Ramon Casadesus-Masanell
There are 6 articles for this faculty member.
Platform Competition, Compatibility, and Social Efficiency
| Authors: | Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Francisco Ruiz-Aliseda |
|---|---|
| Published: | February 12, 2009 |
| Paper Release Date: | October 2008 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
The last three decades have witnessed unprecedented growth in network industries such as video games, computers, credit cards, media, and telecommunications. These industries are often organized around physical or virtual platforms that enable distinct groups of agents to interact with one another, and are commonly referred to as two-sided markets or markets with two-sided platforms. An operating systems developer such as Microsoft, for example, provides a software platform that makes possible the completion of value-creating transactions between independent software vendors and users. A key attribute of the market that determines the intensity and scope of network effects is whether or not competing platforms are compatible. The effects of platform (in)compatibility on market outcomes, however, have largely been ignored by the literature on markets with two-sided platforms. This paper develops an explanation of why markets with two-sided platforms are often characterized by incompatibility with one dominant player that may choose to subsidize access to one side of the market.
Published in 2008
Competing Complements
| Authors: | Ramon Casadesus-Masanell, Barry Nalebuff, and David B. Yoffie |
|---|---|
| Published: | September 11, 2008 |
| Paper Release Date: | July 2008 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
Over the last two decades, an increasing number of industries have evolved from vertical integration to more horizontal structures where firms design and manufacture components that are later assembled by third parties for the final customer. In these horizontal industries, firms may be "complementors," rather than customers, suppliers, or competitors. Classic examples of complementors include Intel and Microsoft. Similar complementor relationships arise in industries such as communications, consumer electronics, automobiles, and health care. In these industries, complementor analysis may be as important as competitor analysis. The authors of this paper introduce competition into one side of complementor analysis, and suggest implications for managers, public policy, and the development of theory.
HBS Cases: The Value of Environmental Activists
| Q&A with: | Ramon Casadesus-Masanell |
|---|---|
| Published: | September 8, 2008 |
| Feature: | Lessons from the Classroom |
With decidedly non-profit goals leading them on, how do environmental protection groups such as Greenpeace and World Wildlife Fund create value? Can it be measured? A Q&A with Harvard Business School professor Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and case writer Jordan Mitchell.
Published in 2007
Delivering the Digital Goods: iTunes vs. Peer-to-Peer
| Q&A with: | Ramon Casadesus-Masanell |
|---|---|
| Published: | April 16, 2007 |
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Apple's iTunes music download service and illegal peer-to-peer music downloads offer two contrasting approaches to delivering digital content to users. Can Apple and the recording industry seriously compete against free? Do iTunes and p2p help each other in some ways? Professor Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and collaborator Andres Hervas-Drane discuss their recent research on competition in digital distribution.
Published in 2005
Wintel: Cooperation or Conflict
| Authors: | Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and David B. Yoffie |
|---|---|
| Published: | July 5, 2006 |
| Paper Release Date: | July 2005 |
| Feature: | Working Papers |
Industries are becoming more horizontal. Products that used to be designed and manufactured by a single firm are now produced by different companies that must coordinate activities. Here, the authors detail the relationship between Intel and Microsoft (both integral to PCs) and, using a mixed-duopoly model, analyze the dynamics of cooperation verses competition. They find that costs associated with complementary R&D, conflicts of interest in pricing, and the possibility of competitors all factor in the decision of when to cooperate or compete.
Microsoft vs. Open Source: Who Will Win?
| Q&A with: | Ramon Casadesus-Masanell and Pankaj Ghemawat |
|---|---|
| Published: | June 6, 2005 |
| Feature: | Research & Ideas |
Using formal economic modelling, professors Pankaj Ghemawat and Ramon Casadesus-Masanell consider the competitive dynamics of the software wars between Microsoft and open source. Read our interview.














