In the 21st century, access to professional services remains a challenge for the underprivileged. Technology in general and platforms in particular might significantly change this state of affairs. Therefore, a key question arises: how might platforms transform the professional service industry and change the way these services are made available to society? When might platform dynamics lead to winner takes-all-outcomes in this setting and what consequences can be expected for traditional firms? This paper addresses such issues by bringing together these separate streams of research – professional services and platforms – highlighting theoretical aspects that explain why this combination might be relevant. Empirically, we investigate the presence of platforms in the industry and suggest an analytical framework and propositions to guide research. Our study is relevant for academics as it adds to our understanding on how platforms might contribute to increased access to professional services and lead to social change; moreover, a better understanding of the interplay between platforms and professional services contributes to knowledge building in both research areas. Additionally, the study benefits practitioners, as the suggested framework allows insights for strategy building.

在 21 世纪，获得专业服务仍然是弱势群体的挑战。一般的技术，尤其是平台，可能会显着改变这种状况。因此，出现了一个关键问题：平台如何改变专业服务行业并改变向社会提供这些服务的方式？在这种情况下，平台动态何时会导致赢家通吃的结果？对传统公司的预期后果是什么？本文通过将这些独立的研究流——专业服务和平台——结合在一起来解决这些问题，重点介绍解释为什么这种组合可能相关的理论方面。根据经验，我们调查了行业中平台的存在，并提出了一个分析框架和命题来指导研究。我们的研究与学术界相关，因为它增加了我们对平台如何有助于增加获得专业服务的机会并导致社会变革的理解；此外，更好地了解平台和专业服务之间的相互作用有助于两个研究领域的知识建设。此外，该研究有益于从业者，因为建议的框架为战略制定提供了见解。