The sharing economy has been increasingly disrupting traditional business sectors and has put substantial pressure on firms in the global economy. The concept is per se nothing new. Resources that are not used are lent to individuals via an online platform in exchange for money or anything else. The idea of the sharing-exchange continuum suggests that in order to be successful, the business model has to include sharing as well as exchange attributes. This means that a company can simultaneously profit from the benefits of socialism (pure sharing) and capitalism (pure exchange). The findings from the case studies underpin the considered literature. Both Uber and Airbnb are located within the balanced sharing and exchange range of the sharing-exchange continuum. However, WeWork exhibits predominantly exchange characteristics but also tendencies towards more balanced attributes.
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