Integrated Value Configurations in the Sharing Economy

Abstract

Sharing has become a new trend in business that heavily affects the ways how firms do business. Despite this important development, research by now only provides rudimentary insights into value configuration mechanisms applied in the sharing economy. Our paper that is inspired by extant research on value creation configurations as well as recent business model research develops a model of an integrated value network for the sharing economy. We explain that focal firms in sharing economy networks ground their business model configuration in the application of web-based technology. We further point to two dimensions that determine the positioning of the business model: the degree of individualization vs. standardization of the content and the degree of completeness of property rights.