UC Irvine

Online platforms like Amazon and Airbnb play significant roles in the social economy. This dissertation examines advertising and pricing strategies on these platforms. Through a large-scale field experiment, the first essay investigates whether sponsored listings outperform organic listings and how their performance varies in online marketplaces. Our findings show that consumers prefer organic listings in top-ranked positions over sponsored listings of the same product/position. The second essay explores consumers’ reactions to high price volatility on Airbnb. While AI-based dynamic pricing can increase sellers’ revenue, our findings suggest that optimal outcomes may only be achieved if consumers’ behavioral reactions are addressed.