The impact of digital platform vertical integration on partner commitment and willingness to pay : the mediating role of customer service quality | |
| Author | Dao Thi Thien Huong |
| Call Number | AIT Diss. no.DBA-SOM-26-06 |
| Subject(s) | Digital media Willingness to pay Customer services |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Business Administration |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | As competition intensifies, digital platforms increasingly need to move beyond basic pricing strategies and adopt value-based repositioning to achieve sustainable growth. Vertical integration has emerged as one potential strategy to strengthen competitive advantage, but it also introduces significant tensions within platform ecosystems. While prior research has examined the drivers of vertical integration and its impacts on partner innovation—most existing studies focus on technology-intensive industries and in developed economies. Consequently, there remains limited understanding of how vertical integration influences partners’ commitment to the platform and of the mechanisms that may mediate this relationship, especially in emerging markets where competition is often shaped by cost and operational efficiency rather than technological differentiation.This study examines how a platform’s vertical integration affects partners’ commitment and willingness to pay higher fees, with service quality as a mediating factor. The research focuses on Shopee, a major e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia, using survey data from retail sellers. Two seller groups were compared: those in categories overlapping with Shopee-owned stores (assumed affected by integration) and those in distinct categories (assumed unaffected). Statistical analysis included independent samples t-tests to measure the effect of integration and Structural Equation Modeling to test relationships among customer service quality, commitment, and willingness to pay.Of six hypotheses tested, five were supported. Vertical integration was found to negatively associated with retailers’ commitment and willingness to pay higher fees. Perceived service quality positively influenced both commitment and willingness to pay, and higher commitment is also associated with increased willingness to pay.An unexpected finding was that vertical integration is associated with reduced perceived service quality, contrary to the assumption that it would improve it. This indicates that integration alone does not ensure better service quality; meaningful improvement requires effective implementation and tangible results. These insights contribute to understanding how vertical integration shapes partner behavior and highlight the need for further research on the conditions under which integration can enhance service quality. |
| Year | 2026 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Management |
| Department | Other Field of Studies (No Department) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Doctor of Philosophy in Business Administration (Publication code = DBA-SM, SM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Badir, Yuosre F.M. |
| Examination Committee(s) | Chaklam Silpasuwanchai;Junaid, Muhammad |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2026 |
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