time constraints. There are many factors in influencing the success or failure of digital entrepreneurship of an individual, team or firm. First and foremost is the innovation factor which determines the successful path to the ultimate goal of the business. This paper discusses the digital entrepreneurship opportunities, digital platforms practices, challenges, risks and constraints faced in promoting and expanding digital platforms from a Malaysian perspective, such as firms’ organizational structure and human resource in digital expertise, digital technologies readiness, financial supports, market changes and unprecedented risks. This paper argues the importance and development of digital entrepreneurship that incorporates strategic innovation to enhance firms’ capabilities. The findings of the paper highlighted the potential of digital entrepreneur platforms in increasing new career for individual, enhancing economy growth and welfare for consumers. Hopefully the discussion outcomes will raise further awareness and attention of individual, team and firms to integrate digital entrepreneurship into their businesses.

Digital platforms such as Android, Uber or Airbnb have become hotspots of economic interactions between complementors (i.e., producers) and end-users (i.e., consumers). As the number of complementors and offered complements on digital platforms grow, platform providers need to exercise control to align their interests and strategies with those of the complementors. To manage complementors and their complements, platform providers draw on control modes. In this thesis, control mode refers to set of mechanisms employed by platform provider to control (e.g., approve, guide and monitor) complementors and their complements on digital platforms. To advance the emergent research in the field of control modes on digital platforms, this thesis focuses on a control mode that is widespread in practice but has been largely overlooked in IS research so far, namely input control. Input control can be described as the set of mechanisms used by the platform provider to screen and sort out complementors and their complements before entering the digital platform. Within five articles, this thesis addresses the role and importance of input control on digital platforms by investigating the effects of input control in four different platform contexts (i.e., mobile applications, web-browsers, crowdfunding and e-marketplaces). The first article describes the development of an enhanced conceptual definition for input control and a corresponding measurement scale for questionnaire-based survey research that helps us measure input control more accurately and gauge its impact on platform complementors. The developed measurement scale was rigorously validated in the context of mobile application platforms (i.e., Android and iOS) based on the guidelines and recommendations in extant scale development literature. The second article deals with the distinction between complementor-related and complement-related input control mechanisms that address complementors and complements, respectively. Using a combination of quantitative (i.e., survey) and qualitative (i.e., interviews) methods applied in the context of web-browser platforms (i.e., Chrome and Firefox), the results revealed that both mechanisms affect complementors’ overall perception of input control on digital platforms. Moreover, the results showed that complementors’ perceived usefulness of and satisfaction with a digital platform served as an important driving force through which perceived input control affects complementors’ continuance intentions. Drawing on IS control literature and goal attainment theory, the third article addresses the effects of input control and self control on complementors’ intentions to stay on their respective digital platform. Results of an online survey with complementors from two major reward-based crowdfunding platforms (i.e., Kickstarter and Indiegogo) revealed that input control reduces and self control increases complementors’ willingness to stay. Interestingly, these effects can be explained through the comparison of associated usefulness and effort of using the digital platform. The fourth article investigates the impact of input control and clan control in the context of e-marketplace platforms (i.e., Amazon and Etsy). The results revealed opposing effects of input control and clan control on complementors’ beliefs, attitudes and behavioral outcomes. In particular, whereas input control had a negative effect on complementors’ perceived usefulness, satisfaction and continuance intention, clan control exerted a positive effect on the observed variables. The fifth and last article examines the influence of input control on complementors’ performance. Results of a field survey with sellers on Amazon indicated that input control reduces complementors’ intrinsic motivation, resulting in a lower performance on a digital platform. Surprisingly, the findings revealed that input control has no direct effect on complementors’ performance when accounting for intrinsic motivation. Taken together, this thesis showcases the role and importance of input control and provides a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of how complementors perceive and react to input control mechanisms on digital platforms. Furthermore, the findings shed light on the underlying explanatory mechanisms of why the effects of input control on digital platforms unfold. As such, this thesis answers several calls for research in platform governance and control literature, and lays the foundation for future studies on digital platforms. The overarching contributions of this thesis for research consists of (1) investigating the effects of input control on complementors’ behavior and performance outcomes on digital platforms, and (2) exploring input control in various platform contexts with unique circumstances and influences as well as in combination with other control modes. Additionally, this thesis provides crucial insights for platform providers on how and why input control mechanisms affect complementors behavior and performance outcomes. The findings therefore provide valuable impetus for platform providers to maintain platforms’ long-term success und sustainability.

