Realized control in software platforms

Abstract

Despite violation of several common assertions regarding the use of control, platform ecosystems rely heavily on such mechanisms. This calls into question the rationale for platform owners to rely on such controls. In this study, a model is developed to explain how and why control mechanisms influence performance of applications in a mobile computing platform ecosystem. This model hypothesizes that platform leveraging and application differentiation explain the relationship between control and performance. Taking into consideration endogenous instruments of control, the model is tested using data collected from RIM’s Blackberry AppWorld. Results suggest that control mechanisms operate very differently in a platform setting, thereby extending the current understanding of how control operates in an organizational setting.