Vol. 15 No. 88 (2026)
Articles

Platform-mediated digitalization and the popular economy: a model of the welfare inflection point

PDF (Español (España)) HTML (Español (España))
  • Diego Guevara Fletcher,
  • Carlos Laverde Rodríguez,
  • Henry Laverde Rojas
Diego Guevara Fletcher
Escuela Superior de Administración Pública (ESAP), Bogotá, Colombia.
Author Biography

Doctor en Ciencias Sociales, Escuela Superior de Administración Pública (ESAP), Bogotá, Colombia.

Carlos Laverde Rodríguez
Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá, Colombia.
Author Biography

Doctor en Sociología, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá, Colombia.

Henry Laverde Rojas
Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá, Colombia.
Author Biography

Doctor en Economía, Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Bogotá, Colombia.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2026.88.02.3

Published 2026-10-19

Keywords

  • well-being,
  • electronic commerce,
  • small enterprises,
  • digital platforms,
  • informal sector.

How to Cite

Guevara Fletcher, D., Laverde Rodríguez, C., & Laverde Rojas, H. (2026). Platform-mediated digitalization and the popular economy: a model of the welfare inflection point. Amazonia Investiga, 15(88), 44–59. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2026.88.02.3

Copyright (c) 2026 Diego Guevara Fletcher, Carlos Laverde Rodríguez, Henry Laverde Rojas

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Introduction: The digitalization of small economic units through platforms has generated debate over its benefits and risks, prompting a review of the conditions for its effectiveness and the limits of its contribution to welfare. Objective: To review three bodies of literature—digital transformation as a theory of the firm, platform power, and the popular economy—in order to determine when platform-mediated digitalization ceases to be beneficial. Method: An integrative review of 90 documents, selected through explicit criteria and analyzed using a seven-field extraction matrix. Results: Intermediation gains tend to saturate, but dependency costs do not. The apparent contradiction regarding platform owner entry is resolved through a distributive gradient: every positive effect depends on popularity, size, diversification, or permissive governance. A welfare tipping-point model is formulated, comprising five verifiable propositions and two corollaries. Conclusion: A mediation threshold exists beyond which sales increase while welfare declines; this threshold is systematically lower in the popular economy, which calls for a reassessment of the criteria used to evaluate digitalization policies.

PDF (Español (España)) HTML (Español (España))