The development of ecosystems creates new opportunities for both the economy as a whole and the financial sector. But at the same time, this development also creates new risks associated with the growth of the market power of ecosystems and their deep penetration into the business processes of market participants and the lives of citizens, which confirms the lack of alternative to regulating the activities of digital giants and the digital ecosystems they create. The consumer (user) is the main resource of the ecosystem, providing its competitive advantage. By accumulating market power, digital ecosystems create a profitable business model for suppliers, provide users with new opportunities due to the effect of scale and the introduction of a new customer experience. As a result, the choice of users in the digital space expands, the efficiency and competitiveness of the national economy in the international landscape increases. An important aspect of modern international competition is precisely digital ecosystems and platforms. There are different approaches to reducing the manifestations of digital dominance. The Chinese and American approaches to regulating digital platforms are aimed at reducing the power of digital giants that have already conquered the world markets within the country. In countries where national digital platforms are just being formed, this approach does not promise to be adapted. The traditional market-oriented approach is based on the assumption that the regulation of national ecosystems and digital platforms should not contradict the basic principles of competition and create artificial preferences for individual national players that already occupy a leading position. At the same time, given the conflicts that arise when trying to tax or determine the cost of processed information and/or data as a new generation resource, regulation is a condition for the accelerated implementation of digital technologies in national business models with their subsequent scaling. The development of a new approach to the relationship between regulation and self-regulation of digital ecosystems and platforms will contribute to the aggravation of global inequality. Digital ecosystems formed from several digital platforms and services create additional financial values, and through the use of unified profiles and end-to-end services make the work of users even more convenient. There are different approaches to defining digital platform operators as an information intermediary. The manifestations of digital inequality depend on the models of digital information intermediation: (1) the information intermediation model, which includes all sites that allow third parties to offer and host content (videos, music, photos, documents), services or goods and marketplaces; (2) the information intermediation model, which includes all sites that represent a gateway to access other content (all sites that offer “information content”), such as online search engines, search content aggregators or price comparison services. It has been established that ecosystems that include social networks in their business model usually offer their services to users free of charge, after which the ecosystem itself increases its potential to attract advertisers. The presence of network effects provides an assessment of the impact of a digital ecosystem on the ability of an economic entity to exert a decisive influence on the general conditions of circulation of goods in the relevant goods market.

Purpose: is to determine the impact of Russian digital platforms and ecosystems on the processes of innovative development and clustering of the economy of Russian regions. Methods: the research is based on the scientific concepts and models within the framework of the theories of cluster development and digital transformation of the economy, in particular, the model of development of territorial innovation clusters. The following methods of statistical research were used: summary and grouping of statistical information, sample observation, correlation analysis. Results: the attributive features of economic ecosystems are highlighted, which include innovation clusters, digital platforms and ecosystems. The theoretical approaches to defining a digital ecosystem are discussed, and the author provides definitions for the following concepts: digital platform, digital ecosystem, digital service, innovation cluster, industrial cluster, and innovative business networks. The features that characterize digital ecosystems are identified, and 12 Russian ecosystems are identified based on these features. Development models are systematized, classification criteria and types of digital platforms are clarified. The current trends in the development of digital platforms and ecosystems are considered, and the level of development of Russian ecosystems is assessed. The analysis of the use of digital platforms and other modern information technologies in Russian regions is carried out, the influence of the use of digital platforms on the processes of innovative development and clustering of subjects of innovative activity at the regional level is considered. Conclusions and Relevance: the development of innovative and hybrid (innovation-transactional) platforms within the Russian digital ecosystems, as well as their integration with innovation clusters, are considered as a factor in the digital transformation of the economy of Russian regions. The author's model of an innovative hypercluster, which is a type of innovation clusters developing on the basis of digital platforms, is proposed as a new organizational form of this integration. The features of the innovative hypercluster model are multi-industry specialization, the trans-regional nature of economic activity and the multicore structure of network interactions of participants.

