The theory of analysis of sharing economy instruments

Abstract

Subject. The article considers the applied tools of the shared economy, like crowdsourcing, crowdfunding, crowdworking, crowdlanding, crowdtesting, crowdmarketing, and other economic technologies and mechanisms, based on active participation of a large number of consumers. However, there are still no studies on the systematization of theoretical approaches to investigate these tools. Objectives. We focus on developing the scientific principles and ideas that summarize practical experience and show patterns of applying the sharing economy tools. Methods. We analyzed the features of the sharing economy. This enabled to determine the multidirectionality of this phenomenon. The articles with the keywords “sharing economy” presented in the global scientific citation database Web of Science Core Collection for 2015–2021 were grouped into sections, describing the complication of connections between the elements of the sharing economy. Results. We developed scientific principles of accessibility, digital connectivity, customer focus, efficiency, and optimality of using the tools of the sharing economy. The implementation of the developed scientific principles is illustrated by real examples. We suggest scientific ideas of network potential, digital potential, the adapted McKinsey matrix, matrices of project performance, matrices of the balance of production and transaction costs for analyzing the application of sharing economy tools. Conclusions. The theoretical significance of obtained results is in the systematization of principles and ideas of the analysis of sharing economy tools. The practical significance is in the formation of applied tools for the economic analysis of the development of collaborative consumption of products and services in a digital society.