Optimization of green-pricing strategies for two-sided marine freight platforms with network externality and multihoming effects
Two-sided marine freight platforms attract massive participation from shippers and carriers through efficient matching of shipping demand and capacity resources. While intensifying market competition has driven these platforms to prioritize greenness level alongside pricing strategies, adopting hybr...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1601322/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850161764110434304 |
|---|---|
| author | Weisi Zhang Lulu Ji Wen Chen |
| author_facet | Weisi Zhang Lulu Ji Wen Chen |
| author_sort | Weisi Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Two-sided marine freight platforms attract massive participation from shippers and carriers through efficient matching of shipping demand and capacity resources. While intensifying market competition has driven these platforms to prioritize greenness level alongside pricing strategies, adopting hybrid revenue models (e.g., commission rate and membership fees), their operational dynamics under network externality and multihoming effects remain underexplored. This paper establishes three platform scenarios (monopoly, competitive single-homing, and competitive multihoming) and investigates the optimization of green-pricing strategies. The results demonstrate that: A monopoly platform maximizes profit under low commission rates, whereas in competitive multihoming scenarios, one platform dominates by strategically sacrificing its rival’s profit; High freight rate consistently favors monopolistic platforms regardless of transaction frequency, while low freight rate enables Pareto optimality through single-homing on both sides; When shippers exhibit low sensitivity to greenness level and weak network externalities, competitive multihoming emerges as optimal. These findings provide actionable insights for platform differentiation, green-pricing governance, and sustainable competition in evolving digital freight markets. This study provides a decision-making framework for optimizing the operations of marine freight platforms in sustainable market environments. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-286855e5db0941e29d5b91f376f7ee52 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2296-7745 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Marine Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-286855e5db0941e29d5b91f376f7ee522025-08-20T02:22:43ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Marine Science2296-77452025-06-011210.3389/fmars.2025.16013221601322Optimization of green-pricing strategies for two-sided marine freight platforms with network externality and multihoming effectsWeisi ZhangLulu JiWen ChenTwo-sided marine freight platforms attract massive participation from shippers and carriers through efficient matching of shipping demand and capacity resources. While intensifying market competition has driven these platforms to prioritize greenness level alongside pricing strategies, adopting hybrid revenue models (e.g., commission rate and membership fees), their operational dynamics under network externality and multihoming effects remain underexplored. This paper establishes three platform scenarios (monopoly, competitive single-homing, and competitive multihoming) and investigates the optimization of green-pricing strategies. The results demonstrate that: A monopoly platform maximizes profit under low commission rates, whereas in competitive multihoming scenarios, one platform dominates by strategically sacrificing its rival’s profit; High freight rate consistently favors monopolistic platforms regardless of transaction frequency, while low freight rate enables Pareto optimality through single-homing on both sides; When shippers exhibit low sensitivity to greenness level and weak network externalities, competitive multihoming emerges as optimal. These findings provide actionable insights for platform differentiation, green-pricing governance, and sustainable competition in evolving digital freight markets. This study provides a decision-making framework for optimizing the operations of marine freight platforms in sustainable market environments.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1601322/fulltwo-sided marketmarine freight platformgreenness levelpricing strategyStackelberg game |
| spellingShingle | Weisi Zhang Lulu Ji Wen Chen Optimization of green-pricing strategies for two-sided marine freight platforms with network externality and multihoming effects Frontiers in Marine Science two-sided market marine freight platform greenness level pricing strategy Stackelberg game |
| title | Optimization of green-pricing strategies for two-sided marine freight platforms with network externality and multihoming effects |
| title_full | Optimization of green-pricing strategies for two-sided marine freight platforms with network externality and multihoming effects |
| title_fullStr | Optimization of green-pricing strategies for two-sided marine freight platforms with network externality and multihoming effects |
| title_full_unstemmed | Optimization of green-pricing strategies for two-sided marine freight platforms with network externality and multihoming effects |
| title_short | Optimization of green-pricing strategies for two-sided marine freight platforms with network externality and multihoming effects |
| title_sort | optimization of green pricing strategies for two sided marine freight platforms with network externality and multihoming effects |
| topic | two-sided market marine freight platform greenness level pricing strategy Stackelberg game |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2025.1601322/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT weisizhang optimizationofgreenpricingstrategiesfortwosidedmarinefreightplatformswithnetworkexternalityandmultihomingeffects AT luluji optimizationofgreenpricingstrategiesfortwosidedmarinefreightplatformswithnetworkexternalityandmultihomingeffects AT wenchen optimizationofgreenpricingstrategiesfortwosidedmarinefreightplatformswithnetworkexternalityandmultihomingeffects |