- 08 Feb 2019
- Working Paper Summaries
Platform Systems vs. Step Processes—The Value of Options and the Power of Modularity
Technology shapes organizations through incentives and rewards. This paper compares the value structure of platform systems and step processes, finding that step processes reward technical integration, unified governance, risk aversion, and the use of direct authority. Platform systems by contrast reward modularity, distributed governance, risk taking, and autonomous decision-making.
- 30 Oct 2018
- Working Paper Summaries
Design Rules, Volume 2: How Technology Shapes Organizations: Chapter 14 Introducing Open Platforms and Business Ecosystems
Platform systems have existed in various forms for centuries. Beginning in the 1980s and 1990s, newly competitive technology of open platform systems based on digital technology and modular architectures changed the structure of entire industries. This paper lays the groundwork for a comprehensive theoretical investigation of open platform systems.
- 07 Apr 2017
- Working Paper Summaries
Explaining the Vertical-to-Horizontal Transition in the Computer Industry
This paper shows how the vertical-to-horizontal transition in the computer industry was an organizational response to a change in economic rewards brought by the competing technologies of rationalized step processes and open platform systems. The spread of modular architectures—and the rapid pace of change in semiconductor technology—shifted the balance of rewards away from predictability toward flexibility.
Racism and Digital Design: How Online Platforms Can Thwart Discrimination
Poor design decisions contribute to racial discrimination on many online platforms. Michael Luca and colleagues offer tips for reducing the risk, used by Airbnb and other companies. Open for comment; Comment(s) posted.