Co-creating value for business and society: A B2B sharing economy ecosystem perspective

Despite significant public and academic interest in the sharing economy (SE), the concept remains underexplored in the business-to-business (B2B) context. By facilitating access to shared resources, the B2B SE can create new value for businesses and offer novel insights for management theory and practice. This study draws on business network, ecosystem, and value co-creation research to investigate how value is co-created in the B2B SE by taking an ecosystem perspective. A case study methodology is employed, utilising the Ecosystem Pie Model as a framework for analysis. The selected case operates as a B2B resource-sharing facilitator for businesses in the ocean industries in Bergen, Norway. Data comprises 17 stakeholder interviews, 35 documents, and 13 h of observations. Through our ecosystem analysis, we provided insight into the coexistence and interdependence of a diverse range of actors, including the B2B SE facilitator, resource providers, resource users, third-party service providers, public authorities and investors. Our findings reveal how the B2B SE fosters the co-creation of shared value by creating economic benefits for businesses and environmental benefits for society. However, identified challenges (including regulatory challenges and power imbalances) may prevent the B2B SE ecosystem from fully delivering on its value proposition. We highlight the crucial role of the B2B SE facilitator in mitigating ecosystem risks and challenges while orchestrating key ecosystem activities such as matchmaking, contracting, and relationship management. This study contributes to the SE literature from a B2B ecosystem perspective, providing a foundation for future research and practical insights for businesses, SE facilitators, and policymakers.