The influence of sustainability and digitalisation on business model innovation: The case of a multi-sided platform for food surplus redistribution

Abstract

While digital multi-sided platforms have been primarily investigated from a technical or economic perspective, the evolution of their business models over time and the significance of social and environmental sustainability for their success received relatively less attention. Through a longitudinal case study on the evolution of a digital platform for food surplus redistribution, we analyse how the business model of a multi-sided platform evolved to balance and integrate the objectives of economic viability with social and environmental sustainability goals. Data were collected through interviews with the platform stakeholders and then coded following the Gioia methodology. By adopting the lens of sociotechnical theory, we develop a set of four propositions to provide a generalisation of our findings to the broader literature on digital multi-sided platforms. Based on the results, we argue that the sustainable business model innovation process of a digital multi-sided platform must consider the mutual influence between business model innovation, sustainability dimensions internal to the business model, and the leverage of opportunities offered by digital technologies. Eventually, we underline the fundamental role of the platform leader in guiding such evolutionary process and its ability to generate benefits for all stakeholders through both sustainability and digitalisation levers.