A qualitative investigation of microentrepreneurship in the sharing economy

Abstract

This qualitative study explores various aspects of microentrepreneurship in the sharing economy and describes the motivations of people who operate these innovative businesses from financial, social, and cultural perspectives. This study uncovers the positive and negative outcomes of such business activities. Airbnb, a prominent proxy in the peer-to-peer accommodation business, was chosen as the study context and Airbnb hosts interviewed to build a theoretical framework. The results identified eight motivations behind Airbnb hosts’ microentrepreneurial activities: social, financial, and cultural benefit; ease of operation; availability of resources; freedom; flexibility; and excitement about future perspectives. The data also indicated that Airbnb hosts perceive five positive outcomes of their microentrepreneurship: financial gain, social connection, cultural learning, personal growth, and feelings of achievement. In addition, this study found that microentrepreneurship presents challenges to Airbnb hosts, such as risk, lack of privacy, and emotional stress resulting from guest reviews. The theoretical and practical implications are discussed in detail.