Uber-production: From global networks to digital platforms

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (5) ◽  
pp. 1005-1016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gernot Grabher ◽  
Erwin van Tuijl

Uber and Airbnb have advanced into emblematic cases in debates in which the new digital capitalism is framed in terms of the so-called sharing economy. While this strand of inquiry has produced a wealth of insights into the workings and impacts of peer-to-peer platforms, the digital transformation of business-to-business interactions has so far attracted less attention. The present Exchange confronts this challenge by juxtaposing platform conceptions with a pre-eminent framework to conceptualize business-to-business relations: global production networks (GPN). Specifically, this Exchange addresses challenges posed by the platform approach for the GPN framework in the four dimensions: value (from owning assets to granting access), governance (from make-or-buy to employ-or-enable), management (from back-end to front-end) and labour (from jobs to gigs).

2019 ◽  
pp. 138-154
Author(s):  
John Child ◽  
David Faulkner ◽  
Stephen Tallman ◽  
Linda Hsieh

Chapter 7 addresses the use of cooperative strategies and organizations in the development of global value-adding chains and networks. These global networks comprise not only component manufacture, but also final assembly, marketing, distribution, and even knowledge-based activities such as research and development. These activities are located in many countries and regions, both industrialized and emerging. The chapter notes that transaction cost and resource-based theories and their derivative transaction value perspective offer theoretical support for why cooperative ventures are common in the “outsourcing” that is typical of global production networks. Network concepts help to explain the structuring of global production networks and of the individual transactions that comprise these networks. The chapter also discusses the work of Gereffi and others on global value chains which is particularly informative about cooperative governance types. Modular production models provide a mechanism to structure decentralized networks.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (2) ◽  
pp. 5-27
Author(s):  
Valerii Osetskyi ◽  
◽  
Nataliia Kraus ◽  
Kateryna Kraus ◽  
◽  
...  

Theoretical and practical aspects of the formation and development of common economy in the world and Ukraine are considered and the economic nature of the line economy is substantiated and its socio-economic content is deepened through the prism of digital transformation that takes place in virtual reality. Purpose of the article is to substantiate the peculiarities of sharing economy in the global communication space in virtual reality, due to the development of digital technology platforms, highlighting and analyzing the benefits and risks of building business models of shared economy in Ukraine and abroad. A set of methods of empirical and theoretical research is used: methods of analysis, synthesis and generalization, which at the dialectical level of research allow to scientifically substantiate the most popular types of solutions of sharing economy, presented by structure: solutions, examples of foreign and Ukrainian digital platforms. The article used theoretical and methodological principles of an interdisciplinary approach, which includes in the analysis of socio-cultural, behavioral and institutional prerequisites for the formation of a shared economy. Based on the available data of companies that aggregate BigData, as well as consulting companies, the behavior of consumers through sharing economy in the period of digital transformation is described. Special methods of economic sciences, namely: economic-statistical, comparative and functional-structural analysis have revealed the emergence of new business models of sharing, which combine the “world of goods” and “world of services”. A historical and economic analysis of the formation of the theory of sharing, as well as the spread of row platforms. Based on the generalization of theoretical approaches to the definition of economic categories, author’s interpretation of the concepts “line economy”, “virtual reality”, “augmented reality”, “augmented reality”, “augmented reality”, “augmented reality”, “mixed reality” is formed. As a result of the research, author’s concept of sharing economy in the conditions of virtual reality is offered. It is established that the most important factor in the transition to sharing economy is the transformation of customer service. It is the customer, who differs from the consumer by active involvement in the process of forming its value proposition, today is a key player in the market. It is proved that today digital economy is fundamentally changing the ways of building and managing sharing organizations, the problems that arise can be associated primarily with changes in the object and subject of management and the development of organizations in digital environment. The advantages of sharing models in terms of the use of innovative resources in terms of stages of business project implementation are indicated. The review of the internal development of national economy of sharing type allowed to present its restraining and stimulating factors and potential opportunities and threats in the conditions of virtual reality.


