The Evolution of Sustainable Business Model Innovation: Evidence from a Sharing Economy Platform in China

In this paper, we explore the emergence of Sheke Network (SKN), an architecture design company whose network platform permits architecture design institutes to seek suitable architects for their architectural design projects. The concepts of sustainable business model (SBM) innovation are used to analyze the SKN's novel business model, which is built around modern internet technologies, and SKN's distinct appeal, which centers on cost savings, resource sharing, and the potential for access to more architects' experiences. Although SBM innovation theory has had a significant impact on management practices and aroused plenty of rich debate within academia, it is still not clearly understood how a company might successfully build a sharing economy (SE) platform using SBM innovation. Thus, this article analyzes the process of SBM innovation in terms of its three essential factors-sustainable value proposition (SVP), sustainable value creation and delivery (SVC&D), and sustainable value capture (SVC)-aiming to disambiguate the black box by examining SKN as a case study. The findings highlight the dynamic evolution of SBM innovation in the development of a sharing economy platform.