Digital entrepreneurship

Рассмотрен процесс внедрения термина «экосистема» в экономическую науку, выделены основные признаки экономических экосистем. Обобщены теоретические подходы к сущностному содержанию двух наиболее распространённых в рамках цифровой экономики экосистем кластерного типа: цифровых платформ и цифровых экосистем. Систематизированы основные научные подходы к определению цифровых платформ, их ключевым функциям и составу участников. Представлены уточнённые критерии классификации и виды цифровых платформ в современных экономических условиях. В рамках исследования предлагается уточнённое определение цифровой экосистемы, выделены основные признаки цифровых экосистем. Интеграция кластеров, цифровых платформ и экосистем предлагается в качестве перспективного направления синхронизации процессов инновационного развития российских регионов. To date, balanced development of national digital platforms and ecosystems is a key factor in ensuring economic sustainability in the context of digital transformation. The two main trends fuelling the formation and further development of Russian ecosystems on the basis of digital platforms are the development/acquisition of platforms and services satisfying the groups of customer needs previously unmet by the company and the growing economic effects of closer integration and interconnection of digital platforms and services already existing within an ecosystem. The current global trends in the development of the platform economy give added importance to the theoretical and methodological work on the development of mechanisms for integrating digital platforms and ecosystems with industrial enterprises united into innovation clusters at the territorial level. The relevance of considering the economic essence of digital platforms and ecosystems as cluster-type economic systems along with studying their similarities with innovation clusters have determined the aim and objectives of the study. The aim of the study is to determine the economic essence of digital platforms and ecosystems, as well as the prospects of their integration with innovation clusters. The theoretical basis of the study is made up of scientific concepts and approaches within the theories of cluster development and digital transformation of the economy, in particular, the model of development of territorial innovation clusters, as well as contemporary research into the development processes of digital platforms and ecosystems. Conclusion. The formation and development of Russian digital platforms and ecosystems, as well as their integration with innovation clusters, are driven by the intensified global competition in digital markets, increasingly complex nature of innovation activity, and the need for enhanced alignment and synchronization in the development of regional innovation systems. We also consider the integration of innovation clusters, digital platforms and ecosystems as one of the promising areas of regional economic development within the new context. As a form of this integration, we propose the previously described model of the innovative hypercluster, a type of innovative multiclusters that develops on the basis of digital environments and platforms and is characterized by multi-industry specialization, transregional nature of economic activity, and multi-core structure of participants’ network interactions.

Digital platforms for buying and selling agricultural commodities have generated significant interest in the trade literature as a way to link rural communities to the Internet. Yet, the extent to which these digital platforms actually translate into higher commodity prices for producers remains an open research question. We investigate this question by comparing transaction data on trading various grades of coffee from a recently implemented digital platform in India with similar transactions from a physical commodity auction held weekly, and farm-gate prices in the coffee producing regions of India. Although the digital platform prices closely track the physical commodity auction prices, producers obtain significantly higher prices when they sell the commodity through the digital platform rather than at the farm-gate through brokers who operate in their regions. However, coffee grades with higher price volatility and premium coffee grades that require face-toface interactions to verify quality obtain lower prices on the digital platform. Our results also indicate that market participants who control the transaction obtain better prices. We discuss the implications of our findings for governments and platform providers.

Digital platforms have transformed various industries, with profound changes witnessed in settings characterized by repeated, low value, and novel transactions, such as ride sharing, household services, and food delivery. Platform providers need to understand the factor(s) that suppliers consider before choosing to participate on their platforms. We argue that multi-level theorizing is necessary to explain the patterns of decision criteria that constitute the complex, yet boundedly-rational decision of platform participation. We draw on multiple theoretical perspectives which include predictors from firm-level strategic behavior, firm-level digital predictors, institutional predictors, and platform level, competition and contextual (environmental) predictors to model restaurant’s decision to participate on food delivery platforms, which are an exemplar of platforms that digitize transactions of ubiquitous and episodic nature. The population of 95,735 restaurants, serving a total of 135 different cuisines, located in the 37 largest cities of India, forms the dataset for developing our multi-level theory. Our decision tree induction methodology, which employs high levels of pruning, empowers us to discover context-specific rules that serve as credible approximations of the partial ordering of decision flows tacitly used by restaurants in deciding to participate on platforms. We identify six combinations of predictors, that is, decision rules, which are situated in at least four theoretical perspectives, to succinctly explain supplier participation on digital platforms. Finally, we abduct away from these specific decision rules to develop generalizable theoretical propositions. The decision trees, context-specific rules, general forms of the rules, and generalized propositions together form our multi-level theory for supplier participation on digital platforms. Our findings aid platform providers identify suppliers who can be the focus of efforts to increase platform participation, and help suppliers identify the participation status of competitors. For policymakers, our findings imply that incentives at the ends of the pricing spectrum can increase supplier participation on digital platforms.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of virtual community trust on work engagement and person–job fit in the context of digital work platforms. The emergence of the platform economy is changing the work environment fundamentally. It has enabled the appearance of alternative work arrangements, such as temporary organizing and the increase of independent contracting, also among highly specialized knowledge workers.Design/methodology/approachData were collected with an online survey and used to test the relationships between virtual community trust, work engagement and person–job fit. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test the goodness of a theoretical model.FindingsBased on the data of 127 experts contracting on digital work platforms, virtual community trust positively affects both work engagement and person–job fit. In addition, the relationship between work engagement and person–job fit in the context of digital work platforms is significant and positive.Practical implicationsThis study shows that trust among independent contractors working on digital platforms is important for work engagement and that platform providers can improve work performance through person–job fit by assisting in the creation of trust among members of their platforms.Originality/valueThe research literature on knowledge work in the changing context of work is scarce, and the role of trust in the context of digital work platforms needs clarification. This paper tests a theoretical model on the effects of trust among highly skilled experts working in the digital platform context as independent contractors and provides evidence for the importance of building trust among members of a virtual work community.

