Effective and Ineffective Service Recovery Recipes in the Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Sharing-Service Model: Using the Fuzzy-Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) Approach

Sooyun Kim

doi:10.3390/su14052525

Abstract

In a peer-to-peer (P2P) sharing-service model, a platform provider (PP) has no direct control over the service quality of peer service providers (PSPs). However, an unpleasant experience with a single PSP may impact customer responses to the PP. Hence, the PP should offer PSPs guidelines on how to cope with service failures. To identify effective/ineffective recovery strategies, this study examined the influence of the characteristics of service failure/recovery and customers that influence customers’ behavioral intentions toward the PP. Specifically, it employed multiple regression analysis (MRA) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyze the complex relationships between service failure/recovery characteristics (severity of service failure and source of service recovery) and customers’ characteristics (PSP experience, age, and gender) regarding customers’ behavioral intentions (reuse and switching intentions of the PP). The results show (1) four solutions leading to high reuse intention and two solutions leading to high switching intention of the PP when the severity of service failure is high and (2) three solutions leading to high reuse intention and two solutions leading to high switching intention of the PP when the severity of service failure is low. By investigating recovery configurations reflecting the unique characteristics of P2P sharing services, this study contributes to the literature on both P2P sharing services and service failure/recovery.

Highlights

The results show (1) four solutions leading to high reuse intention and two solutions leading to high switching intention of the platform provider (PP) when the severity of service failure is high and (2) three solutions leading to high reuse intention and two solutions leading to high switching intention of the PP when the severity of service failure is low
The academic contributions of this study are as follows. It extends the literature on both P2P sharing services and service failure/recovery
The research on service failure/recovery that considers the characteristics of P2P sharing services is insufficient [9]

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The sharing economy, known as a sustainable solution for green economic development, has grown rapidly [1]. P2P sharing services such as Airbnb and Uber have the potential to grow from a global revenue of USD 15 billion in 2014 to USD 335 billion by 2025 [2]. As a new business model, P2P sharing services face unique challenges [3]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion