University of Twente Student Theses
Paradoxical Tensions in Platform Co-ops : An Explorative Study of Perceptions and Responses
Beerkens, Max (2023) Paradoxical Tensions in Platform Co-ops : An Explorative Study of Perceptions and Responses.
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| Abstract: | Platform co-ops (cooperatives) are gaining a lot of attention as a social answer to platform capitalism. At the same time, this study aims to explore what paradoxical tensions representatives of platform co-ops are perceiving. In addition, this study aims to investigate how these representatives deal with these tensions. For this purpose, an explorative qualitative study of 10 semi-structured interviews with representatives of platform co-ops was conducted. These interviews were analysed using the systematic method of Creswell (2002) for coding and analysing data. The findings indicate that tensions manifest themselves in three phases: setting up, designing and managing the platform. In addition, it is concluded that the manifestations of tensions differentiate according to the phases in which they emerge. Secondly, the findings indicated that tensions perceived by representatives all exemplify the main tension between the market and cooperative ideology. Thirdly, this study found that how representatives conform to the market and/or cooperative ideology is fundamental to how tensions are dealt with. These findings contribute to the literature by investigating tensions in the yet unexplored field of platform co-ops. This research moreover contributes by investigating how tensions are perceived by representatives of the platforms and dealt with practically. Important practical implications stem from the call for early discussion of tensions with co-initiators when setting up the platform. In addition, this research makes the statement to also reflect as representatives on the entrepreneurial skills needed to run such a platform. The empirical results show that these skills ensure that the elements of the tensions don't always have to be at odds with each other by aligning them. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 85 business administration, organizational science |
| Programme: | Business Administration MSc (60644) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/97035 |
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