Exploring the Practical Mechanism of Beike’s ACN Model: An Embedded Case Study in Xiamen’s Real Estate Brokerage Industry_Vol. 2 No. 4 (JBM 2025)_Journal of Business and Marketing (ISSN: 3005-5717)

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Exploring the Practical Mechanism of Beike’s ACN Model: An Embedded Case Study in Xiamen’s Real Estate Brokerage Industry

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.62517/jbm.202509405

Author(s)

Qi Zeng, Lu Shen*

Affiliation(s)

International Digital Economy College, Minjiang University, Fuzhou, Fujian, China *Corresponding Author

Abstract

In the digital economy era, the traditional bureaucratic management model struggles to accommodate the need for autonomy among knowledge workers in the gig economy. This conflict is particularly pronounced in the highly competitive real estate brokerage industry. Focusing on Xiamen’s real estate brokerage sector as a representative case, this study grounded in Peter Drucker’s management theories, adopts an embedded case study approach involving document analysis, interviews, and data observation. It analyzes how Beike’s Agent Cooperate Network (ACN) model, implemented over six years in Xiamen, has restructured the local industry ecosystem through rule design. The findings reveal that: (1) The ACN model operationalizes Drucker’s principles of "self-management" and "systematic collaboration" for knowledge workers through commission-sharing mechanisms and a role-based division of labor; (2) The ACN model has significantly fostered trust among brokers, mitigates involution competition, and cultivated a healthy competitive environment, thereby driving enterprise and industry development; (3) By replacing hierarchical control with rule-driven self-management, the managerial role shifts from that of a “controller” to a “facilitator,” greatly enhancing brokers' job satisfaction, unlocking industry potential, and reducing overall customer complaints. This study demonstrates the practical application of Drucker’s theories in the digital era through rule design, providing an innovative approach to “rule reconstruction” for other regions in China and even the world in gig economy governance.

Keywords

Drucker’s Management Theory; ACN Model; Real Estate Brokerage; Knowledge Workers; Gig Economy

References

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