Abstract: Software components, such as application programming interfaces (APIs), provided ...
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Abstract: Software components, such as application programming interfaces (APIs), provided by both the platform owner and external developers in a platform ecosystem are vital to online digital platforms. These APIs are associated with functionality provided by the platform. A larger number of APIs used is generally associated with an increase in the platform ecosystem’s variety of products. However, the precise nature of the relationship between the use of APIs and product variety in a platform ecosystem is not yet known because of the lack of appropriate methodologies to analyze the complex data generated in such platform ecosystems. Drawing on a recombinatorial design perspective, we use a dynamic network model to create metrics for product variety in a digital ecosystem and study how the use of different types of APIs affects product variety. In particular, we theorize that, contrary to existing models, the structure of APIs in a large platform ecosystem is not limited to a core–periphery structure, but includes an additional third layer that we refer to as the regular core. We further hypothesize that external APIs in the regular core play a crucial role in increasing product variety in the ecosystem. To test our hypothesis, we conduct an empirical study using longitudinal data of all available digital product (i.e., plug-in) source codes on WordPress.org, the world’s largest content management system and one of the most extensive digital platform ecosystems. By analyzing all of the plug-ins on WordPress over 10 years from its inception, we find the support of our three-layer structure of APIs in a platform ecosystem: complete core, regular core, and periphery. Our empirical analysis further supports the role of external APIs in the regular core in increasing product variety. We, however, find that the strength of this effect diminishes in a newly created product category. History: Param Singh, Senior Editor; Pallab Sanyal, Associate Editor. Funding: This work was supported by the Ministry of Education Singapore [Grants R-253-000-122-133 and T1-251RES1916], the National Science Foundation [Grants 1261977 and 1120966], and Club Informatique des Grandes Entreprises Françaises. Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2022.1172.
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Semantic filters:
Ramsey RESET test
Topics:
application programming interface digital ecosystem digital product innovation management website
Methods:
doc2vec hierarchical clustering longitudinal research cluster analysis chi squared test
Construing online consumers’ information privacy decisions: The impact of psychological distance
Abstract: The role of subjective distance and mental representations in understanding cons ...
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Abstract: The role of subjective distance and mental representations in understanding consumers’ information privacy decisions is underexplored in the literature. This study draws on construal level theory and power-responsibility equilibrium framework of privacy to explain consumer privacy behavior based on the interplay between three psychological constructs, namely, privacy concerns, privacy empowerment, and the psychological distance of privacy. This study empirically validates the psychological distance of privacy construct and the results indicate the capability of psychological distance to explain privacy behavior and to moderate the relationship between privacy concerns and privacy behavior. The findings also suggest that empowered consumers’ privacy behavior does not vary despite the degree of psychological distance. Our findings have implications for the privacy scholarship, consumers and e-commerce system developers.
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Semantic filters:
Ramsey RESET test
Topics:
privacy information privacy concern privacy behavior electronic commerce anonymity
Methods:
survey partial least squares path modeling data transformation factor analysis confirmatory factor analysis
