Platform Strategies

Teacher(s)

Belleflamme Paul;

Language

English

Main themes

Specific behavior on Internet, Communities and viral marketing, e-business strategies, Internet market research, market places, e-Pricing, e-Advertising

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	During their programme, students of the LSM Master's in management or Master's in Business engineering will have developed the following capabilities CORPORATE CITIZENSHIP 1.3 Decide and act responsibly,  while taking into account the social, economic and environmental sometimes antinomic, outcomes in the short, medium and long term, for the various stakeholders. KNOWLEDGE AND REASONING 2.3 Articulate the acquired knowledge from different areas of management. INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP 4.1 ldentify new opportunities, propose creative and useful ideas; insituations that require new strategic approaches, break with existing models and paradigms, promote progress and change. WORK EFFECTIVELY IN AN INTERNATIONAL AND MULTICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT 5.1 Understand the inner workings of an organization : develop a global approach and integrate the internal logic used within the organization. TEAMWORK AND LEADERSHIP 6.1 Work in a team :Join in and collaborate with team members. Be open and take into consideration the different points of view and ways of thinking, manage differences and conflicts constructively, accept diversity.

Content

Context. Many sectors of activity have been profoundly disrupted over the last decade by the increased adoption of platform-based business models. As an illustration, five of the largest companies in the world by market capitalization today are Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta, which have all adopted different forms of platform-based business models. Platforms can be defined as entities that enable interactions among users and generate value from these interactions. In contrast with traditional firms (also called ‘pipelines’), which create value linearly, using their staff and assets, platforms create value more circularly by facilitating the interaction between different groups of external and independent participants. Not only do platforms represent a large share of the global economy, but they also permeate our everyday lives. So far, however, the existing literature in management has failed to provide professionals and students with appropriate tools to understand, in a thorough and scientifically sound way, the business models that may make those platforms successful. This course aims to fill the gap by providing students with practical tools that will allow them to design strategies adapted to the specificities of platforms.
Aims and objectives. At the end of the course, students should be able to (i) master an array of specific concepts from strategic management and industrial organization to (ii) understand how digital platforms operate and what sets them apart from other businesses, and (iii) apply this knowledge to design a venture of their own.
 

Teaching methods

The course is organized according to the flipped classroom method. The instructor introduces the topics; consequently, students go through additional learning material online. Students prepare several learning activities to engage them with the material individually. In parallel, students develop their project of a platform in groups. They regularly present their work in progress to the teaching staff.

Evaluation methods

The final grade is the combination of two parts.

• A group project (70%): This is a pivotal component of your course, where each group is entrusted with designing the blueprint of a digital platform. Your combined effort will be a significant determinant of your final grade, underscoring the importance of this task.
  • The regular presentations of the work in progress count, together, toward 40%;
  • A final report and a promotional video count each toward 15%;
  • Each group member is awarded the same mark, but individual penalties sanction unjustified absences during group presentations and blatant lack of participation in group work.
• A set of individual assignments (30%): You are invited to deepen the knowledge acquired in the course through three individual activities.
  • Analyse pieces of academic research on platform strategies (10%);
  • Identify the critical insights from podcasts featuring international platform entrepreneurs (10%);
  • Reflect critically on your interaction with invited Belgian platform entrepreneurs (10%).

Important note. The marks for the individual coursework are set once and for all (this part of the assessment cannot be retaken). However, if your mark for the group coursework is below 10/20, you can replace it with individual coursework (to be handed in August/September).
 

Other information

None

Online resources

All the learning material supporting the course will be available on a dedicated Moodle website. The site will also be used to form groups, announce and submit assignments, and send course-related information.

Bibliography

Reference book:

• Belleflamme, P. and Neysen, N. (2023). Platform Strategies. A Guidebook for Entrepreneurs in the Platform Economy. Routledge (forthcoming)

Other learning material supporting the course will be made available on a dedicated Moodle website.

Faculty or entity

> CLSM