What the study found
The study found that governance alone cannot explain upgrading in platform-mediated global value chains, because institutional power and constitutive power also matter. In the case of Pakistani mobile application vendors, platform codification helped initial learning, but upgrading depended on both codification and suppliers gaining legitimacy.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that understanding upgrading in platform-based global value chains requires more than governance frameworks alone. The study suggests that institutional and constitutive power need to be considered alongside governance to explain how suppliers move from captive to modular governance.
What the researchers tested
The researchers integrated Gereffi et al.'s governance framework with Dallas et al.'s power typology. They examined Pakistani mobile application vendors operating in Apple's iOS and Google's Android ecosystems.
What worked and what didn't
Platform codification facilitated initial learning for suppliers. However, codification by itself did not lead to functional upgrading, and upgrading appeared to depend on suppliers' ability to gain legitimacy, which enabled shifts from captive to modular governance.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not describe detailed data, sample size, or specific methods beyond the case study context. It also does not provide limits on how broadly the findings apply beyond Pakistani mobile application vendors in Apple's iOS and Google's Android ecosystems.
Key points
- Governance alone was not enough to explain upgrading in platform-mediated global value chains.
- Platform codification supported initial learning, but did not by itself produce functional upgrading.
- Supplier legitimacy was part of the process of upgrading from captive to modular governance.
- The study focused on Pakistani mobile application vendors in Apple's iOS and Google's Android ecosystems.
- The authors combined a governance framework with a power typology to explain upgrading.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Platform codification alone did not drive vendor upgrading
- Authors:
- Umair Choksy, Mark Dallas, Matthew; id_orcid 0000-0002-1614-7862 Alford, Yusuf Kurt
- Institutions:
- Manchester University, Manchester University, Union College, University of Manchester, University of Manchester, University of Stirling, University of Vaasa
- Publication date:
- 2026-07-06
- DOI:
- 10.1093/jeg/lbag040
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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