Institutional strategies in the sharing economy: the case of ride-hailing and hospitality lodging in Brussels

Michaël Pascal D Distelmans; Ilse Scheerlinck

doi:10.4337/9781035313761-11

Institutional strategies in the sharing economy: the case of ride-hailing and hospitality lodging in Brussels

Michaël Pascal D Distelmans, Ilse Scheerlinck

Business

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Research › peer-review

Abstract

This chapter examines institutional strategies employed by Uber, Airbnb, and incumbent
competitors. Entrepreneurs use institutional strategies to seek or preserve legitimacy by
either changing or maintaining the institutional and regulatory setting. Using a two-fold case
study design, based on data from content analysis and interviews, we compare institutional
strategies across sharing economy ecosystems of ride-hailing and hospitality lodging. We
also analyse how those strategies have shaped governance since sharing platforms’ entry
in Brussels over a decade ago. The findings show that each ecosystem has its specific
dynamics in terms of institutional strategies and governance.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Handbook of Platform Urbanism
Editors	Annelien Smets, Pieter Ballon
Publisher	Edward Elgar
Chapter	11
Pages	143-156
Number of pages	14
ISBN (Electronic)	9781035313761
ISBN (Print)	9781035313754
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035313761-11
Publication status	Published - 2 Dec 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Editors and Contributors Severally.

Keywords

Sharing economy ecosystems
Institutional work
Strategy
Legitimacy
Incumbents
Urban governance

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A2 - Ballon, Pieter

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ER -

Institutional strategies in the sharing economy: the case of ride-hailing and hospitality lodging in Brussels

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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