B2B-Marketplace Value Creation, Conceptual Predictions and Empirical Findings

Information technology is a vital driver in today’s business environment. Recent developments of IT have facilitated for the relatively easy creation of markets on the Internet, so called B2B-marketplaces. However, judging from the survival rate of B2B-marketplaces (5 to 10 per cent), it seems like B2B-marketplaces are doing something wrong. This paper scrutinises several theoretical frameworks regarding the value creation logic of B2B-marketplaces and empirical data are then contrasted to the frameworks. The B2B-marketplaces argues that efficiency improvements are the main argument for using their services. However, this argument cannot be confirmed when looking at the actual cost structures or the theoretical models of value creation in networks. Other sources of value creation proposed by the literature as novelty, lock-in, complementarities are hardly used at all. Thus, these other sources of value creation constitute an untapped potential for B2B-marketplaces.