Platform signaling for generating platform content

TY - JOUR

T1 - Platform signaling for generating platform content

AU - Hukal, Philipp

AU - Henfridsson, Ola

AU - Shaikh, Maha

AU - Parker, Geoffrey

N1 - Funding Information: Geoffrey Parker is a professor of engineering at Dartmouth College. In addition, he is a research fellow at MIT’s Initiative on the Digital Economy where he leads platform industry research studies. Geoffrey has made significant contributions to the field of network economics and strategy as co-developer of the theory of “two-sided” markets. His research has been funded by grants from the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the states of Louisiana and New York, and numerous corporations. He serves or has served as department editor and associate editor for multiple academic journals. He is co-author (with Marshall Van Alstyne and Sangeet Choudary) of Platform Revolution: How Net- worked Markets Are Transforming the Economy—And How to Make Them Work for You. Geoffrey is a frequent keynote speaker and advises senior leaders on their organizations’ platform strategies. He received a B.S.E. from Princeton and M.S. and Ph.D. from MIT. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. Copyright: Copyright 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.

PY - 2020/7/28

Y1 - 2020/7/28

N2 - The generation of platform content is essential for platform growth and competition. However, the overwhelming number of platform complementors makes it impossible for platform operators to engage in extensive communication with each complementor about which content contributions are desired. Therefore, platform operators need to find a way to signal strategic interests to platform complementors. In this paper, we employ a mixed-methods design using data from the geodata platform OpenStreetMap to develop and test two distinct types of platform signals as a means of implementing a platform operator's strategy: (1) opportunity signals, which aim to stimulate activity in new areas of the platform, and (2) endorsement signals, which aim to increase activity in existing areas of the platform. In particular, we examine how platform signals influence the generation of platform content in terms of the volume and diversity of information on the platform. We contribute important insights to the platform governance literature by developing and empirically testing a signaling perspective on the generation of platform content and discussing its implications for guiding platform complementors in content creation.

AB - The generation of platform content is essential for platform growth and competition. However, the overwhelming number of platform complementors makes it impossible for platform operators to engage in extensive communication with each complementor about which content contributions are desired. Therefore, platform operators need to find a way to signal strategic interests to platform complementors. In this paper, we employ a mixed-methods design using data from the geodata platform OpenStreetMap to develop and test two distinct types of platform signals as a means of implementing a platform operator's strategy: (1) opportunity signals, which aim to stimulate activity in new areas of the platform, and (2) endorsement signals, which aim to increase activity in existing areas of the platform. In particular, we examine how platform signals influence the generation of platform content in terms of the volume and diversity of information on the platform. We contribute important insights to the platform governance literature by developing and empirically testing a signaling perspective on the generation of platform content and discussing its implications for guiding platform complementors in content creation.

KW - Complementors

KW - Content generation

KW - Mixed methods

KW - OpenStreetMap

KW - Platform governance

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096835634&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.25300/MISQ/2020/15190

DO - 10.25300/MISQ/2020/15190

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85096835634

SN - 0276-7783

VL - 44

SP - 1177

EP - 1206

JO - MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems

JF - MIS Quarterly: Management Information Systems

IS - 3

ER -