Exploring sustainable value drivers of the sharing economy: a sector analysis

Abstract

Purpose

Today, collaborative consumption platforms support business activities. In particular, the sharing economy (SE) increases social and economic dynamism and reduces environmental impact by conserving resources. Therefore, this paper investigates the sustainable value drivers of sharing economy practices.

Design/methodology/approach

We explore multiple case studies as a research approach to answer the research question. Multiple sources of evidence were used to triangulate the data. The SE practices influence several sectors; thus, we conducted a sector analysis investigating the healthcare, food and fashion industries. Analysing different sectors provides valuable theoretical and practical insights, facilitating decision-making and fostering innovation. Sectoral differences emphasize how different sustainable SE models are configured.

Findings

The findings highlight that SE allows for the development of sustainable business models attesting to: (1) value capture in the food industry, (2) value delivery in the healthcare industry and (3) value creation in the fashion industry. The study opens avenues for future research.

Originality/value

The originality of this study is in the new lens from which the phenomenon is observed.

Citation

Bastone, A., Leone, D., Ciasullo, M.V. and Matho, R. (2024), "Exploring sustainable value drivers of the sharing economy: a sector analysis", Management Decision, Vol. 62 No. 12, pp. 4118-4137. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-02-2024-0354