B2B Sharing as Part of the Sharing Economy Model

Abstract

Business-to-business (B2B) sharing constitutes a neglected part of the model of the sharing economy. A part which does however have considerable potential as it is a source of positive economic, environmental and social impacts. The aim of the authors of the article is to identify and evaluate areas and types of B2B sharing used by industrial companies and potentially possible types. Seven possible areas of B2B sharing were identified on the basis of systematic literature review and semi-structured interviews with managers from selected industrial companies operating in the Czech Republic. This specifically concerns the area of sharing employees, vehicles, premises, other types of tangible assets, information and knowledge, financial and insurance services and non-financial services. The alternative types of these are identified in the article and discussion is presented of their benefits and possible risks from the point of view of industrial businesses. Some of these types of sharing are widely applied in practice (e.g. sharing lorries and other vehicles, sharing capacities of lorries or carsharing), others are developing (e.g. strategic employee sharing and ad hoc employee sharing) and others again offer possible potential in future (e.g. peer-to-business lending or sharing machinery and material).