Platform Economics and Regulatory Change : a multiple-case study on Airbnb and Uber
Master thesis
Permanent lenke
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/2687937Utgivelsesdato
2020Metadata
Vis full innførselSamlinger
- Master of Science [1800]
Sammendrag
The significant growth of platform companies has disrupted, altered and threatened
our existing way of living and traditional industries. These platforms have fostered
many debates about their business model which are questioning the prevailing set
of institutions and regulatory frameworks. This thesis explores how platform
economics change regulations over time. More specifically, how through their work
and interactions with different actors, these platforms can change the existing
regulatory framework. The objective is to understand which activities are
undertaken by these companies to change regulations, their roles as well as the
conditions enabling these regulatory changes.
In this thesis, a framework is developed to explain and highlight the contributions
and work of platform companies to influence and change regulations over time. The
platforms’ impact is examined in a multiple-case study which focuses on two
platform companies, Airbnb and Uber, in three European cities; Berlin, London,
and Paris.
From this study, a four-stages model has been derived. The first stage refers to the
disruption brought by this new type of company in the economy. During this phase,
the platforms’ objective is to grow and harness a significant user base on which
they could rely on for the next phases. Moreover, this first phase is characterized
by a lack of understanding from the regulators who are not able to define this form
of new economy. The second stage is a phase of crisis during which platforms are
facing important regulatory issues and see their models jeopardized. This phase is
defined by a high level of institutional work in the case of a “political campaign”
undertaken by the platforms to lobby their interests. The third stage is a moment of
pacification in which platform companies are more inclined to self-regulate
themselves and to listen more carefully to both regulators and traditional providers.
This stage marks a shift in the strategy undertaken by the platforms where the focus
is now put on the regulators and traditional providers. The last phase is the
cooperation one since platforms are willing to partner with local authorities and
help them enforce the regulations. These four stages display a change in the
platforms’ strategy to change and influence regulations as well as a shift in their
roles towards regulators. The generalizability of this model is tested in a further
analysis on e-scooter sharing platforms which confirms the findings of this thesis.
Beskrivelse
Masteroppgave(MSc) in Master of Business - Handelshøyskolen BI, 2020