Abstract
ABSTRACT Purpose: The aim of this research is to understand how the social-economic context influences the transformative potential of the sharing economy (SE). Originality/value: The literature on SE is still fraught with uncertainty. We have found that there is a paradox between generating social benefits to the community versus increasing social inequality. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from documentary analysis, netnography, participant observation, and interviews. The data collected were analyzed in the light of the theoretical framework proposed by Wittmayer et al. (2019) for the analysis of narratives related to social innovation. Findings: The produced narratives differ in terms of the type of platform (profit and non-profit). We have found that, in non-profit platforms, the economic and social context does not influence the transformative potential guided by the SE; for-profit platforms, on the other hand, the narrative of ‘income opportunity’ is context-sensitive. The main contributions of the research are the use of a theoretical framework of social innovation to analyze the narratives of the SE and the observation of contextual differences about the phenomenon, which should lead platforms and governments (in their regulatory role) to have different views on SE. We conclude that the narratives of the SE are different. For-profit platforms either do not take part or contribute very little to the phe nomenon of social innovation as a transformative process and, in the contexts of greater social-economic vulnerability, it can be a mechanism of worsening social inequality.
Highlights
The sharing economy (SE) represents a new concept that changes the way people interact and already shows it is not a fragile or temporary movement (Parente, Geleilate, & Rong, 2018), nor is it only associated with companies that have become globally known
The data collected were analyzed in the light of the theoretical framework proposed by Wittmayer et al (2019) for the analysis of narratives related to social innovation
In non-profit platforms, the economic and social context does not influence the transformative potential guided by the SE; for-profit platforms, on the other hand, the narrative of ‘income opportunity’ is context-sensitive
Summary
The sharing economy (SE) represents a new concept that changes the way people interact and already shows it is not a fragile or temporary movement (Parente, Geleilate, & Rong, 2018), nor is it only associated with companies that have become globally known. Studying the differences and similarities of the discourse of sharing is one of the possibilities to understand the economic and social effects of SE (Cockayne, 2016). When conducting a study in the field of SE, Frenken, and Schor (2017) state that it is relevant to try to understand why different parties attribute different meanings to the phenomenon. The search for this understanding may be linked to social practices and discursive positions.
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