Sharing Economy Business Models Research Articles

How production cooperatives operating a sharing economy business model innovate in rural places

In this study, we investigate how production Cooperatives with a Sharing Economy Business Model (CSE‐BMs) foster innovations in structurally weak rural places. Taking a place‐based social capital perspective, we argue that the strength of CSE‐BMs in developing process, service, product, and social innovation lies in their ability to reconfigure shared resources across communities and actors located on different levels of power and with different access to resources. Empirically, we reconstruct the mobilization and reconfiguration of shared resources across the network in an in‐depth case study of a CSE‐BM in rural Greece. We find that CSE‐BMs can mobilize resources across the network by offering value propositions that stakeholders regard as credible because decision‐makers show attachment to the place. To realize sufficient value for members to sustain their contributions to the CSE‐BM, product, service, and process innovations are complemented by social innovations. Mobilizing and reconfiguring shared resources across different interest groups unleashes the innovative potential of CSE‐BMs but causes tensions between different mindsets at the same time. Cooperatives offer an organizational structure to turn these tensions from a threat into an opportunity for innovation. Our findings contribute to the Sharing Economy Business Model (SE‐BM) literature on typology building and the construction of ideal types. We also advance the SE‐BM debate by shedding light on the potential of cooperative forms of organizing collaborative production in the sharing economy. Practically, we contribute to the discussion about the importance of physical vs. digital platforms as intermediaries in SE‐BMs.

Entrepreneurship in the sharing economy: A review of business models and social impacts

The emergence of the sharing economy has fundamentally transformed conventional company structures, presenting novel prospects for entrepreneurs and questioning existing conventions across diverse industries. This study offers an extensive examination of entrepreneurship within the sharing economy, delving into various company models and scrutinising its societal ramifications. The sharing economy, which involves peer-to-peer transactions mediated by internet platforms, has seen the rise of new entrepreneurial businesses. This paper explores the diverse and complex nature of sharing economy business models, encompassing various platforms such as ride-sharing, accommodation-sharing, asset-sharing, and skill-sharing. A thorough examination of each model to explore the fundamental concepts, operational processes, and crucial aspects that contribute to entrepreneurial success in this rapidly changing environment is being explored. This study examines the impact of different business models on consumer behaviour, market dynamics, and social developments. The assessment examines the good and negative outcomes, taking into account factors such as improved efficiency in resource utilization, economic empowerment of individuals, and potential difficulties linked to regulatory issues, labor rights, and market competitiveness. This paper focuses on the essential role of technology and digital platforms in promoting entrepreneurship within the sharing economy. Through an analysis of the impact of digitalization on market accessibility, trust mechanisms, and scalability, the role of technology as a driver for entrepreneurial innovation and expansion is emphasized. Additionally, it analyses the impact of regulatory frameworks on entrepreneurial activity, investigating the difficult balance between stimulating innovation and maintaining consumer protection, fair competition, and social equality. In conclusion, this research gives useful insights into the entrepreneurial environment of the sharing economy, presenting a comprehensive knowledge of diverse business models and their societal implications. By putting light on both opportunities and problems, thereby contributing to the current conversation on the role of entrepreneurship in determining the future of the sharing economy and its consequences for society at large.

The economic viability of the sharing economy business model and its environmental impact

The sharing economy refers to a business model where access to products or services is shared among consumers through an online platform. This model has recently received much attention to determine whether it is economically viable and environmentally friendly. The main trade-off is this: a decrease in production volume possibly favoring the environment while reducing the manufacturer’s profits versus an increase in product usage potentially harmful to the environment while enhancing the manufacturer’s profits from increased margins. Furthermore, the sharing economy may prod the manufacturer to either elevate product efficiency so as to justify a higher selling price or to reduce it with the intent of cutting production costs. Given these arguments, we investigate both economic and environmental impacts of the sharing economy business model for comparison with the traditional models of pure sales and servicizing. We find that the manufacturer may prefer peer-to-peer product-sharing over pure sales or hybrid servicizing under two sets of conditions: (1) either consumers are sufficiently heterogeneous in their product usage needs, while concurrently the size of high-usage consumers being relatively small, or consumers are sufficiently homogeneous in their product usage needs, while concurrently consumer segments with different usage needs being similar in size, and (2) the marginal cost of production (per unit of efficiency) and the manufacturer’s ability to pool consumers’ needs are both sufficiently low. The sharing economy can also environmentally outperform traditional business models, especially for products where environmental impact accrues mostly at production/disposal than at usage. As a result, the sharing economy can yield a win–win outcome as to manufacturer’s profits and environmental impact.

