Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • 2021
  • Working Paper
  • HBS Working Paper Series

Assessing the Strength of Network Effects in Social Network Platforms

By: Marco Iansiti
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:18
ShareBar

Abstract

Network effects have risen to the forefront of platform competition discussions (e.g. the House Judiciary investigation of competition in digital markets, claiming that Facebook, for example, is entrenched due to strong network effects and high switching costs). While newer literature has developed much more sophistication in characterizing network effects, common regulatory perspective often assumes more simplistic views.

Keywords

Social Networks; Platform Competition; Network Effects; Competition

Citation

Iansiti, Marco. "Assessing the Strength of Network Effects in Social Network Platforms." Harvard Business School Working Paper, No. 21-086, February 2021.
  • Read Now

About The Author

Marco Iansiti

Technology and Operations Management
→More Publications

More from the Author

    • September 2021
    • Information Systems Research

    Network Interconnectivity and Entry into Platform Markets

    By: Feng Zhu, Xinxin Li, Ehsan Valavi and Marco Iansiti
    • August 2021
    • Faculty Research

    Orchadio’s First Two Split Experiments

    By: Iavor I. Bojinov, Marco Iansiti and David Lane
    • August 2021
    • Faculty Research

    Moderna (A)

    By: Marco Iansiti, Karim R. Lakhani, Kerry Herman and Amy Klopfenstein
More from the Author
  • Network Interconnectivity and Entry into Platform Markets By: Feng Zhu, Xinxin Li, Ehsan Valavi and Marco Iansiti
  • Orchadio’s First Two Split Experiments By: Iavor I. Bojinov, Marco Iansiti and David Lane
  • Moderna (A) By: Marco Iansiti, Karim R. Lakhani, Kerry Herman and Amy Klopfenstein
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College