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Multi-Level Governance of Power in Digital Platforms: A Systematic Meta-Synthesis Study

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Technology, 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. This study aims 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 in the Scopus database using the PRISMA protocol for the years 2015-2025. 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 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.

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Business Intelligence Management Studies
Volume 15, Issue 56
June 2026
Pages 85-112
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History
  • Receive Date: 13 July 2025
  • Revise Date: 10 October 2025
  • Accept Date: 16 November 2025
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