Sharing economy business models (SEBMs): a study of global archetypes and from local industries in Georgia

This paper discusses the mapping model tools for Sharing Economy Business Models (SEBMs) and summarises the arguments and counterarguments within the scientific discourse. The main purpose of the research is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the SEBMs of local companies, contrasting them with global archetypes as defined by Curtis and Mont (2020). Systematisation of the literary sources and approaches for solving the problem indicates that local companies exhibit unique attributes in their SEBMs when compared to their global counterparts. The relevance of this scientific problem decision is that understanding these differences provides valuable insights into how local contexts and conditions shape SEBMs. Investigation of the SEBMs in the paper is carried out through detailed comparisons with global models. Methodological tools of the research methods were studying the companies’ models by exploring all available information on the web during the year of observation, 2023. The research object is the local companies because they offer insights into how local contexts and conditions shape SEBMs. The paper presents the results of an empirical analysis which reveals differences in areas such as governance model, price mechanism, and revenue streams. The research empirically confirms and theoretically proves that these variations could be attributed to local market conditions, consumer preferences, or strategic choices made by the companies. The research results can be useful for practitioners and academic researchers in the sharing economy, offering insights into local variations in SEBMs and their potential impact on business strategy.

Profit Analysis of Taxi Industry Under the Sharing Economy Business Model - Take Didi Kuaidi as An Example

The emergence of the sharing economy provides the value reconstruction of the scarcity of idle resources, provides an efficient business model for economic growth and transformation, and becomes an important driver of supply-side reform. Didi Kuaidi is a combination of transportation and the Internet, that is, a form of application that combines actual objects with the Internet. For people's travel, it can also better meet people's short-distance needs, and a new business model makes it have a larger commercial space. At present, Didi Kuaidi ranks in the forefront of domestic Didi Kuaidi operators and seems to be able to sit in Diaoyutai from the perspective of scale. However, Didi Kuaidi still faces many challenges. This paper analyzes the connotation and role of the sharing economy, expounds the operating mechanism and development status of the sharing economy business model, and then makes a case analysis of Didi Kuaidi's business model. It puts forward policy suggestions for the healthy and sustainable development of the sharing economy, including focusing on the construction of Didi Kuaidi, improving service management procedures, actively realizing automated system operation, rational business operation, transforming operating costs, and expanding Didi Kuaidi's promotion methods. It is of great significance to the development of Didi Kuaidi.

Modeling of Accounting Information Systems in Companies Implementing the Sharing Economy Business Model

The purpose of this study is to offer modeling of the Accounting Information System, especially the payroll system, using the concept of the Business Process Management System. The object of this research is the online media company PT Kreasi Ngalam Media (AboutMalang.com). Currently, the system that is being used to manage employee data, calculate salaries, and generate reports still relies on manual processes. The use of a web-based employee payroll information system application is expected to provide significant assistance to companies in managing employee data, calculating salaries, and preparing reports. The research method used is qualitative, and the data collection uses primary data sources in the form of direct observation and secondary data sources from the company's payroll reports. The results of this research are in the form of a business process model based on the Business Process Model Notation (BPMN), which can improve effectiveness and efficiency, with an impact on improving the quality of the company's business processes.

