Concepts that cause conflicts – perceptions of the business model in the collaborative economy

perceptions of the business model in the collaborative economy

Abstract

The collaborative and sharing economies are perceived as opposites but are important
parts of sustainable development. However, a neo-liberal market paradigm has a grip on the
debate about how to organize these sectors. The business model concept is a part of the
market-oriented discourse which has been strongly associated with the sharing economy. This
paper explores how the respondents actively mold the language associated with their
initiatives to support the development of norms in their organizations and in society. The
paper presents three approaches to conceptual development that may support the conceptual
development in the collaborative economy.