An evolutionary perspective on the dynamics of service platform ecosystems for the sharing economy

Drawing upon the literature on ecosystem ecology and socio-cultural evolution, the current study proposes an evolutionary framework for understanding the dynamics of service platform ecosystems. This evolutionary framework identifies three key components of the service platform ecosystem: (a) the diverse types of species, (b) the presence of both cooperative and competitive interactions within and among species, and (c) a common resource and environmental space. The evolutionary model of variation, selection, and retention is then introduced to explain how platform business models change over time. The article concludes with a discussion of directions for future research on the evolution of platform ecosystems in the sharing economy.

Automated summary

Drawing upon the literature on ecosystem ecology and socio-cultural evolution, this study proposes an evolutionary framework to understand the dynamics of service platform ecosystems, identifying key components and an evolutionary model, as well as discussing directions for future research in the sharing economy.