Towards a comprehensive analytical framework and future research agenda for research on sharing economy business models: thematic analyses approach

The sharing economy is considered to be an important pathway for economic growth, increasing employment and household income, and the transition toward sustainability in the twenty-first century. In spite of the widespread use of the sharing economy concept, the understanding varies, and there is disagreement about what constitutes an analytical framework of the sharing economy business model (SEBM). This research quantitatively analyzes and categorizes the fundamental elements of the current SEBM literature. A comprehensive analytical framework is presented, identifying three distinct segments of SEBM: (1) the knowledge of sharing economy (incl. innovation, new technologies, determinants, and ecosystems); (2) supplier-oriented studies (incl. hospitality-oriented, transportation-oriented, and other platforms and models); and (3) consumer-socioeconomic-sustainability-focused research (incl. consumption and customer satisfaction, collaborative consumption, sustainability, social effects, and economic growth). In addition to contributing to a better understanding of SEBM research, the framework has implications for SEBM development policy and practice. It can also be used as an instrument for evaluating business models. Furthermore, the paper identifies six key research directions for the post-COVID-19 era, covering the studies of determinants and ecosystems, emerging economies, new SEBMs, location- and culture-specific models, sustainability, and combined impacts on socioeconomics.

Bright and dark sides of adopting a platform‐based sharing economy business model

The sharing economy is primarily a socio‐economic concept that is built upon organizations sharing resources between each other. It includes sharing a single platform by multiple organizations. These organizations can be rivals competing in the same marketplace. Often, organizations can share their employees, data, and other resources. Although there are multiple benefits in a platform‐based sharing economy business model, there are some ethical concerns, too. Limited studies have extensively investigated how adopting a platform‐based sharing economy business model could provide both opportunities and challenges impacting the intention of the organizations to adopt this model. From such a perspective, this study aims at an in‐depth investigation of employees' perceptions regarding the intention of adopting sharing economy models through which organizations could enjoy various benefits that overcome the risks. With the help of a resource‐based view with other theories and the extant literature, a conceptual model has been developed, which later has been validated using the PLS–SEM technique considering 376 responses from different organizations in India. This study has demonstrated how the benefits derived from adopting a platform‐based sharing economy business model overcome the risks involved and could motivate organizations to intend to adopt such a business model.

Optimal investment policy in sharing and standalone economy for solar PV panel under operational cost

The transition to sustainable energy sources, driven by the need to address climate change and resource depletion, has led to the increasing adoption of renewable energy technologies. Among these sustainable alternatives, solar energy stands out prominently. Harnessing the power of the sun aligns with various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by providing clean and affordable energy, promoting climate action, and supporting sustainable communities. Solar PV panels face challenges despite their advantages, including susceptibility to natural disruptions like hurricanes, hailstorms and extreme temperatures. In 2019, the solar energy sector experienced a stark contrast in losses, with average solar losses resulting from conventional natural disasters or severe weather conditions being nearly 24 times higher than the average losses unrelated to weather events. Furthermore, a significant 70% of solar losses within the past decade have emerged since 2017. Similarly, in 2019 hail storm damaged more than 400,000 solar panels and caused insurance losses totaling $70 million in Texas. The research addresses the effect of natural disruptions on investment decisions. It explores the viability of a sharing economy business model that allows multiple participants to collectively invest in solar PV systems and share the benefits to ensure the future expansion of solar PV installations. The study formulates the problem as a game theory model to strategize and find optimal solutions for both the standalone economy and sharing economy scenarios, considering operational costs, net metering and the unpredictability of natural disasters. By providing valuable insights into the dynamics of the PV market with the help of computational results, the research aims to enhance the resilience of solar installations and promote sustainable energy practices. Through this work, individuals and communities can make informed investment decisions, contributing to a cleaner, greener and more sustainable world.

Pricing and operating strategies for products in the sharing economy

The sharing economy represents an emerging consumption mode in which the right to utilize products is obtained via transactions instead of conventional ownership exchange. Thus, the idle period of a product during its life cycle can be minimized to promote environmental protection. This study focuses on the business-to-consumers (B2C) business sharing model, in which products are possessed by a firm and there are general and green consumers in the market, and it investigates the optimal operation strategy for a firm in consideration of both self-operated and third-party sharing platforms. The results show that when both general and green consumers are in the market, adopting a sharing economy business model will dramatically elevate a firm's profits. Moreover, when there are more green consumers than general consumers in the market, firms should adopt a compound operation strategy with both self-operated and third-party platforms. Since consumers would rather obtain a product by sharing to lower product usage, firms can determine whether to adopt the sharing economy business model by determining market demand for a product.

