Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/288522 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Citation: 
[Journal:] Journal of Business Economics [ISSN:] 1861-8928 [Volume:] 91 [Issue:] 4 [Publisher:] Springer [Place:] Berlin, Heidelberg [Year:] 2020 [Pages:] 479-526
Publisher: 
Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Abstract: 
Many digital platforms implement feedback mechanisms as a means to control the behavior of their users. However, there is a lack of theoretical explanation regarding the interrelation between design characteristics of feedback mechanisms and their effects. In this study, we interpret feedback mechanisms as a specific type of management control to propose properties as a new theoretical perspective on this problem. Our exploratory study has two objectives. First, we analyze how digital platforms design their feedback mechanisms. Second, we examine to what extent feedback mechanisms comply with standards given in the management control literature for our newly introduced properties. Analyzing the 102 most widely used platforms in Germany, we find dominant patterns in nearly all design characteristics (e.g., query method, submission category and scale level). Furthermore, we find mixed compliance of feedback mechanisms with our introduced properties (e.g., low precision but high sensitivity and verifiability). For a deeper understanding of these results, especially the reasons for the design choices, we conduct 14 semi-structured expert interviews. We find simplicity and inspiration from other platforms to be dominant drivers for design choices.
Subjects: 
Feedback mechanism
Design characteristics
Properties
Digital platform
Management control
JEL: 
L14
M10
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Published Version

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