Exploring willingness to share in peer-to-peer access-based hospitality markets: the effect of roles performed and sharing intensity

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to examine the effect of individuals’ roles, as providers or consumers, and sharing intensity on willingness to participate in access-based hospitality markets. Design/methodology/approach The research draws from the theories of psychological ownership and prospect theory to examine how individuals’ roles and sharing intensity affect willingness to share an accommodation. Two behavioral experiments test the proposed hypotheses and fundament the main conclusions. Findings The results show that providers (consumers) desire more (less) intensive sharing. This paper also finds a significant difference between consumers’ willingness to pay and providers’ willingness to accept, creating a seesaw dilemma that limits the likelihood of closing a sharing agreement. Based on the findings, strategies to improve the likelihood of transactions among parties are suggested. Practical implications The research provides guidelines to stimulate peer-to-peer hospitality transactions. It suggests improving communication to highlight consumers’ perceptions of effectance and feeling of “home,” as well as providers’ mental imageries of ownership. It also recommends systematizing accommodation attributes based on expected sharing experiences and the prospection of users who welcome high sharing intensity. Originality/value In contrast to other studies of peer-to-peer accommodation sharing, this paper explores the roles of providers and consumers simultaneously and analyze sharing intensity as a critical factor. This study finds that providers may welcome more intensive sharing, and links this outcome to an unusual negative relationship between psychological ownership and the endowment effect.