Thematic evolution, emerging trends for sharing economy business model research, and future research directions in the post‐COVID‐19 era

This study explored the scientometrics and current dynamics of the area of sharing economy business models (SEBMs). Using bibliometric analysis, it examined a collection of 561 studies from the Web of Science and Scopus databases to detect the thematic evolution, strategy map, and emerging trends in SEBM literature as well as to forecast research directions. The results showed that SEBMs is a relatively new multidisciplinary research area that grew rapidly between 2014 and 2019; since then, the publication growth has flattened. Research on SEBMs currently focuses on sustainability, sustainable development, tourism, new technology application, and business management, with less attention given to social effects and public acceptance, determinants of success, and regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. The thematic analysis revealed that sustainability‐oriented themes are at the center. Six emerging trends were detected: (1) industry‐oriented research such as transportation, tourism, accommodation, energy, and others, (2) sustainability‐oriented studies, including social, environmental, and economic perspectives, (3) sustainable organizational development concerning social acceptance, trust, legitimacy, and satisfaction, (4) new technology‐oriented and innovation‐focused studies such as blockchain, big data, social media, and e‐platforms, (5) country‐ and region‐oriented studies, particularly for emerging countries, (6) effects of entrepreneurial ecosystem factors on SEBM development. Based on the current thematic map and evolution, this paper suggests several critical research directions. The paper provides (1) providing a one‐stop literature overview on SEBM area for two time slices: fast‐growing‐initiation phase (before COVID‐19) and transitional phase (during COVID‐19), (2) identifying research focuses, emerging trends, and gaps, (3) developing novel research avenues for investigation, and (4) aligning expected contributions to the area. By providing new knowledge, the research theoretically contributes to many disciplines given that SEBM studies were found to be multidisciplinary. It also has numerous implications for policymakers and practitioners.

Fighting fire with fire: the use of an auxiliary platform to address the inherent weaknesses of a platform-based business

PurposeThe success of sharing economy (SE) platforms has made it attractive for many firms to adopt this business model. However, the inherent weaknesses of these platforms, such as their unstandardized service quality, the burden of maintenance on resource owners and the threat of multi-homing, have become increasingly apparent. Previous prescriptions for addressing these weaknesses, however, are limited because they do not account for factors such as compliance costs and information asymmetry, and tend to solve the problem on only one side of the platform at the expense of the others. By exploring the strategies deployed and actions undertaken across the development of Xbed, a successful accommodation-sharing platform in China, this study aims to explore an alternative solution that would overcome the aforementioned weaknesses without the corresponding compromises.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a case study consisting of secondary data and interviews with 15 informants who were representatives of Xbed's top management, organizational IT functions and its various business units.FindingsThe authors identified three inherent weaknesses that may be found in SE business models and how these weaknesses can be overcome without compromising other stakeholders through an auxiliary platform. The authors also discuss the advantages, characteristics, deployment and nature of auxiliary platforms.Originality/valueThis model contributes an in-depth view of establishing and nurturing auxiliary platforms to complement a primary SE platform. Owners and managers of SE platforms may use our model as the basis of guidelines for optimizing their platforms' development, thereby extending the benefits of SE to more stakeholders.

A Study on the Differences in LDSP Business Models between Korea, United States, Japan, and China

This paper is the results of studies of subjects that accord with the recent digital transformation, digital twin, sharing economy, logistics O2O, logistics digital platform, etc., and can be jointly used and can collaborate with AI, Big Data, AMR, AGV, UAM, etc. The core studied field is the logistics digital sharing platform(LDSP) business model, which is called an online-based logistics sharing economy business model. Based on South Korean LDSP, the models in the same field were studied with companies representing the United States, Japan, and China. Due to the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, instead of studies abroad, studies were conducted with online, bibliographic studies, studies in which experts in the relevant country participated, and the heads of South Korean corporations installed in the relevant countries through general and in-depth interviews. Using the business model canvas(BMC) as a research methodology, nine components of the BMC were used as a means of comparison of LDSP business models by country as key factors. As a result of the study, differences were derived from components VP, CRM, RS, KA, and KP in the LDSPs in South Korea and the United States, and differences in components VP, CRM, RS, and KR were studied in the Japanese LDSP. In comparison with LDSP in China, differences were derived from components VP, CRM, and KA.

