Evolution and Governance of the Relationship between Live-streaming E-commerce Platform and Leading Vendors on the Platform—Based on the Case Study of Kuaishou’s Reining in Live-streamer XB

Abstract

Abstract: Taking Kuaishou platform and live-streamer XB as the research objects, based on the perspective of symbiosis theory, this paper explores the evolution path and governance mechanism of the relationship between a live-streaming e-commerce platform and leading vendors on the platform. The paper finds that the platform owner and leading vendors compete and cooperate with each other in an ecosystem, and the relationship is developing in stages. In the embryonic stage of the platform ecosystem, leading vendors and the platform owner get along on a reciprocal symbiosis basis. In the rapid growth period, a “winner takes all” situation dominated by leading vendors appears in the ecosystem, and the relationship between the two evolves to a biased symbiosis or parasitic symbiosis model in replacement of the original equilibrium. In the orderly growth period, in order to regain equilibrium, the platform owner begins to rein in leading vendors both by controlling key resources and by diversifying the ecosystem and strengthening closed-loop ecological capacity to weaken leading vendors.

Key words: live-streaming e-commerce platform, leading vendors on the platform, evolution path, governance mechanism, symbiosis theory

Liu Ruijian, Li Nan, Meng Jiaxin. Evolution and Governance of the Relationship between Live-streaming E-commerce Platform and Leading Vendors on the Platform—Based on the Case Study of Kuaishou’s Reining in Live-streamer XB[J]. Management Review, 2024, 36(6): 277-288.

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