Multi-level value creation in the sharing economy: A configurational co-creation approach to business model development

Clemens V.; Wilden R.; Akaka M.A.; Foege J.N.; Nüesch S.

Abstract

The contributions of the “sharing economy” (SE) have been explored across various disciplines. Although prior literature reviews have mapped the breadth of SE phenomena, the impact of marketing research on understanding and explaining how value is created in dynamic access-based ecosystems remains unclear. Moreover, the lack of attention to business models in marketing in general, and the SE in particular, limits the understanding of how organizations can support joint value creation among multiple stakeholders beyond a firm-customer dyad. As the field of research on the SE grows, it is important to take stock of marketing's contributions and how they differ from other related fields. Therefore, we explore how marketing research contributes to advancing our understanding of value creation in the SE and structure our analysis with a multi-sided, multi-level value co-creation approach to business models. We use topic modeling techniques to analyze 904 full-text articles and assess dominant research concepts. The findings reveal divergences and convergences between marketing and management fields, as well as various value drivers, outcomes, and configurations at the micro, meso, and macro levels of value creation. A configurational co-creation approach is proposed to advance the study of value creation and enhance business model development in the SE.