Because consumer reviews leverage the wisdom of the crowd, the way in which they are aggregated is a central decision faced by platforms. We explore this "rating aggregation problem" and offer a structural approach to solving it, allowing for (1) reviewers to vary in stringency and accuracy, (2)...

Nutritional disparities across socioeconomic groups contribute to health inequality in the U.S. This paper studies the role of heterogeneous consumer preferences in food choices and explores pricing policies that can promote healthier eating among disadvantaged consumers. Using detailed...

Consumer reviews, especially those expressing concerns of product quality, are crucial for the credibility of online platforms. However, reviews that criticize a product or service may also dissuade buyers from using the platform, creating an incentive to blur the visibility of critical reviews....

This chapter examines the multifaceted interactions between top digital platforms and technology ventures across capital, labor, innovation, and product markets. Exploring how venture investments, talent flows, strategic alliances, and competitive behaviors can shape the innovation ecosystem,...

Using data on Software Development Kits (SDKs), we study SDKs in Android apps vis-à-vis the adoption of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) by the European Union in May 2018. Relative to US-only apps, the number of non-Google SDKs used per app in 5 major European countries (EU5)...

Medicare does not pay for a skilled nursing facility (SNF) unless a fee-for-service patient has stayed in the hospital for at least three days. Discharges after the three-day cutoff consistently result in more transfers to SNFs. Using the three-day rule as an instrument, we find that SNF...

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect in the European Union in May 2018. We study its short-run impact on investment in new and emerging technology firms. Our findings indicate negative post-GDPR effects on EU ventures, relative to their US counterparts. The negative...

An annual flu shot is one of the least controversial and most widely-recommended preventative health measures. In spite of such advice, only a fraction of those who are suggested to get a flu shot actually receive it. We focus on past personal outcomes to understand how individual learning in...

Digital platforms are not only match-making intermediaries but also establish internal rules that govern all users in their ecosystems. To better understand the governing role of platforms, we study two Airbnb pro-guest rules that pertain to guest and host cancellations, using data on Airbnb and...

In the world of omnichannel retail, some brands open a flagship store at online marketplaces, while others avert it. Focusing on a large e-commerce platform, we empirically study how flagship entry affects consumers, the platform, and various sellers on the platform