Work stream on data:Final report

Online platforms are intermediaries in the digital economy that enable the exchange of goods, services or information between two or more parties. They facilitate matching and make trade more efficient. The mechanisms and strategies by which these digital intermediaries provide these efficiencies universally revolve around the use of technology that intensively and extensively builds on data. The way data is generated and shared becomes a critical issue in a context where online services are increasingly diversified. Such data is the subject of this report. Data generated through or in relation to online platforms fosters innovation. Data plays an increasingly important role in business intelligence, product development, and process optimization. Data has become a new currency at times where many online services are provided for “free”, fuelled by the data provided by their users. Data is also the basis for competition and further innovation. While a number of national, EU and international reports clearly recognise the importance of data for the online platform economy, they rarely highlight the complexity and heterogeneity of data in the platform environment. This report provides a structured overview of how data is generated, collected and used in the online platform economy. It maps out the diversity and heterogeneity of data-related practices and expands on what different types of data require a careful examination in order to better understand their importance for both the platforms and their users as well as the issues and challenges arising in their interactions

The P2B Regulation and its Effects on Competition and Consumer Choice in Digital Markets in the Perspective of Abuse of Dominance by Ranking

This thesis aims to identify and analyse the challenges and regulatory measures needed in the digital economy. Digitalisation affects on competition and consumer welfare, and it can also affect how consumers live their lives. To reach the aim of the thesis, forming an overall understanding of the digital economy is necessary. Also, learning how platforms and search engines operate on the digital markets and how they may influence the competitive markets, fairness in platform-to-business relationships and most importantly, on consumer choice through search results, is essential. This thesis will examine the Regulation (EU) 2019/1150 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on promoting fairness and transparency for business users of online intermediation services (P2B Regulation). The P2B Regulation entered into force due to the digitalisation of the economy, market dominance and expansion of the digital platforms, as well as the need for more fairness and transparency in the digital markets. One of the matters that led to acknowledging the need for the P2B Regulation was the Google Search (Shopping) case. Therefore, this thesis analyses the case in the view of ranking as the ranking biases performed by leading platforms can distort users’ perception of the market. This thesis will systematise the impacts that the P2B Regulation has on the application of competition law and consumer welfare. In this thesis, the purpose is to clarify the governing legal framework by using legal dogmatic approach. This research considers the societal and economic perspectives and uses a method called Law and Technology. The material used for the thesis consists mainly of EU competition law research related to the platform economy. The conclusion of this thesis suggests that the P2B Regulation has helped improve transparency and fairness in the digital markets, which indirectly improves consumer welfare. Also, consumers are more informed about ranking, and, therefore, consumers have gained a better understanding of how the platforms operate. However, the P2B Regulation is complementary, and competition law still holds the position as the primary legislative tool in the digital economy.Tutkielman tavoitteena on tunnistaa ja analysoida digitaalisen talouden haasteita ja sääntelytoimenpiteitä. Digitalisaatio vaikuttaa kilpailuun ja kuluttajien hyvinvointiin, ja se voi vaikuttaa myös siihen, miten kuluttajat elävät elämäänsä. Tutkielman tavoitteen saavuttamiseksi tarvitaan kokonaisymmärrys digitaalisesta taloudesta. On myös tärkeää oppia, miten alustat ja hakukoneet toimivat digitaalisilla markkinoilla ja miten ne voivat vaikuttaa kilpailukykyisiin markkinoihin, oikeudenmukaisuuteen ja kuluttajavalintaan hakutulosten kautta. Tutkielma tarkastelee 20 päivänä kesäkuuta 2019 voimaan astunutta Euroopan parlamentin ja neuvoston asetusta (EU) 2019/1150 oikeudenmukaisuuden ja avoimuuden edistämisestä verkossa toimivien välityspalvelujen yrityskäyttäjiä varten (P2B-asetus). Asetus säädettiin digitalisoitumisen, digitaalisten alustojen määräävän markkina-aseman lisääntymisen sekä digitaalisten markkinoiden oikeudenmukaisuuden ja avoimuuden tarpeen vuoksi. Yksi niistä asioista, joka johti P2B-asetuksen tarpeen tunnustamiseen, oli Google Search (Shopping) -tapaus. Tutkielmassa siten analysoidaan kyseistä tapausta, varsinkin koska johtavien alustojen rankinglistaukset voivat vääristää kuluttajien käsitystä alustamarkkinoista. Tutkielma systematisoi ja tulkitsee P2B-asetuksen vaikutuksia kilpailulainsäädännön soveltamiseen ja kuluttajien hyvinvointiin. Tutkielman tarkoituksena on selkeyttää oikeudellista kehystä oikeusdogmaattisella lähestymistavalla. Tutkielma tarkastelee myös yhteiskunnallisia näkökulmia ja tutkielmassa käytetään apuna menetelmää nimeltä Law and Technology. Tutkielman lähdemateriaalina on käytetty enimmäkseen EU:n tasoista kilpailuoikeudellista tutkimusta alustataloudesta. Tutkielman johtopäätöksen mukaan P2B-asetus on auttanut parantamaan avoimuutta ja oikeudenmukaisuutta digitaalisilla markkinoilla, mikä parantaa välillisesti kuluttajien hyvinvointia. Kuluttajat ovat myös tietoisempia rankinglistauksista, ja siksi he ovat saaneet paremman käsityksen alustojen toiminnasta. P2B-asetus on kuitenkin luonteeltaan täydentävä, ja kilpailulainsäädäntö on edelleen ensisijainen lainsäädäntöväline digitaalitaloudessa

