Platform business models in the healthcare industry - a benefit or a burden? - A study of the legitimacy of 'Netdoctors' from the perspective of the Regions of Sweden

Sammanfattning: Platforms are rapidly transforming entire industries. However, some industries are less prone to be platformized due to characteristics of their context. In these markets, barriers to entry are high and platform actors are likely to face legitimacy challenges. The existing literature calls for further understanding of what is affecting the legitimacy of platforms in nascent markets. Through a qualitative in-depth case study, we explore what contributes to and impedes the legitimacy of Netdoctors in the healthcare industry from the perspective of the Regions of Sweden, an important stakeholder of the focal industry. The analysis unravels that whether platform actors in nascent markets are perceived as legitimate or not is affected by the way in which these actors have designed their business model. Firstly, the value creation component of platforms' business models contributes to platform actors' legitimacy. Secondly, the value delivery component both contributes to and impedes the legitimacy of platform actors. Thirdly, the value capture component impedes the legitimacy ascribed to platform actors. If one business model component impedes a platform actor's legitimacy, the holistic view of whether an actor is perceived as legitimate is affected. However, in addition to the business model components, the analysis demonstrates that external aspects beyond the control of platform actors affect the legitimacy of a platform actor. These both contribute to and impede the legitimacy of platform actors. We contribute by exploring platform business models in a nascent market and providing insights on what is affecting the legitimacy of platform business models. Moreover, we contribute by displaying the usefulness of bridging literatures from three domains: business models, platforms and legitimacy. This study contributes primarily to the nascent field of platform literature and enhances the understanding of the legitimacy challenges of platform business models.