A State-of-the-Art Review of Sharing Economy Business Models and a Forecast of Future Research Directions for Sustainable Development: A Bibliometric Analysis Approach

The area of sharing economy business models (SEBMs) is expanding worldwide. To date, a few qualitative literature reviews concentrating on specific business models have been undertaken, while several have focused on the general concept of the sharing economy. Meanwhile, there is a lack of quantitative reviews in this area. Therefore, a retrospective review of the evolution of the SEBM area and prospective forecasts based on quantified data are urgently needed. In order to fill the gaps and critically evaluate the extant literature on the SEBM area and its scientometrics-related topics, this paper combines the Scopus and Web of Science databases to establish a dataset for a thorough bibliometric analysis. With 951 studies from 552 sources identified, this research provides comprehensive and nuanced information covering the most influential authors and their contributions to the subject, impactful articles with their citation details, ranked sources with their h_, g_ and m-index as well as collaboration maps for authors, affiliations and countries. Graphical representation of knowledge mapping depicts the evolution of publications over time and the emerging trends of current interests and potential directions for future research for sustainable development. This study revealed that Sustainability is the most relevant and second most impactful journal in SEBM research. More importantly, this research deployed keyword dynamic and thematic evolution to detect the current and future trending topics, providing seven future research directions: (1) drivers-, location- and competition-related topics; (2) SEBMs in emerging economies; (3) country-, region- and culture-oriented SEBMs; (4) the link between e-commerce and social media frameworks and SEBMs; (5) sustainability and SEBMs; (6) new technologies and SEBMs and (7) COVID-19 effects on SEBMs. Overall, the results of this study theoretically enrich the sharing economy business model literature and have substantial implications for policymakers and practitioners.

Towards a typology of sharing economy business model transformation

The development of the sharing economy has resulted in a plethora of sharing economy business models. This paper takes its motivation from the increased variety of sharing economy business models to develop a typology of sharing economy business model transformations. It does so through creating a timeline of the sharing economy development, capturing business model configurations as activity systems along that development, and tracing mechanisms affecting sharing economy business model transformations. The paper thereby interlinks the sharing economy development on the phenomenon level with transformations of its business models. The paper contributes to past research by presenting a systematic account of the development of the sharing economy and its resulting business model configurations and by developing a typology focusing on the types of changes that have transformed the sharing economy business models and resulted in the plethora of business models.

Business models based on sharing fashion and accessories: Qualitative-empirical insights into a new type of sharing economy business models

The sharing economy has become a major topic of interest for researchers during the last decade. Especially parts of the sharing economy such as carsharing or accommodation sharing and the design of business models firms employ in this realm have been widely analyzed. However, other parts of the sharing economy did by now not make their way into the spotlight of research. In this paper, the focus is set on the sharing of fashion and accessories. Against the background of a two-step multiple-case study based on interviews with representatives of 14 case firms as well as open interviews with 102 customers of these case firms, we uncover, characterize, and categorize the business model design employed by these firms and also gain insights into the customer perception of the established business model designs. The results show that the employed business models considerably differ in terms of the value proposition, but are very much alike related to value creation and especially value delivery as well as value capture. Furthermore, customers mainly base their decision on accepting a firm offering on the provided value proposition. Linking the main findings, this paper provides new and interesting insights into the aspect of trust in sharing-focused settings and the roles greenwashing and social washing play in this realm.

