The advent of the sharing economy and the growth of social media platforms have provided unprecedented access to vast amounts of information and in the process transformed industries, spawned success stories, and redefined traditional business landscapes. This course will examine the strategic implications of these technological developments for businesses, consumers, and society at large. In this course, we will review concepts and principles related to online platforms, social media, and web analytics, and examine the opportunities and challenges associated with business use of social media and web technologies. Through a combination of readings, simulations, case discussions, presentations, and hands-on projects/assignments we will learn about (i) the characteristics of networks, platforms, social media, and the sharing economy, and their potential to transform businesses and society, (ii) emerging business models and social media strategies, and (iii) approaches that businesses and policy makers can use to evaluate, apply, and leverage these technologies. |