Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 PhD Student in Entrepreneurship, Organizational Department, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
2 Full Professor, Faculty of Entrepreneurship, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Digital platforms have become complex structures in which technological architectures, network effects, and multi-sided interactions have created new forms of power at the macro, meso, and micro levels. The aim of this study is to reorganize the scattered dimensions of platform-power governance into a coherent three-level framework. This study used a systematic meta-synthesis design and conducted a guided search based on the PRISMA protocol in the Scopus database for the years 2015 to 2025. After screening 514 articles and applying the Joanna Briggs Institute quality criteria, 44 qualitative studies were selected. Data extraction and coding were conducted through open, axial, and selective stages, and the codes were also reviewed independently to ensure reliability. The reviewed studies included interventions in the domains of regulatory structures, ecosystem architectures, and user-level mechanisms, and the analysis was carried out using qualitative synthesis techniques. The results showed that platform power had been shaped through macro-level institutional and regulatory rules, meso-level infrastructural and algorithmic arrangements, and micro-level design and behavioral mechanisms. The findings also showed that these levels were interconnected in an intertwined manner and reinforced one another in shaping how platform power functions. Finally, this study showed that understanding platform governance requires simultaneous attention to all three levels and that integrated frameworks are necessary to address the multidimensional nature of power in digital platforms.
Keywords
- Platform power structure
- Digital platform governance level
- multi-sided businesses
- Platform power technology nature
- Network effect
Main Subjects
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