This paper analyzes the role of heterogeneity and forward-lookingexpectations in the diffusion of network technologies. Using a detaileddataset on the adoption of a new videoconferencing technology within afirm, we estimate a structural model of technology adoption andcommunications choice. We...

Each search term put into a search engine produces a separate set ofresults. Correspondingly, each of the sets of ads displayed alongsidethe results is priced using a separate auction. We investigate how bidsfor these context-based ads depends on the difficulty of making a match.This contrasts...

This paper asks how much the strength of network effects depends on thestability and structure of the underlying social network. I answer thisusing extensive microdata on all potential adopters of a firm's internalvideo-messaging system and their subsequent video-messaging. This firm'sNew York...

This paper highlights how the provision of information about userparticipation can serve as a strategic marketing tool for firms seekingto grow two-sided exchange networks. A two-sided exchange network is abusiness model (such as Ebay or Craiglist) where revenue is generatedfrom persuading...

This paper investigates how internet users' perception of control overtheir personal information affects how likely they are to click ononline advertising. The paper uses data from a randomized fieldexperiment that examined the relative effectiveness of personalizing adcopy to mesh with existing...

There are many technology platforms that bring benefits only when users share data. In healthcare, this is a key policy issue, because of the potential cost savings and quality improvements from ‘big data’ in the form of sharing electronic patient data across medical providers. Indeed, one...

The accuracy of counts of U.S. racial/ethnic and immigrant groups depends on the coverage of the foreign-born in official data. Because Mexicans constitute by far the largest single national-origin group among the foreign-born in the United States, we compile new evidence about the coverage of...

Firms that sell via a direct channel <i>and</i> via indirect channels have to decide whether to allow third-party sellers to use trademarked brand names of products in their advertising. This question has been particularly controversial for advertising on search engines. In June 2009, Google started...