In this study we examine the antecedents of small independent software vendor (ISV) decisions to join a platform ecosystem. Using data on the history of partnering activities from 1201 ISVs from 1996 to 2004, we find that appropriability strategies based on intellectual property rights and the...

Understanding the process of software adoption is of paramount importance to software start-ups. We study a monopolistic seller's optimal consumer network structure formation (seeding, segmentation, sequencing, and pricing strategies) under network effects. We demonstrate the importance of...

A repeated challenge in launching a two-sided market platform is how to ignite the cross-side network effects to jumpstart adoption. This issue is often addressed in the literature by using pricing controls, which frequently reveals an optimal solution structure: subsidizing one side of the...

In this paper, we explore the strategic decision of an incumbent to open a proprietary technology platform in order to allow same-side co-opetition in a market characterized by network effects. We propose a game-theoretic model that analytically conceptualizes the interplay among the degree of...

Firms nowadays are increasingly proactive in trying to strategically capitalize on consumer networks and social interactions. In this paper, we complement an emerging body of research on the engineering of word-of-mouth (WOM) effects by exploring a different angle through which firms can...