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

  1. Allub, L., Álvarez, F., Brassiolo, P., Buccari, F., de la Mata, D., Díaz de Astarloa, B., Estrada, R., Fernández, D., Finkelstein, M., Maljar, M., & Odriozola, J. (2025). Digitalización e IA: avances y desafíos sectoriales en América Latina y el Caribe. CAF. https://scioteca.caf.com/handle/123456789/2566
  2. Asadullah, A., Faik, I., & Kankanhalli, A. (2020). Can digital platforms help SMEs develop organizational capabilities? A qualitative field study. En Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems (ICIS 2020). Association for Information Systems. https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2020/sharing_economy/sharing_economy/12
  3. Banco Mundial. (2016). Informe sobre el desarrollo mundial 2016: dividendos digitales. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/wdr2016
  4. Banco Mundial. (2021). Building an equitable society in Colombia. Banco Internacional de Reconstrucción y Fomento. https://documentos.bancomundial.org/es/publication/documents-reports/documentdetail/602591635220506529
  5. Beck, T., Pamuk, H., Ramrattan, R., & Uras, B. R. (2018). Payment instruments, finance and development. Journal of Development Economics, 133, 162–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdeveco.2018.01.005
  6. Brynjolfsson, E., Rock, D., & Syverson, C. (2021). The productivity J-curve: How intangibles complement general purpose technologies. American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, 13(1), 333 –372. https://doi.org/10.1257/mac.20180386
  7. Cathles, A., Suaznábar, C., & Vargas, F. (2022). The 360° on digital transformation in firms in Latin America and the Caribbean (Monografía IDB-MG-1067). Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo. https://doi.org/10.18235/0004635
  8. Cirera, X., & Maloney, W. F. (2017). The innovation paradox: Developing-country capabilities and the unrealized promise of technological catch-up. Banco Mundial. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1160-9
  9. Cohen, W. M., & Levinthal, D. A. (1990). Absorptive capacity: A new perspective on learning and innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly, 35(1), 128–152. https://doi.org/10.2307/2393553
  10. Consejo Nacional de Política Económica y Social. (2019). Documento CONPES 3956: Política de formalización empresarial. Departamento Nacional de Planeación. https://normograma.mintic.gov.co/mintic/compilacion/docs/conpes_dnp_3956_2019.htm
  11. Coraggio, J. L. (2011). Economía social y solidaria: el trabajo antes que el capital. Abya-Yala.
  12. Corte Constitucional de Colombia. (2026, 25 de febrero). Sentencia C-033/26 (Ruth Stella Correa Palacio, conjueza ponente). https://www.corteconstitucional.gov.co/relatoria/2026/C-033-26.htm
  13. Cutolo, D., & Kenney, M. (2021). Platform-dependent entrepreneurs: Power asymmetries, risks, and strategies in the platform economy. Academy of Management Perspectives, 35(4), 584 –605. https://doi.org/10.5465/amp.2019.0103
  14. Decreto 2185 de 2023. (2023, 18 de diciembre). Por el cual se adiciona la Sección 5 al Capítulo 3 de la Parte 2 del Libro 2 del Decreto 1074 de 2015 y se reglamenta el funcionamiento del Consejo Nacional de la Economía Popular. https://www.funcionpublica.gov.co/eva/gestornormativo/norma.php?i=226910
  15. Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadística. (2024). Encuesta de tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones en hogares (ENTIC Hogares) 2024. https://www.dane.gov.co/index.php/estadisticas-por-tema/tecnologia-e-innovacion/tecnologias-de-la-informacion-y-las-comunicaciones-tic/encuesta-de-tecnologias-de-la-informacion-y-las-comunicaciones-en-hogares-entic-hogares
  16. Departamento Nacional de Planeación. (2023). Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2022–2026: Colombia, potencia mundial de la vida. https://fundacionexe.org.co/document/plan-nacional-de-desarrollo-2022-2026-colombia-potencia-mundial-de-la-vida/
  17. Díaz-Arancibia, J., Hochstetter-Diez, J., Bustamante-Mora, A., Sepúlveda-Cuevas, S., Albayay, I., & Arango-López, J. (2024). Navigating digital transformation and technology adoption: A literature review from small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries. Sustainability, 16(14), Article 5946. https://doi.org/10.3390/su16145946
  18. Du, X., & Huang, J. (2025). The influence of digital capabilities on the export performance of SMEs: evidence from China. Asia Pacific Business Review, 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602381.2024.2448472
  19. Foerderer, J., Kude, T., Mithas, S., & Heinzl, A. (2018). Does platform owner's entry crowd out innovation? Evidence from Google Photos. Information Systems Research, 29(2), 444-460. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.2018.0787
  20. Gal, P., Nicoletti, G., Renault, T., Sorbe, S., & Timiliotis, C. (2019). Digitalisation and productivity: In search of the holy grail—Firm-level empirical evidence from EU countries (OECD Economics Department Working Papers No. 1533). OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/5080f4b6-en
  21. Harracá, M. (2023). La economía política de las plataformas y el rol estratégico de la política pública. Papeles de Trabajo, 17(32), 21–39. https://revistasacademicas.unsam.edu.ar/index.php/papdetrab/article/view/1602
  22. Higón, D. A., & Bonvin, D. (2024). Digitalization and trade participation of SMEs. Small Business Economics, 62, 857–877. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-023-00799-7
  23. Jiang, Y., Zhao, X., & Zhai, L. (2023). Digital empowerment to improve the operational profitability in e-commerce supply chain. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 58, Article 101253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2023.101253
  24. Kang, H. Y., & Suarez, F. F. (2023). Platform owner entry into complementor spaces under different governance modes. Journal of Management, 49(5), 1766–1800. https://doi.org/10.1177/01492063221094759
  25. Kapacinskaite, A., & Mostajabi, A. (2024). Competing with the platform: Complementor positioning and cross-platform response to entry. Strategic Management Journal, 45(12), 2577–2607. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3643
