How retailer ownership of vs. collaboration with sharing economy apps affects anticipated service quality and value co-creation

Abstract

The sharing economy has disrupted the retailing industry by increasing competition as an emerging platform of service innovation. Today’s retailing is transforming to play a role in the sharing economy as consumers can complete transactions more easily among one another. However, it is unclear whether retailers should own sharing economy platforms or partner with other, independently owned platforms. Thus, the purpose of this research is to better understand how retailer involvement in the sharing economy (i.e., ownership of vs. collaboration with sharing economy apps) affects anticipated service quality and value co-creation. The current study examines the effects of retailer ownership vs. collaboration on service quality and customer value co-creation, respectively, and documents perceived credibility as an important mediator. The findings suggest that full ownership (vs. collaboration with an independent app) can lead customers to anticipate higher service quality and greater value co-creation due to higher perceived credibility.