The Influence of Technological Advances on Multi-Sided Platforms
Technological advances have significantly changed the business and its capabilities. According to researchers, multi-sided platforms (MSPs) have existed for a long time; however, thanks to digitalization, they have become more influential in the economy (Abdelkafi et al., 2019). MSPs act as intermediaries or partners, which unite several groups of users interested in specific actions, services, or goods (Abdelkafi et al., 2019). They cover various services and industries – applications, social networks, e-commerce, and shared commodities (Poniatowski et al., 2021). Amazon, eBay, Airbnb, Uber, and similar platforms are examples of MSPs that have achieved success. MSPs have transformed businesses, and more companies are changing their strategies to adapt to new conditions and introduce their platforms to provide service.
When adopting platforms, businesses must consider several factors that impact their success. Modern MSPs are based on technological advances that facilitate the interaction between supply and demand. The experiences of tech giants demonstrate that users expect simple and convenient digital services (Hein et al., 2019). That is, the success of MSPs depends on how users accept this technology.
Consumer adoption of technology reflects the emotions users experience when getting acquainted with new technologies. Depending on whether attitudes are positive or negative, they influence the willingness to use technologies (Bittencourt et al., 2019). This aspect is critical to consider when the company chooses a strategy for the MSP.
Given the growing popularity of MSPs, companies need to approach their adoption strategies carefully to maintain competitiveness. Dependence on users means that the platform’s success, to a certain extent, is determined by its attractiveness to them. Therefore, the current study is devoted to identifying the features of consumer adoption of technologies that businesses should consider when choosing a strategy for introducing their MSPs.
Research Purpose Statement
The study aims to clarify the association between consumer adoption of technology and the choice of strategy for MSPs’ adoption. Within the established purpose, several aspects require special attention. In particular, it is critical to understand the features of the technologies’ adoption by users. Accordingly, one of the study’s goals is to determine the factors that contribute to the use of technology and those that become obstacles or reasons not to use it. Understanding the technology adoption process will be valuable for identifying features MSPs should have or avoid to attract customers.
Understanding MSPs, their impact on the business environment, and their operational features is also significant for this study. Platforms have simplified interactions between providers and customers, reduced transaction costs, and decreased the need to find partners. Their use brings significant advantages for both consumers and companies. Nevertheless, despite the potential benefits, companies must invest considerable effort in creating and maintaining these platforms. The study aims to determine the strategies companies employ to implement platforms.
The study aims to fill a knowledge gap regarding how the specifics of the technology adoption process should be considered when selecting a strategy for MSPs. Nowadays, most platform studies aim to conceptualize, explain, or describe a phenomenon. Research also explores issues of optimal pricing policy, platform structure, their influence, and other aspects.
Platforms are becoming the dominant force in the economy, but their rise in the wake of digitalization is relatively recent. Therefore, conducting new studies to understand this phenomenon better is relevant. At the same time, the question of the attractiveness of platforms as technologies for users is not addressed in research, indicating a need to fill this gap.
Selected Research Method and Justification
The study follows a mixed research design, combining qualitative and quantitative methods to understand strategies for MSPs and the impact of consumer adoption of technology products on strategy choice. Qualitative methods aim to study and analyze non-numeric data, and can be used to generate new insights into the research topic (Tenny et al., 2021). The quantitative method uses data that can be quantified to summarize and explain a particular phenomenon.
A mixed approach benefits from taking advantage of both qualitative and quantitative methods to study a single phenomenon (DeCarlo, 2018). Quantitative methods test the ideas in question, and qualitative methods help generate new ones (DeCarlo, 2018). The objectives of the current study require the use of two approaches for its different parts.
Using a qualitative approach is crucial for gaining a deeper understanding of strategies for MSPs. This approach is grounded in constructivist and interpretivist paradigms, aiming for a deep understanding of the phenomenon under study (Tomaszewski et al., 2020). Qualitative data will present common strategies for MSPs and their key features. A significant disadvantage of a qualitative approach is the tendency to subjectivity, which the researcher must consider during the study.
The quantitative approach helps identify certain connections and patterns. For this reason, it is necessary to clarify the factors influencing the consumer adoption of new technologies. This approach is more objective and reveals causal relationships. Quantitative methods generate more structured and verifiable data, which explains a particular phenomenon or makes predictions about it. Applicable to the current study, the approach will establish links between the reasons for adopting and abandoning technologies and MSPs.
Research Questions or Hypotheses
The impact of consumer technology adoption on MSPs’ strategy choices has not yet been investigated. The current study aims to examine the details and features of these phenomena rather than test assumptions. Research hypotheses, in turn, are suggestions that can be investigated by considering the relationship between certain variables (Shelke, 2019). They are suitable for examining more specific aspects of topics with a substantial research foundation.