  26. Kraychete, G. (2013). El problema de la sostenibilidad y la escala de los emprendimientos mercantiles asociativos. En R. Zurita (Ed.), La economía popular y solidaria: el ser humano sobre el capital (pp. 213–230). Instituto Nacional de Economía Popular y Solidaria.
  27. La Porta, R., & Shleifer, A. (2014). Informality and development. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 28(3), 109–126. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.28.3.109
  28. Laverde Rodríguez, C. A., Vera Leyton, J. M., López Naranjo, H. A., & Sellamén Garzón, A. (2022). Tendencias en la economía colaborativa: una aproximación analítica. Ediciones USTA.
  29. Laverde Rojas, H., Laverde Rodríguez, C. A., & Tirado Acero, M. (2026). Micronegocios en transición: digitalización, formalización productiva y desigualdad territorial en Colombia, 2019–2024. Instituto Latinoamericano de Altos Estudios.
  30. Ley 2294 de 2023. (2023, 19 de mayo). Por el cual se expide el Plan Nacional de Desarrollo 2022–2026 «Colombia, potencia mundial de la vida». https://www.funcionpublica.gov.co/eva/gestornormativo/norma.php?i=209510
  31. Lozano-Paredes, L. (2026). Informal governance from below: Ride-hailing drivers and platform autonomy in Bogotá's gig economy. Journal of Sociology, 62(2), 182–203. https://doi.org/10.1177/14407833251391009
  32. Merín-Rodrigáñez, J., Dasí, À., & Alegre, J. (2024). Digital transformation and firm performance in innovative SMEs: The mediating role of business model innovation. Technovation, 134, Article 103027. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2024.103027
  33. Nambisan, S., Wright, M., & Feldman, M. (2019). The digital transformation of innovation and entrepreneurship: Progress, challenges and key themes. Research Policy, 48(8), Article 103773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2019.03.018
  34. Organización Internacional del Trabajo. (2013). Measuring informality: A statistical manual on the informal sector and informal employment. https://www.ilo.org/publications/measuring-informality-statistical-manual-informal-sector-and-informal
  35. Organización Internacional del Trabajo. (2021). Perspectivas sociales y del empleo en el mundo 2021: El papel de las plataformas digitales en la transformación del mundo del trabajo. https://www.ilo.org/sites/default/files/wcmsp5/groups/public/@dgreports/@dcomm/@publ/documents/publication/wcms_823119.pdf
  36. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, CAF Development Bank of Latin America, & European Commission. (2020). Perspectivas económicas de América Latina 2020: transformación digital para una mejor reconstrucción. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/f2fdced2-es
  37. Portes, A., & Haller, W. (2005). The informal economy. En N. J. Smelser & R. Swedberg (Eds.), The handbook of economic sociology (2.ª ed., pp. 403–425). Princeton University Press.
  38. Restrepo-Morales, J. A., Ararat-Herrera, J. A., López-Cadavid, D. A., & Camacho-Vargas, A. (2024). Breaking the digitalization barrier for SMEs: a fuzzy logic approach to overcoming challenges in business transformation. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 13, Article 84. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-024-00429-w
  39. Rietveld, J., & Schilling, M. A. (2021). Platform competition: A systematic and interdisciplinary review of the literature. Journal of Management, 47(6), 1528–1563. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206320969791
  40. Rojas-Pescio, H. G., & Roa-Petrasic, V. A. (2021). Propuesta de modelo para la autogestión del conocimiento para la productividad de las empresas de menor tamaño en la era del conocimiento. Innovar, 31(80), 73–84. https://doi.org/10.15446/innovar.v31n80.93665
  41. Sen, A. (2000). Desarrollo y libertad. Planeta.
  42. Serra, H. R. (2018). Economía popular: genealogías, debates y migraciones de un concepto reemergente en la teoría social latinoamericana. Crítica y Resistencias, (6), 90–102. https://www.criticayresistencias.com.ar/index.php/revista/article/view/48
  43. Shen, F., Li, J., & Sun, G. (2023). The impact of ICT use on entrepreneurial performance: Evidence from Chinese microenterprises. Asia Pacific Business Review, 29(4), 950–966. https://doi.org/10.1080/13602381.2023.2188766
  44. Suárez Ambriz, D., Sánchez-García, J. Y., & Núñez-Ríos, J. E. (2024). An organizational framework for microenterprises to face exogenous shocks: A viable system approach. Administrative Sciences, 14(12), Article 315. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14120315
  45. Suri, T., & Jack, W. (2016). The long-run poverty and gender impacts of mobile money. Science, 354(6317), 1288–1292. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aah5309
  46. Vial, G. (2019). Understanding digital transformation: A review and a research agenda. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 28(2), 118–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsis.2019.01.003
  47. Wang, S., & Zhang, H. (2025). Digital transformation and innovation performance in small- and medium-sized enterprises: A systems perspective on the interplay of digital adoption, digital drive, and digital culture. Systems, 13(1), Article 43. https://doi.org/10.3390/systems13010043
  48. Wen, W., & Zhu, F. (2019). Threat of platform-owner entry and complementor responses: Evidence from the mobile app market. Strategic Management Journal, 40(9), 1336–1367. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3031
  49. Williams, C. C., Martinez-Perez, A., & Kedir, A. M. (2017). Informal entrepreneurship in developing economies: The impacts of starting up unregistered on firm performance. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(5), 773–799. https://doi.org/10.1111/etap.12238
  50. Zhu, F., & Liu, Q. (2018). Competing with complementors: An empirical look at Amazon.com. Strategic Management Journal, 39(10), 2618–2642. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.2932
  51. Zurita, R. (Ed.). (2013). La economía popular y solidaria: el ser humano sobre el capital. Instituto Nacional de Economía Popular y Solidaria.