Back to selection
74286-01 - Lecture: Platform Organizations (3 CP)
| Semester | spring semester 2026 |
| Course frequency | Every spring sem. |
| Lecturers | Julia Lisa Starzetz (julia.starzetz@unibas.ch, Assessor) |
| Content | Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. The business environment of platform organizations 3. Economies of scale and transaction costs in the digital economy 4. Additional sources of competitive advantage in the digital economy 5. Digital monopolies and oligopolies 6. Corporate and business unit strategies in the digital economy 7. Pricing strategies in the digital economy 8. Digital business models 9. Regulation of platform organizations |
| Learning objectives | - Obtaining an understanding of how economic principles explain the rapid rise and dominance of platform organizations in global markets - Becoming familiar with the specific competitive advantages of platform organizations, including zero marginal costs, network effects, and other digital economy mechanisms - Learning about the corporate, competitive, and pricing strategies that enable platform organizations to scale quickly and achieve market power - Reflecting on the need for regulatory frameworks to ensure fair competition in markets shaped by powerful platform organizations |
| Bibliography | Cusumanu, Michael A., Annabelle Gawer, and David B. Yoffie (2019): The business of plat-forms: strategy in the age of digital competition, innovation, and power. Harper Business. Goldfarb, A., and Tucker, C. (2019): Digital Economics. Journal of Economic Literature, 57(1), 3-43. Jelassi, Tawfik, Francisco J. Martínez-López (2020): Strategies for e-Business: Concepts and Cases on Value Creation and Digital Business Transformation. Fourth edition. Springer. Liu, Z. (2022): Principles of Digital Economics: Innovation Theory in the Age of Intelligence. Springer. Øverby, H., Audestad, J.A. (2021): Introduction to Digital Economics – Foundations, Business Models and Case Studies. Second Edition. Springer. Parker, G., van Alstyne, M., & Choudary, S. P. (2017). Platform revolution: How networked markets are transforming the economy - and how to make them work for you. W.W. Nor-ton & Company. Reillier, Laure Claire and Benoit Reillier (2017): Platform strategy: how to unlock the power of communities and networks to grow your business. Routledge. |
| Admission requirements | Students who have already successfully completed the previous course “Technology, Strategy, and Organization” cannot enrol in the course “Platform Organizations” again. |
| Course application | Registration: Please enroll in the Online Services (services.unibas.ch); Eucor-Students and mobility students of other Swiss Universities or the FHNW first have to register at the University of Basel BEFORE the start of the course and receive their login data by post (e-mail address of the University of Basel). Processing time up to a week! Detailed information can be found here: https://www.unibas.ch/de/Studium/Mobilitaet.html After successful registration you can enroll for the course in the Online Services (services.unibas.ch). Applies to everyone: Enrolment = Registration for the course and the exam! |
| Language of instruction | English |
| Use of digital media | No specific media used |
| Interval | Weekday | Time | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| wöchentlich | Monday | 18.15-20.00 | Wirtschaftswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Auditorium |
Dates
| Modules |
Module: Business Field: Human Resources (Master's Studies: Business and Technology) Module: Business Field: Strategy and Organization (Master's Studies: Business and Technology) Module: Specific Electives in Labor Economics, Human Resources and Organization (Master's Studies: Business and Economics) |
| Assessment format | record of achievement |
| Assessment details | written examination: The exam date will be announced during the first week of lectures. |
| Assessment registration/deregistration | Reg.: course registration, dereg: cancel course registration |
| Repeat examination | no repeat examination |
| Scale | 1-6 0,1 |
| Repeated registration | as often as necessary |
| Responsible faculty | Faculty of Business and Economics , studiendekanat-wwz@unibas.ch |
| Offered by | Faculty of Business and Economics |