Sustainability-Driven Platform Innovation: A Cross-Disciplinary Analysis of Shopee's Sustainability Strategy in Southeast Asia's E-Commerce Ecosystem

Abstract

This study analyzes Shopee's innovation strategy through a cross-disciplinary lens, examining the platform's growth trajectory within Sea Limited's ecosystem amid mounting structural and regulatory pressures. Shopee operates at the intersection of mobile commerce, digital logistics, financial services, and social commerce, making it a rich case for multi-theoretical analysis. The research integrates classical innovation theories—Schumpeterian creative destruction and Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations—with contemporary frameworks including disruptive innovation (Christensen), platform economics and multi-sided markets (Rochet & Tirole; Evans), dynamic capabilities (Teece), open innovation (Chesbrough), and sociotechnical systems with responsible innovation principles. Triple Helix and Penta Helix frameworks are applied to map Shopee's multi-actor stakeholder ecosystem. Critical Management Studies (CMS) perspectives are employed to interrogate power asymmetries, labor precarity, algorithmic governance, and ecological externalities embedded in Shopee's platform model. Findings reveal that while Shopee's competitive position rests on mobile-first user experience, shoppertainment, in-house logistics (SPX), and data-driven monetization, sustaining this position ethically and commercially requires enhanced algorithmic transparency, stronger MSME empowerment, hybrid logistics optimization, ethical AI governance, labor welfare programs, and standardized social and environmental impact reporting. Strategic recommendations are offered to support Shopee's transition from a subsidy-driven growth model to a sustainable, accountable platform ecosystem.