Strategy in Network Industries: A Review and Research Agenda
Abstract
This article reviews extant theoretical perspectives and empirical literature at the nexus of network effects and strategy. Building on these insights, it offers a research framework that focuses on three primary avenues: the strategic drivers of network intensity, approaches to assess variations in network intensity, and effective strategies for leveraging network intensity. In doing so, the study widens the perspective of the role of strategy in network industries and offers directions for future research.
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Network effects can, to a certain extent, be created or altered in favor of firms, countering the predominant view of treating them as exogenous industry attributes.
“Studies argue that network effects can, to a certain extent, be created or altered in favor of firms, and counters the pre-dominant view of treating them as exogenous industry attributes (McIntyre & Srinivasan, 2017;McIntyre & Subramaniam, 2009).”
From Digital platform ecosystems in flux: From proprietary digital platforms to wide-spanning ecosystems (2023) · cites this paper as McIntyre & Subramaniam, 2009
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- Authors
- McIntyre, D. P., & Subramaniam, M.
- Affiliations
- Providence College (US)
- Boston College (US)
- Corresponding author
- Subramaniam, Mohan
- ORCID
- Subramaniam, Mohan
- Venue
- Journal of Management
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2009-09-23
- Volume
- 35
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1494-1517
- ISSN
- 0149-2063 (ISSN-L)
- 1557-1211
- OpenAlex
- W2161062065
- Cited by
- 164
- References
- 77
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 21 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 10 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 4
- FWCI
- 11.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Management (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Digital Platforms and Economics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Business Strategy and Innovation
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Innovation and Knowledge Management
- Keywords
- network industries, network effects, business strategy, network intensity, research agenda
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