2020 ◽  
pp. 37-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. E. Shastitko ◽  
O. A. Markova

Digital transformation has led to changes in business models of traditional players in the existing markets. What is more, new entrants and new markets appeared, in particular platforms and multisided markets. The emergence and rapid development of platforms are caused primarily by the existence of so called indirect network externalities. Regarding to this, a question arises of whether the existing instruments of competition law enforcement and market analysis are still relevant when analyzing markets with digital platforms? This paper aims at discussing advantages and disadvantages of using various tools to define markets with platforms. In particular, we define the features of the SSNIP test when being applyed to markets with platforms. Furthermore, we analyze adjustment in tests for platform market definition in terms of possible type I and type II errors. All in all, it turns out that to reduce the likelihood of type I and type II errors while applying market definition technique to markets with platforms one should consider the type of platform analyzed: transaction platforms without pass-through and non-transaction matching platforms should be tackled as players in a multisided market, whereas non-transaction platforms should be analyzed as players in several interrelated markets. However, if the platform is allowed to adjust prices, there emerges additional challenge that the regulator and companies may manipulate the results of SSNIP test by applying different models of competition.


2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 800-821
Author(s):  
E.V. Popov ◽  
K.A. Semyachkov

Subject. The article addresses economic relations that are formed in various areas of economic application of digital platforms. The target of the research is the modern economy of digital platforms across different economic activities. Objectives. The aim is to systematize principles for share economy formation in the context of the digital society development. Methods. We employ general scientific methods of research. Results. The study shows that the development of digital platforms is one of the most important trends in the development of the modern economy. We classified certain characteristic features of modern digital platforms, analyzed principles for their creation. The paper emphasizes that the network effects achieved through the use of digital platforms are an important factor in the development of the share economy. The network effect describes the impact of the number of the platform users on the value created for each of them. The paper also considers differences in the organization of traditional economy companies and companies that are based on the digital platform model, reveals specifics of changes in socio-economic systems caused by the development of digital platforms, systematizes principles of the sharing economy formation in the context of the digital society development. Conclusions. The analyzed principles for sharing economy development on the basis of digital platforms can be applied to create models for the purpose of forecasting the transformation of economic activity in the post-industrial society.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 629-642
Author(s):  
T. A. Gileva ◽  
A. V. Babkin ◽  
G. A. Gilev

The presented study analyzes the processes of creating ecosystems in the context of external challenges and increasing the level of competitive market environment and global digitalization of business to develop a strategy for the digital transformation of an enterprise.Aim. The study aims to assess the practicability of creating ecosystems when developing a strategy for the digital transformation of traditional (“defensive”) enterprises and to provide recommendations for their utilization.Tasks. The authors analyze the characteristics, features, and typology of business ecosystems; substantiate the need to analyze and use the capabilities of business ecosystems in the development of a strategy for corporate development in the digital environment; describe the essence, key aspects of development, and propose a modular structure for the strategy of the digital transformation of an enterprise; develop a conceptual framework for the strategic management of the digital transformation of an enterprise; formulate recommendations for selecting ecosystems that would enhance the enterprise’s competitiveness.Methods. This study uses general scientific methods of cognition in various aspects to propose approaches and a conceptual model of the corporate digital transformation strategy with allowance for the capabilities of business ecosystems.Results. The authors show that in the context of the developing digital economy, business ecosystems have become a new way to organize economic activity due to their high efficiency and rapid scaling. There are two major types of ecosystems: centralized (transaction) ecosystems in the form of digital platforms and adaptive (solution) ecosystems formed by the orchestrating company to create a new value proposition by joint efforts of partners from various industries through direct interaction with each other. The study identifies stages in the development of a digital transformation strategy based on enhancing the enterprise’s competitiveness through its participation in the ecosystem(s) and formulate recommendations for selecting ecosystems that would improve the efficiency of the enterprise.Conclusions. Ecosystem development is a business trend that determines the competitiveness of enterprises and improves the efficiency of their operation in the digital environment. Therefore, under modern conditions, an enterprise should develop its digital transformation strategy based on the creation and/or use of business ecosystems.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 246-266
Author(s):  
Murilo Carvalho Sampaio Oliveira