Strategy development and renewal due to changes in value chain

Business strategies must develop at a fast pace to stay relevant. In a changing business envi-ronment, strategy development is essential to stay alive. Value chain changes affect the strategy, and when changes are made in the value chains, they also affect the strategy. Part-nerships are becoming increasingly essential for companies, and the competition to have good partnerships is hard. Knowing how partnerships should be nurtured and led to devel-opment is essential. This study examines how value chain changes affect the strategy and how service partner-ships should be led and developed from both sides. Data is collected as secondary data from the company, annual reports, sustainability reports, and other written material provided by the company. Data is also collected through interviews that show how service partnerships should be led and developed. The findings of this study show that when changes are made in the value chain, the strategy must develop as well. The findings also show how the company strategy has developed over the years and how the focus has shifted. In order to do innovative business with motivated personnel, the company strategy focused much on customer service and customer satisfac-tion. The deepened cooperation with partners also required insight from the partners and the company on developing the partnerships. The findings show that depending on the an-swerer, cooperation is seen differently. However, the main goal is that both partners benefit from the cooperation and understand why the cooperation is essential. If the partners see the current state of the cooperation or the target state differently, the development of the partnership may be complex

The vulnerability of technical secrets to reverse engineering : implications for company policy

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, System Design and Management Program, 2008.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 81).In this thesis I will explore the controversial topic of reverse engineering, illustrating with case examples drawn from the data storage industry. I will explore intellectual property rights issues including, users' fair-use provisions that permit reverse engineering. I will also explore the nature of the practice via several types of analyses including: the costs and benefits of reverse engineering; the practical limitations of reverse engineering; and a layered approach to reverse engineering as it applies to complex systems. I will conclude with a discussion of innovation and its relationship to reverse engineeringby Cenkhan Kodak.S.M

Pursuing a new international luxury segment. The case of Ferreira de Sá Rugs

Within the scope of the recent executive changes experienced at Ferreira de Sá, one of the main objectives of the new commercial strategy was to prospect and expand into new markets. One of the market segments that the company showed interest in deepening its presence, was in the segment of luxury yachts, also known as superyachts. These concern a high level of customization and technical specificities, thus representing top engineering and design projects. By mobilizing an extensive value chain, the production of yachts proves to be of enormous complexity, either because of the demands of its customers, or because of the difficulty in combining the interests of a large number of stakeholders. The present research aims to understand the luxury yacht market segment and how the company can apply its skills to the requirements imposed by the segment. To be part of the yacht industry as a rug supplier, Ferreira de Sá needs to keep several notions in mind. Such are related to know the segment and its dynamics, and how to communicate and establish business relationships in it. For this purpose, the research carried out was based on a case study, in which it was sought to discover what skills were needed to supply this industry. From a social point of view, the supplier's relationships and reputation have proved to be crucial factors. On the other hand, in a productive and creative environment, functionality and stylistic identity were also defined as essential. The results contribute to a successful entry into the desired market segment and serve as a guide for planning the commercial strategy to be drawn up. By aligning its existing capabilities and knowledge with the impositions of the yacht industry, Ferreira de Sá will be able to increase its international recognition and its economic growth

Why, Did I Lose? Debriefing Quality and its Effects on Justice, Protests, and Sales Loss Attributions

When suppliers lose in a competitive tender process, they need feedback to make accurate sales loss attributions and adjustments to their competitive strategy. Unfortunately, buyers seldomly provide sufficient feedback to enable diagnostics, learning, and adaptation. The purpose of this research is to explore a buyer\u27s debriefing as an effective feedback mechanism. Based on data from a sample of 218 U.S. government source selections, a new construct, debriefing quality, is developed as a multi-dimensional construct comprised of: proposal efficacy information, procedural compliance and decision understanding information, and competitive intelligence information. Results show that debriefing quality enhances procedural justice and internal and external attributions and reduces supplier opportunism and perceptions of buyer opportunism. Further, the underlying procedural justice of the source selection deters bid protests, and debriefing quality can impact perceptions of procedural justice. Importantly, debriefing quality is essential in the assignment of loss attributions to strategy, thus affecting strategy change. These findings expand attribution theory by identifying new external attributions particular to a business-to-business context, namely suspicion of buyer opportunism and procedural justice. The study closes with specific information buyers can provide to suppliers to mitigate bid protests and help suppliers learn from the tender enabling future strategy improvements

Exercising power in asymmetric relationships:the use of private rules

This study investigates the use of private rules in exercising power in asymmetric business relationships. In asymmetric business relationships, the stronger party is likely to be able to dominate and exercise power over the conclusion of contracts and, thereby determine the processes and outcomes of the relationship. The study demonstrates how companies exercise their power in asymmetric relationships through private rules. Private rules are typically expressed in the General Terms and Conditions of Trade (GTCT) of the more powerful actor in a business relationship and are continually adapted to changing business and market requirements. Drawing on an empirical investigation in the German grocery retail business conducted in the years between 2011 and 2013, the present study demonstrates that power is exercised by the stronger parties through intervention-enforcement-sanctioning practices that are codified in private rules. Private rules frame, standardize and legitimize the terms and conditions under which exchanges among counterparts may take place thus institutionalizing the inherent power asymmetry