Research questions are more relevant in exploring new issues, are more open-ended, and do not predict how variables can interact. The answers to the posed research questions should be received before hypothesizing. Current research involves studying two different phenomena to discuss further their relationship and the effect of one on the other. This feature influenced the formation of research questions, which direct the study.
To reveal the theme, the following research questions are posed:
- What is the process of consumers adopting technology products, and what factors significantly influence it?
- What difficulties do consumers have when accepting technology products?
- How do emerging difficulties affect the adoption and use of technology products?
- How have MSPs changed the business environment, and how do companies use these platforms?
- What are the strategies that organizations use to apply MSPs?
- How do customers use MSPs, and what characteristics of platforms make them continue to operate?
- How does the consumer adoption process of technology products affect the use of MSPs?
The above questions are necessary to obtain data to answer the primary research question: When choosing a strategy for MSPs, what features of consumer adoption of technology products should business organizations consider?
Intended Data Collection Tool and Analysis
It is possible to employ multiple research methods and suitable tools to gather comprehensive information for analysis. The most valuable techniques for the current research are interviews and surveys, which are used to collect primary data. The interview includes an interaction between the interviewer and respondent, as well as prepared questions on the topic of interest, providing insight into real-world experiences (Moser & Korstjens, 2018).
Interviewing a company representative who has adopted MSPs will help understand the phenomenon, its strategies, and the factors affecting decision-making when implementing and using these platforms. An essential aspect of conducting interviews is protecting the participant, particularly in terms of confidentiality. Only the researcher will know personal data capable of identifying the interviewee. The participant will also provide informed consent to participate in the study.
The survey method involves collecting data on the topic of interest from groups of people using a list of questions. Conducting a survey will help assess customers’ experience using MSPs and their attitude towards innovative technology products. The tools for collecting data will be a questionnaire and an online platform for conducting the survey. An essential task in using the technique is to compile questions to provide valuable information and engage users. The survey will be anonymous, and one of the questions will be a consent form to process the data obtained, protecting the participants.
Analysis of collected data occurs in several stages during the research. The recorded interview must be transcribed verbatim to create a document for thematic analysis. Then, the transcript is re-read and coded – sentences or paragraphs are marked according to their content and value for research (Busetto et al., 2020).
After coding, the data is synthesized, summarized, and interpreted to answer research questions. Survey data will be analyzed using correlation analysis to measure the relationship between variables (“Correlation analysis,” n.d.). The interview and survey data will be compared to reveal the characteristics of MSPs’ strategies that attract or repel users.
Sampling Method to be Used
The current research includes two populations: business representatives who worked with MSP strategies and platform users. Participants from these two groups will be selected for the interview and survey. The study’s peculiarity lies in the fact that the chosen data collection methods utilize online tools. This feature influences the selection of sampling methods, particularly when conducting an online survey. Using two different data collection tools also implies a distinctive sampling for these instruments.
Interview
The interview is consistent with a qualitative research approach and requires non-probability sampling. Moreover, in line with the study’s objectives, the population collecting data through interviews should possess knowledge and experience in implementing MSP strategies. Non-probability sampling methods assume that the sample is not randomly selected but rather determined by the researcher’s choice (Berndt, 2020).
Since interviewees must have specific experience in applying the MSP strategies, the current study has criteria for selecting candidates. In such a situation, the most suitable method is a purposive sample, which involves selecting respondents who can provide information on specific issues (Campbell et al., 2020). The researcher is guided by their experience and judgment while using this method.
The current research involves studying companies operating in the country to find interview candidates. Following the established criterion of MSPs’ strategies implementation experience, the researcher will select several experts. The next step is to send an invitation requesting an interview and providing details about the study.
The researcher may send more information after a consensus on the possibility of conducting an interview. The minimum requirement is to meet with at least one expert, and it is more desirable to communicate with two. However, it is possible to conduct several additional interviews using the selected sampling methods, depending on the information received.
Survey
To obtain the data necessary for the current study on attitudes towards MSPs, the critical requirement for the survey’s target population is the experience of operating platforms. Due to the peculiarities of conducting online surveys, researchers do not have the opportunity to use traditional methods of probability sampling (“Internet surveys,” n.d.). Therefore, the survey also requires non-probability sampling to gain the data.
It is essential to consider that the survey will be conducted via the Internet. Lehdonvirta et al. (2021) distinguish between two critical approaches in online surveys – river and panel sampling. River sampling is suitable for the study as it involves recruiting respondents through invitations or content containing a link to the survey.
The survey created for research will be posted on a particular platform. Applying the river sampling method, the researcher will distribute the link by e-mail and create a social media post to draw attention to the survey. More than a million active Internet users reside in the country, and many likely encounter MSPs. However, attracting attention to complete the questionnaire is challenging in research. The desired number of respondents is approximately 100, with a minimum of 30.
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