IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ejores/v308y2023i1p183-200.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Co-creation of mobile app quality in a two-platform supply chain when platforms are asymmetric

Author

Listed:
  • Chernonog, Tatyana
  • Levy, Priel

Abstract

Mobile app development is a fast-growing industry, with Google Play and App Store being the two largest platforms, which provide app developers with a global audience. While each platform has its own captive app users, developers have the freedom to distribute their app via either a single platform or both. In the latter case, developers need to create two versions of the app, which differ in terms of their conformance quality (dictated by the platform), but share the same design quality (defined by the developer). We demonstrate that the cross-platform design quality results in a fee-allocation mechanism, according to which when one platform increases the developer's revenue share, it pushes the other platform to reduce the revenue share that it offers to the developer. The innovation of this work lies in considering the co-creation of app quality in a two-platform supply chain operating under a revenue-sharing contract. We analyze a stylized model with two asymmetric platforms, where the developer may be either profit-driven or market-expansion driven. In the former case, the inferior platform is at risk of losing the contract and therefore has to adjust it. Equilibrium analysis is provided for two market-power structures — balanced and imbalanced. Several counterintuitive properties of the equilibrium are obtained: (i) by becoming less efficient in the apps’ approval process, the platforms may coordinate the supply chain; (ii) an increase in the market size of a platform may degrade its profit; and (iii) a low price of the in-app product is not necessarily linked to a poor-quality app.