RESUMO:Este artigo trata dos impactos das plataformas digitais no Direito do Trabalho, tomando como exemplo sintomático o padrão da plataforma Uber. Inicia discutindo o cenário da economia digital e suas transformações nos modos de organizar a atividade empresarial, caracterizando a disrupção destas tecnologias e examinando criticamente se tais inovações situam-se realmente no discurso de economia do compartilhamento. Adiante, aborda as condições fáticas das plataformas de trabalho, questionando a dimensão formal-jurídica de liberdade e a condição econômica de hipossuficiência. Examina o caso da Uber como paradigma do modelo de organização empresarial desta economia digital e a situação dos seus motoristas tidos como parceiros para, ao final, pontuar algumas conclusões a cerca da necessidade do Direito Trabalho estar conectado com essas novas relações sociaisABSTRACT:This article deals with the impact of digital platforms in Labor Law, taking as a symptomatic example the standards of the Uber platform. It begins by discussing the the digital economy scenario and its transformations in the way business activity organize itself, characterizing the disruption of these technologies and critically examining whether such innovations are really part of the sharing economy speech. Hereinafter, it addresses the factual conditions of work platforms, questioning the formal-legal dimension of freedom and the economic condition of hypo-sufficiency. It examines the case of Uber as a paradigm of a business model organization in the digital economy and the situation of its drivers, taken as partners in order to, in the end of it, point some conclusions about the need of Labor Law to be connected with these new social relationships.


Author(s):  
Tim Bartley

Social scientists have theorized the rise of transnational private authority, but knowledge about its consequences remains sparse and fragmented. This chapter builds from a critique of “empty spaces” imagery in several leading paradigms to a new theory of transnational governance. Rules and assurances are increasingly flowing through global production networks, but these flows are channeled and reconfigured by domestic governance in a variety of ways. Abstracting from the case studies in this book, a series of theoretical propositions specify the likely outcomes of private regulation, the influence of domestic governance, the special significance of territory and rights, and several ways in which the content of rules shapes their implementation. As such, this theory proposes an explanation for differences across places, fields, and issues, including the differential performance of labor and environmental standards.


Author(s):  
Tim Bartley

A vast new world of transnational standards has emerged, covering issues from human rights to sustainability to food safety. This chapter develops a framework for making sense of this new global order. It is tempting to imagine that global rules can and should bypass corrupt, incapacitated, or illegitimate governments in poor and middle-income countries. This assumption must be rejected if we want to understand the consequences of global rules and the prospects for improvement. After showing how a combination of social movements, global production networks, and neoliberalism gave rise to transnational private regulation, the chapter builds the foundations for the comparative approach of this book. The book’s comparative analysis of land and labor in Indonesia and China sheds light on two key fields of transnational governance, their implications in democratic and authoritarian settings, and the problems of governing the global economy through private regulation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 146954052110220
Author(s):  
Alexandra Kviat

Although prosumption and the sharing economy are currently at the cutting edge of consumer culture research, little attempt has been made to explore the theoretical relationship between these concepts and approach them with a pluralistic, dynamic, nuanced and ethnographically informed lens moving beyond the dichotomies of capitalism versus anti-capitalism, rhetoric versus reality, exploitation versus empowerment and traditional versus digital consumer culture. This article addresses these gaps by focusing on the phenomenon of pay-per-minute cafes – physical spaces inspired by digital culture and meant to apply its principles in the brick-and-mortar servicescape. Drawing on a multi-site, multi-method case study of the world’s first pay-per-minute cafe franchise, the article shows a multitude of ways in which prosumption and the sharing economy, both shaped by different configurations of organisational culture, physical design, food offer and pricing policy, are conceived, interpreted and experienced by the firms and customers across the franchise and argues that conflicts and contradictions arising from this diversity cannot be reduced to the narrative of consumer exploitation. Finally, while both prosumption and the sharing economy are typically defined by the use of digital platforms, this article makes a case for a post-digital approach to consumer culture research, looking into the cultural impact of digital technology on traditional servicescapes.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 175
Author(s):  
Nobuyuki Fukawa ◽  
Yanzhi Zhang ◽  
Sunil Erevelles

Today, Industry 4.0 technologies, such as Big Data analytics and mobile technologies, are forcing firms to seek new ways to create and deliver customer value. We argue that the Android project, one of the most successful open-source digital platforms, reflects a new business model in the age of digital transformation. In the Android community, application developers create and sell applications for the Android operating system provided by the open-source firm (Google), and share the profit with Google. Such an open-source strategy forces the open-source firm to give up the profits from selling the operating system to customers. A firm generally chooses an open-source strategy to increase its user network size. Using the concept of creative intensity, or the speed of idea generation, we offer a new explanation regarding the benefits of an open-source strategy in the age of digital transformation. We investigate how to enhance creative intensity and profit on the open-source digital platform. Our model suggests that an open-source strategy effectively manages the diminishing value of ideas and, thus, facilitates the dynamic capability of an open-source firm.


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