Assessing environmental effects of platform-enabled sharing economy business models –

Assessing environmental effects of platform-enabled sharing economy business models –

The sharing economy in a developing economy: The perspective of the leisure business

Currently, sharing economy business models play a significant role in the economy (Quang, 2021). The emergence of such models has generated new business opportunities, such as Airbnb and Uber, which are well-known global leisure businesses (Lee et al., 2021; Tseng & Chan, 2021). Using binary regression analysis, this study investigated the factors influencing the leisure business-sharing economy in Thailand. Since there are few studies on the sharing economy in Thailand, this research could be beneficial to Thai sharing economy leisure enterprises. The findings revealed that the sharing economy (online music — Spotify) could be described using Twitter and Line. The sharing economy (online accommodation — Airbnb) could be described using Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The sharing economy (online taxi service — Grab) could be described by being a student and Line. Because more service providers will appear, businesses must adapt significantly, and everyone has an equal opportunity to enter the sharing economy through simple and easy social media. To strengthen community cooperation, create a sense of security and peace of mind, and reduce the gap in consumption of goods and services in the sharing economy, comprehensive and consistent relevant laws are required for the development of the next phase in resource sharing.

O2O Perspective Based Simulation Model Analysis of Sharing Economy Business Model

The sharing economy will become the most important force in the social service industry. In the fields of accommodation, transportation, education services, life services and tourism, excellent sharing economy companies continue to emerge: from pet boarding sharing, parking space sharing to expert sharing, community service sharing and tour guide sharing, and even WiFi sharing for strong mobile Internet needs. New models emerge one after another, integrating offline resources on the supply side and continuously providing users with a better experience on the demand side. The purpose of this study is to discuss some practical problems, solutions and development prospects of the development model of the sharing economy from the perspective of new technology revolution. In this paper take the sharing economy business model as the main line of research based on O2O perspective, and borrowed business model value network related knowledge combined with innovative factors in the O2O perspective, building a simulation model by using system dynamics to analysis. On this basis, discussing and analysis the sharing economy business model through specific cases. Specifically, this paper adopts a research method combining theoretical research method, literature review method and modeling and simulation model analysis method. This paper adopts a research method that combines theoretical research methods, literature review methods, and modeling and simulation model analysis methods. The theoretical research method is to analyze and discuss its theory, the literature review method is to introduce the reference, and the simulation model analysis method is to build a model to simulate and test it. Through the research of this paper, we find the rapid development of new technologies in today, the sharing economy provides a new way of thinking for the innovative development of the economy, which is a brand new business model about exchange economy, value sharing and social network sharing. This economic model can fully explore the potential market space and recover wealth, making full use of idle assets and creating new market space. At the same time, the business model of sharing economy also brings challenges to the traditional business model, causing the traditional business model to have to make transformation and upgrading to meet the needs of the market, and even causing the traditional business model to gradually fade out of people’s sight until disappearing. Grand development of the new Internet technology gives shared economic in O2O perspective a great development opportunities, O2O pushes the news of offline stores to Internet users through promotions, discounts, information provision, service reservations, etc., so as to convert them into their own offline customers, which is especially suitable for goods and services that must be consumed in stores, such as Catering, fitness, movies and performances, beauty salons, photography and department stores, in addition to restaurants launching online commerce, there are also a number of booking websites and applications focusing on individual or group travel, etc.it uses the heat of the Internet to drive the heat of the commercial trade, let trendy internet as a online platform for traditional business transaction, which compose the value model of shared economy, and brought vigor and vitality for the dismal business trade.

Changing the regulations for regulating the changes: From distribution system operator (DSO) to electricity distribution stakeholders’ organization (EDSO)

Followed by the extensive activation of demand side entities, the anti-competitive and monopolistic aspects of distribution system operator (DSO) is becoming more apparent. The business model of the DSO and its regulations are not capable enough to fully leverage the capacity of emerging technologies and responsive prosumers. This paper criticized the challenges/deficits revolving around the conventional DSO model and proposes an interactive platform based on the sharing economy business model at the network level. The electricity distribution stakeholders’ organization (EDSO) as the substitute of DSO in active distribution networks is developed based on the collaborative governance decision-making model. The EDSO has the privilege to legislate on the platform operation and its main policy is to preserve the public interest as well as the integrity of electric distribution system. The superiority of proposed operation model is its non-monopolistic and non-profit nature which materializes the perfect competition of active customers and guaranties their maximum utilization.