Suggested Citation

  • Chernonog, Tatyana & Levy, Priel, 2023. "Co-creation of mobile app quality in a two-platform supply chain when platforms are asymmetric," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 308(1), pages 183-200.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ejores:v:308:y:2023:i:1:p:183-200
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ejor.2022.11.019
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0377221722008748
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ejor.2022.11.019?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chen, Yuwen & Ni, John & Yu, Degan, 2019. "Application developers’ product offering strategies in multi-platform markets," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 273(1), pages 320-333.
    2. Yuelin Shen & Sean P. Willems & Yue Dai, 2019. "Channel Selection and Contracting in the Presence of a Retail Platform," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 28(5), pages 1173-1185, May.
    3. Chen, Jingxian & Liang, Liang & Yang, Feng, 2015. "Cooperative quality investment in outsourcing," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 174-191.
    4. Hosseini-Motlagh, Seyyed-Mahdi & Nematollahi, Mohammadreza & Johari, Maryam & Sarker, Bhaba R., 2018. "A collaborative model for coordination of monopolistic manufacturer's promotional efforts and competing duopolistic retailers' trade credits," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 108-122.
    5. Edirisinghe, N.C.P. & Bichescu, B. & Shi, X., 2011. "Equilibrium analysis of supply chain structures under power imbalance," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 214(3), pages 568-578, November.
    6. Avinadav, Tal & Chernonog, Tatyana & Perlman, Yael, 2015. "The effect of risk sensitivity on a supply chain of mobile applications under a consignment contract with revenue sharing and quality investment," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 31-40.
    7. Yu, Dennis Z. & Cheong, Taesu & Sun, Daewon, 2017. "Impact of supply chain power and drop-shipping on a manufacturer’s optimal distribution channel strategy," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 259(2), pages 554-563.
    8. Kumar, V. & Anand, Ankit & Song, Hyunseok, 2017. "Future of Retailer Profitability: An Organizing Framework," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 93(1), pages 96-119.
    9. Wang, Qifei & Hong, Xianpei & Gong, Yeming (Yale) & Chen, Wanying (Amanda), 2020. "Collusion or Not: The optimal choice of competing retailers in a closed-loop supply chain," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 225(C).
    10. Lin Hao & Hong Guo & Robert F. Easley, 2017. "A Mobile Platform's In‐App Advertising Contract Under Agency Pricing for App Sales," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 26(2), pages 189-202, February.
    11. Shen, Bin & Xu, Xiaoyan & Yuan, Quan, 2020. "Selling secondhand products through an online platform with blockchain," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 142(C).
    12. Tatyana Chernonog, 2021. "Strategic information sharing in online retailing under a consignment contract with revenue sharing," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 300(2), pages 621-641, May.
    13. Konstantin Kogan, 2019. "Discounting revisited: evolutionary perspectives on competition and coordination in a supply chain with multiple retailers," Central European Journal of Operations Research, Springer;Slovak Society for Operations Research;Hungarian Operational Research Society;Czech Society for Operations Research;Österr. Gesellschaft für Operations Research (ÖGOR);Slovenian Society Informatika - Section for Operational Research;Croatian Operational Research Society, vol. 27(1), pages 69-92, March.
    14. Diane J. Reyniers & Charles S. Tapiero, 1995. "The Delivery and Control of Quality in Supplier-Producer Contracts," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 41(10), pages 1581-1589, October.
    15. Yonghua Ji & Ruibing Wang & Qinglong Gou, 2019. "Monetization on Mobile Platforms: Balancing in‐App Advertising and User Base Growth," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 28(9), pages 2202-2220, September.
    16. Stanley Baiman & Paul E. Fischer & Madhav V. Rajan, 2000. "Information, Contracting, and Quality Costs," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(6), pages 776-789, June.
    17. Mai, Dung T. & Liu, Tieming & Morris, Michael D.S. & Sun, Shuzhen, 2017. "Quality coordination with extended warranty for store-brand products," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 256(2), pages 524-532.
    18. Avinadav, Tal & Chernonog, Tatyana & Khmelnitsky, Eugene, 2021. "Revenue-sharing between developers of virtual products and platform distributors," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 290(3), pages 927-945.
    19. Chakraborty, Abhishek & Mandal, Prasenjit, 2021. "Channel efficiency and retailer tier dominance in a supply chain with a common manufacturer," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 294(1), pages 100-121.
    20. Avinadav, Tal & Chernonog, Tatyana & Fruchter, Gila E. & Prasad, Ashutosh, 2020. "Contract design when quality is co-created in a supply chain," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 286(3), pages 908-918.
    21. Hong Guo & Xuying Zhao & Lin Hao & De Liu, 2019. "Economic Analysis of Reward Advertising," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 28(10), pages 2413-2430, October.
    22. Biao Xu & Zhong Yao & Pengfei Tang, 2018. "Pricing strategies for information products with network effects and complementary services in a duopolistic market," International Journal of Production Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 56(12), pages 4243-4263, June.
    23. S. Chan Choi, 1991. "Price Competition in a Channel Structure with a Common Retailer," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(4), pages 271-296.
    24. Meng Lu & Suresh Sethi & Yangyang Xie & Houmin Yan, 2019. "Profit Allocation, Decision Sequence and Compliance Aspects of Coordinating Contracts: A Retrospect," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 28(5), pages 1222-1237, May.
    25. El Ouardighi, Fouad, 2014. "Supply quality management with optimal wholesale price and revenue sharing contracts: A two-stage game approach," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 156(C), pages 260-268.
    26. Yan, Yingchen & Zhao, Ruiqing & Liu, Zhibing, 2018. "Strategic introduction of the marketplace channel under spillovers from online to offline sales," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 267(1), pages 65-77.
    27. Fouad El Ouardighi & Konstantin Kogan, 2013. "Dynamic conformance and design quality in a supply chain: an assessment of contracts’ coordinating power," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 211(1), pages 137-166, December.
    28. Shengli Li & Qiuyue Luo & Liangfei Qiu & Subhajyoti Bandyopadhyay, 2020. "Optimal Pricing Model of Digital Music: Subscription, Ownership or Mixed?," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 29(3), pages 688-704, March.
    29. Ramarao Desiraju & Sridhar Moorthy, 1997. "Managing a Distribution Channel Under Asymmetric Information with Performance Requirements," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 43(12), pages 1628-1644, December.
    30. Chernonog, Tatyana & Avinadav, Tal & Ben-Zvi, Tal, 2019. "How to set price and quality in a supply chain of virtual products under bi-criteria and risk consideration," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 156-163.