Using Digital Media to Promote Kidney Disease Education

To address the current pandemic, multiple studies have focused on the development of new mHealth apps to help in curbing the number of infections, these applications aim to accelerate the identification and self-isolation of people exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus known to cause COVID-19, by being in close contact with infected individuals. The main objectives of this paper are: (1) Analyze the current status of COVID-19 apps available on the main virtual stores: Google Play Store and App Store for Spain, and (2) Propose a novel mobile application that allows interaction and doctor-patient follow-up without the need for real-time consultations (face-to-face or telephone). In this research, a search for eHealth and telemedicine apps related to Covid-19 was performed in the main online stores: Google Play Store and App Store, until May 2021. Keywords were entered into the search engines of the online stores and relevant apps were selected for study using a PRISMA methodology. For the design and implementation of the proposed app named COVINFO, the main weaknesses of the apps studied were taken into account in order to propose a novel and useful app for healthcare systems. The search yielded a total of 50 apps, of which 24 were relevant to this study, of which 23 are free and 54% are available for Android and iOS operating systems (OS). The proposed app has been developed for mobile devices with Android OS being compatible with Android 4.4 and higher. This app enables doctor-patient interaction and constant monitoring of the patient's progress without the need for calls, chats or face-to-face consultation in real time. This work addresses design and development of an application for the transmission of the user's symptoms to his regular doctor, based on the fact that only 16.6% of existing applications have this functionality. The COVINFO app offers a novel service: asynchronous doctor-patient communication, as well as constant monitoring of the patient’s condition and evolution. This app makes it possible to better manage the time of healthcare personnel and avoid overcrowding in hospitals, with the aim of preventing the collapse of healthcare systems and the spread of the coronavirus.

PurposeThe digital platform-based sharing economy has become ubiquitous all over the world. In this paper, we explore how market actors’ conflicting interpretations of digital platforms’ business models give form and shape value co-creation and capture practices in contexts marked by weak institutions and underdeveloped markets.Design/methodology/approachIntegrating insights from the broader literature on digital platforms and the contemporary turn to “meaning-making” in social theory, we adopt a problematization method to unpack the collective contest over the interpretation of value co-creation and capture from ridesharing platforms in contexts marked by weak institutions and underdeveloped markets.FindingsCollective contest over the interpretation of digital business models may give rise to competing meanings that may enable (or impede) digital platform providers’ ability to co-create and capture value. We present an integrative framework that delineates how firms caught up in such collective contests in contexts marked by weak institutions and underdeveloped markets may utilise such conditions as marketing resources to reset their organising logic in ways that reconcile the conflicting perspectives.Practical implicationsThe paper presents propositions constituting a contribution to a meaning-making perspective on ridesharing digital platforms by offering insights into how digital business models could potentially be localised and adapted to address and align with the peculiarities of contexts. It goes further to present a theoretical model to extend our understanding of the different sources of contestation of meaning of digital platforms.Originality/valueThe meaning-making perspective on digital platforms extends our understanding of how the collective contest over interpretations of value co-creation and capture may offer a set of contradictory frames that yield possibilities for ridesharing platform providers, and their users, to assimilate the organising logic of digital business models into new categories of understanding.

Following the digital transformation of economic industries, the issue of digital industrial platforms that constitute new market structures and provide value accumulation for participants in industrial ecosystems is becoming relevant. A digital industrial platform represents a hybrid ecosystem that provides efficient networking through the use of end-to-end digital technologies aimed at increasing the competitiveness and innovation/technological development of participants in industrial ecosystems. The aim of this research is to provide a typology of digital industrial platforms according to the criteria of functionality and manageability. The theoretical framework of the study is represented by the market-based, institutional and networking approaches. The period of existence of digital industrial platforms is just over 10 years, thence the data for assessing their functionality and economic efficiency are just in the process of conceptualization. Therefore, to date, the basic method of studying digital platforms in industries is an extended case study. One of the world’s largest gas industry companies, Gazprom, was selected as a case study for validating the typology of digital industry platforms. The research focused on the functionality, architecture and management type of Gazprom’s four digital platforms: the counterparty interaction digital platform, continuous production management digital platform, supply chain management digital platform and technology vision digital platform. As a result, the authors confirmed the typology of digital industrial platforms by the criterion of functionality: type I platform (a digital ecosystem of the interaction of industrial ecosystem participants), and type II platform (a set of end-to-end production technologies forming the business model of the industrial enterprise). The typology was supplemented by a new criterion—the ‘manageability’ of the platform, which made it possible to introduce additional types of digital industrial platforms: centralised, decentralised and mixed. The results stemming from this research are intended to provide a better understanding of the phenomenon of digital industrial platforms and can be used in the development of strategies for the digital transformation of industrial markets.