How to build business ecosystems for e-waste online recycling platforms: A comparative study of two typical cases in China

From the actor-network theory perspective, this study aims to explore how e-waste online recycling platforms build their business ecosystems through symbiotic strategies. A double-case comparative research has been conducted based on the two selected typical e-waste online recycling platforms in China. The study's findings show that translation plays a significant role in the process of symbiotic strategies promoting the construction of e-waste online recycling business ecosystems. This research proposes that translation is an important action for the implementation of the symbiotic strategy. The different symbiotic strategies need to be implemented in different translation ways. Platforms derived from an Internet company (PDICs), which prefer a mutualistic symbiotic strategy, usually adopt value cocreation translation through the following four steps: scenario defi-nition, benefit sharing, emotional connection, and digital empowerment. Platforms derived from a recycling company (PDRCs)with a predatory symbiotic strategy adopt value capture translation through four steps: pain point identification, benefit allocation, the reputation effect, and rule reconstruction. We found that the differ-ence in translation action triggers a difference in the structural elements of the business ecosystem. Then, two types of e-waste online recycling business ecosystems, embedded and central, are constructed.