    31. Avinadav, Tal & Levy, Priel, 2022. "Value of information in a mobile app supply chain under hidden or known information superiority," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    32. Gérard P. Cachon, 2001. "Stock Wars: Inventory Competition in a Two-Echelon Supply Chain with Multiple Retailers," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 49(5), pages 658-674, October.
    33. Desheng Wu & Baofeng Zhang & Opher Baron, 2019. "A Trade Credit Model with Asymmetric Competing Retailers," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 28(1), pages 206-231, January.
    34. Martin A. Lariviere & V. Padmanabhan, 1997. "Slotting Allowances and New Product Introductions," Marketing Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(2), pages 112-128.
    35. Avinadav, Tal & Chernonog, Tatyana & Perlman, Yael, 2015. "Consignment contract for mobile apps between a single retailer and competitive developers with different risk attitudes," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 246(3), pages 949-957.
    36. El Ouardighi, Fouad & Kim, Bowon, 2010. "Supply quality management with wholesale price and revenue-sharing contracts under horizontal competition," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 206(2), pages 329-340, October.
    37. Pan, Kewen & Lai, K.K. & Leung, Stephen C.H. & Xiao, Di, 2010. "Revenue-sharing versus wholesale price mechanisms under different channel power structures," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 203(2), pages 532-538, June.
    38. Modak, Nikunja Mohan & Panda, Shibaji & Sana, Shib Sankar, 2016. "Three-echelon supply chain coordination considering duopolistic retailers with perfect quality products," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 182(C), pages 564-578.
    39. Chester Chambers & Panos Kouvelis & John Semple, 2006. "Quality-Based Competition, Profitability, and Variable Costs," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(12), pages 1884-1895, December.
    40. Zhang, Jianqiang & Cao, Qingning & He, Xiuli, 2019. "Contract and product quality in platform selling," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 272(3), pages 928-944.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Siqin, Tana & Yang, Lu & Chung, Sai-Ho & Wen, Xin, 2024. "Cross-channel influences in mobile-app-website e-commerce supply chains: When to weaken the influence?," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 182(C).
    2. Da, Yuwen & Gou, Qinglong & Liang, Chao, 2023. "Will self-gifting of streamers hurt unions? Analyzing the union’s compensation mechanism for a live streaming supply chain," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 177(C).
    3. Avinadav, Tal & Levy, Priel, 2024. "Improving efficiency in supply chains with a capital-constrained app developer under the agency contract," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 315(3), pages 991-1005.
    4. Xia, Lulu & Li, Kai & Fu, Hong, 2024. "Bargaining in mobile app supply chain considering members’ fairness concern attitudes," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Avinadav, Tal & Chernonog, Tatyana & Fruchter, Gila E. & Prasad, Ashutosh, 2020. "Contract design when quality is co-created in a supply chain," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 286(3), pages 908-918.
    2. Avinadav, Tal & Levy, Priel, 2024. "Improving efficiency in supply chains with a capital-constrained app developer under the agency contract," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 315(3), pages 991-1005.
    3. Avinadav, Tal & Levy, Priel, 2023. "The effect of an uncertain commission rate on the decisions of a capital-constrained developer," Operations Research Perspectives, Elsevier, vol. 11(C).
    4. Xia, Lulu & Li, Kai & Fu, Hong, 2024. "Bargaining in mobile app supply chain considering members’ fairness concern attitudes," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 270(C).
    5. Avinadav, Tal & Chernonog, Tatyana & Meilijson, Isaac & Perlman, Yael, 2022. "A consignment contract with revenue sharing between an app developer and a distribution platform," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    6. Avinadav, Tal & Levy, Priel, 2022. "Value of information in a mobile app supply chain under hidden or known information superiority," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 248(C).
    7. Haoyu Liu & Shulin Liu, 2020. "Research on Advertising and Quality of Paid Apps, Considering the Effects of Reference Price and Goodwill," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 8(5), pages 1-23, May.
    8. Avinadav, Tal & Chernonog, Tatyana & Ben-Zvi, Tal, 2019. "The effect of information superiority on a supply chain of virtual products," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 384-397.
    9. Chakraborty, Tulika & Chauhan, Satyaveer S. & Ouhimmou, Mustapha, 2019. "Cost-sharing mechanism for product quality improvement in a supply chain under competition," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 208(C), pages 566-587.
    10. Fan, Jianchang & Ni, Debing & Fang, Xiang, 2020. "Liability cost sharing, product quality choice, and coordination in two-echelon supply chains," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 284(2), pages 514-537.
    11. Yuan Fang & Bin Shen & Yifan Cao, 2022. "To Share or Not to Share? The Optimal Technology Investment in a Virtual Product Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-30, October.
    12. Guan, Zhimin & Ye, Tong & Yin, Rui, 2020. "Channel coordination under Nash bargaining fairness concerns in differential games of goodwill accumulation," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 285(3), pages 916-930.
    13. Xiaotong Guo & Yong He, 2022. "Mathematical Modeling and Optimization of Platform Service Supply Chains: A Literature Review," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(22), pages 1-19, November.
    14. Matsui, Kenji, 2019. "A supply chain member should set its margin later if another member's cost is highly uncertain," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 275(1), pages 127-138.
    15. Avinadav, Tal & Chernonog, Tatyana & Perlman, Yael, 2017. "Mergers and acquisitions between risk-averse parties," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 259(3), pages 926-934.
    16. Li, Dong & Nagurney, Anna, 2015. "A general multitiered supply chain network model of quality competition with suppliers," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 170(PA), pages 336-356.
    17. Tatyana Chernonog, 2021. "Strategic information sharing in online retailing under a consignment contract with revenue sharing," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 300(2), pages 621-641, May.
    18. Lu, Lijue & Navas, Jorge, 2021. "Advertising and quality improving strategies in a supply chain when facing potential crises," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 288(3), pages 839-851.
    19. Chen, Jingxian & Liang, Liang & Yang, Feng, 2015. "Cooperative quality investment in outsourcing," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 174-191.
    20. He, Yi & Xu, Qingyun & Shao, Zhen, 2021. "“Ship-from-store” strategy in platform retailing," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 145(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ejores:v:308:y:2023:i:1:p:183-200. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/eor .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.