Meet UBC Sauder’s new faculty – Michael Sullivan

Each year, UBC Sauder welcomes new lecturers and tenure-track faculty to the school. In this article, we introduce you to Michael Sullivan, Assistant Professor in the Strategy & Business Economics Division.

Where are you from, and what brought you to UBC Sauder?

My hometown is St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. I lived there until I finished my undergraduate degree at Memorial University of Newfoundland. After graduating, I completed graduate studies in economics at Yale, held a short post-doctoral position at Harvard Business School, and then took up a faculty position at Western University in London, ON. By far the most important factor attracting me to UBC Sauder was its research reputation. In particular, the Strategy and Business Economics (SBE) Division boasts excellent scholars across several fields of economics of personal interest. The strength of the faculty makes UBC Sauder an enriching and exciting place to be a researcher. Since arriving here, I've also had the opportunity to interact with scholars in divisions other than SBE and have delighted in the collegial, intellectual, and multi-disciplinary culture here.

What are your areas of research, and how did you get into this field?

My primary research area is industrial organization, the field of economics that studies competition and regulation. Within industrial organization, I take a special interest in platform markets. A crucial feature of such markets is that the appeal of a platform depends on its network of users: a food delivery platform, for example, is more appealing to consumers when it boasts a thicker network of restaurants, and is more appealing to restaurants when it is popular among consumers. The relevance of networks complicates analysis of pricing, competition, and regulation in platform markets; the goal of my research is to make sense of these complications. Currently, I am studying how commission regulation and changes in the competitive landscape affect outcomes for consumers and restaurants in the food delivery industry.

What continues to fuel your interest in these areas?

In my view, economic researchers have only begun to understand how platform markets function and how they can be best managed to promote social welfare. That makes platform market research particularly exciting to me. Debates about platform regulation and antitrust also continue to gain steam in public discussion, boardrooms, and courts. These debates generate new research topics and contribute to the field's dynamism, which certainly fuels my research interest.

What inspires you to teach?

I have had numerous inspiring and supportive teachers throughout my life who have contributed to my development and sense of wonder in grasping new concepts. The opportunity to have a similar impact on my students is what inspires me to teach.

What is one of the most interesting things you have discovered through your research or educational journey?

As an empirical economist, I've learned that hardly any data pattern has a clear-cut conclusion. Usually, there are many interpretations even for the most straightforward statistic. Much of what I enjoy about economics is that it values theory-based discussion of how to interpret data in light of competing explanations.

What do you believe is the future of your industry?

The economics of digital industries has evolved rapidly over the past couple of decades, with new areas of research emerging every few years. Currently, artificial intelligence is a popular research area. If the fast pace of change in the past is any guide, pinpointing the future of the field is likely a fool's errand. The future, though, will favour those who remain curious about and responsive to changes in technology and the global economy.

Can you tell us an interesting fact about yourself?

Some of my interests outside academia include literature, music (listening, guitar, piano, and singing), politics, and food and drink.

What are you most looking forward to in Vancouver?

Vancouver is a fantastic place for natural beauty, urbanism, and dining. I am looking forward to exploring each of these facets of the city.