Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/272568 
Year of Publication: 
2023
Series/Report no.: 
IZA Discussion Papers No. 15941
Publisher: 
Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), Bonn
Abstract: 
A statistical classification model was developed to identify online platform organizations based on the texts on their website. The model was subsequently used to identify all (potential) platform organizations with a website included in the Dutch Business Register. The empirical outcomes of the statistical model were plausible in terms of the words and the bimodal distribution of fitted probabilities, but the results indicated an overestimation of the number of platform organizations. Next, the external validity of the outcomes was investigated through a survey held under the organizations that were identified as a platform organization by the statistical classification model. The response by the organizations to the survey confirmed a substantial number of type-I errors. Furthermore, it revealed a positive association between the fitted probability of the text-based classification model and the organization's response to the survey question on being an online platform organization. The survey results indicated that the text-based classification model can be used to obtain a subpopulation of potential platform organizations from the entire population of businesses with a website.
Subjects: 
online platform organizations
external validation
type-I error
machine learning
web pages
JEL: 
C81
C83
D20
D83
L20
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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