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How do companies organize nascent markets? The BlaBlaCar case in the inter-city shared mobility market

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  • Casprini, Elena
  • Di Minin, Alberto
  • Paraboschi, Andrea

Abstract

This study explores how an online market platform, BlaBlaCar, has been able to organize the nascent market of inter-city shared mobility. Data were gathered via three in-depth interviews with BlaBlaCar's managers, more than two hundred newspaper articles and other archival information. Using an inductive qualitative approach, the case analysis reveals that in claiming, demarcating and controlling the market, BlaBlaCar has adopted a unique course of action while also leveraging on specific social media functional building blocks for creating, extending and locking-in the community of its users. The study concludes with implications for both management theory and practice.

Suggested Citation

  • Casprini, Elena & Di Minin, Alberto & Paraboschi, Andrea, 2019. "How do companies organize nascent markets? The BlaBlaCar case in the inter-city shared mobility market," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 270-281.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:tefoso:v:144:y:2019:i:c:p:270-281
    DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2018.01.012
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    5. Tu, Meiting & Li, Ye & Li, Wenxiang & Tu, Minchao & Orfila, Olivier & Gruyer, Dominique, 2019. "Improving ridesplitting services using optimization procedures on a shareability network: A case study of Chengdu," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    6. Yeung, Timothy Yu-Cheong & Zhu, Dianzhuo, 2022. "Intercity ridesharing to the rescue: Capacity flexibility and price stability of BlaBlaCar during the 2018 French railway strike," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 270-290.
    7. Dalia Perkumienė & Milita Vienažindienė & Biruta Švagždienė, 2021. "The Sharing Economy towards Sustainable Tourism: An Example of an Online Transport-sharing Platform," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-18, October.
    8. Menéndez-Caravaca, Eloísa & Bueno, Salvador & Gallego, M. Dolores, 2021. "Exploring the link between free and open source software and the collaborative economy: A Delphi-based scenario for the year 2025," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    9. Quirós, Cipriano & Portela, Javier & Marín, Raquel, 2021. "Differentiated models in the collaborative transport economy: A mixture analysis for Blablacar and Uber," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).

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