Sharing Economy Platforms Research Articles

Psychological contract breach and opportunism in the sharing economy: Examining the platform-provider relationship

In the sharing economy market, B2B relationships between service providers and sharing economy platforms are largely built on the platforms' promise of ensuring a successful sharing experience, which is not always delivered. Moreover, platforms have the opportunity to take advantage of their dominant positions in the market. Despite the growing number of studies on the dark side of the sharing economy, little is known about psychological contract breach and opportunism in the context of B2B platforms. Building on these notions, this study set out to examine the determinants of individual service providers' relationship with a sharing economy platform using psychological contract theory. The study was conducted in the UK on a sample of 252 Airbnb hosts who were recruited through an online consumer panel. The results show that psychological contract breach is an important construct within platform B2B relationships which increases feelings of violation and reduces trust. Furthermore, perceived opportunism was found to be negatively related to feelings of violation. These feelings contribute positively to negative word-of-mouth, while trust leads to continuance intentions. In addition, the indirect effects of opportunism on negative word-of-mouth and of psychological contract breach on continuance intentions were confirmed.

With great power comes great responsibilities – Examining platform-based mechanisms and institutional trust in rideshare services

From the perspective of female passengers, much remains unknown about institutional or platform trust and the sharing economy. The present study was conducted in an emerging economy context to comprehend the significance of institutional trust. The study aimed to develop a dynamic theoretical model incorporating the perceived effectiveness of platform-based institutional structures (PEPIS) as a dependent variable in sharing economy platforms, examine the antecedents of PEPIS and determine how PEPIS affects female passengers' trust in the institution or platform. Different strata of female passengers were targeted using a quota-cum-purposive sampling method. In total, 413 useable responses to a pre-tested survey questionnaire were collected. Our findings contribute to the literature on institutional structures and trust by demonstrating that four market-driven institutional mechanisms directly and significantly influence PEPIS: perceived effectiveness of feedback mechanism, perceived effectiveness of escrow services, perceived effectiveness of provider certification and perceived effectiveness of urgent rescue; PEPIS is directly related to perceived trust in the platform (TRST); the relationships between TRST and the study's outcome variables (subjective well-being, intention to recommend, and continuous usage intention) were also tested and found significant. It was also found that TRST promotes female users' continuous usage intention, intention to recommend and subjective well-being.

Managing Sustainable Sharing Economy Platforms: A Stimulus–Organism–Response Based Structural Equation Modelling on an Emerging Market

Due to the rising appeal of travel, as well as the appearance of low-cost carriers that fly to both popular and exotic destinations, people nowadays tend to book their accommodation through the more convenient and flexible sharing economy platforms. The success of such platforms among consumers depends on various factors, such as satisfaction and platform credibility, and on sustainable performance among contributors, increasing their relevance and visibility. This research proposes a conceptual model for measuring the success of sharing economy platforms in tourism, based on added value, unique experience, and enhanced social interactions, together with credibility and sustainable performance. In this vein, the authors conduct an empirical investigation in an emerging market—Romania—where the development of such sharing economy platforms is still in its infancy. Data gathered by the authors by means of a self-developed questionnaire distributed to 500 respondents are modelled via structural equations with SmartPLS. The results indicate that the platform credibility and sustainable performance of sharing economy platforms are key elements in generating their success. The research adds value to the stimulus–organism–response approach, highlighting some insights from a relevant emerging market, which in the future could become a turning point for inbound and outbound tourism.

The impact of incumbents' operational and governance responses on the sharing economy: An asset orchestration perspective

AbstractLeveraging an asset‐sharing operating model, sharing economy platforms have disrupted incumbent firms in many industries. This research draws on the asset orchestration perspective to examine incumbents' asset orchestration (i.e., operational and governance actions) as they respond to threats from the sharing economy and the effectiveness of these actions in curbing a sharing economy firm's performance. We also analyze how the sharing economy firm's competitive moves counteract incumbents' asset orchestration responses. Our longitudinal empirical analysis in the accommodation industry demonstrates that the growth of sharing economy increases incumbent hotels' asset‐based operational actions, which reduce the sharing economy's performance. Although incumbents' asset governance actions increase as the local sharing economy grows, they do not seem to hinder sharing economy's performance. This research highlights the role of asset orchestration in the competition between incumbents and the sharing economy and contributes to the operations and sharing economy literature.

Interplay between perceived value, trust and continuance intention: evidence in the sharing economy

PurposeOver the past decade, research into sharing economy platforms has gained prominence. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of perceived value (both hedonic and utilitarian) in attracting consumer engagement in the sharing economy, as well as its link with trust.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a survey method to empirically tested the proposed model using the partial least squares approach to structural equation modeling on data from 320 DiDi app users.FindingsThe study's findings revealed that both hedonic and utilitarian value had a significant effect on satisfaction and trust in the platform. Although the results showed no effect of hedonic and utilitarian values on trust in driver, the authors found trust in driver and platform, and satisfaction had significant influences on users’ continued intention to use the Taxi-hailing app. Interestingly, this study suggests that trust in the platform is transferred to trust in the driver.Originality/valueThe results from the Necessary Condition Analysis shows that satisfaction and utilitarian value are necessary conditions of continuance intention.

A Systematic Review of the Influencing Factors of Sharing Economy Platform

With the rise of sharing economy in recent years in China, the study of value co-creation in the context of sharing economy has begun to develop. Although the number of literature is relatively limited, it is the hot spot and trend of research and development in China. Nowadays, the research in this field has gradually expanded from the related theoretical concept of value co-creation to practical marketing scenarios such as consumer service experience, service innovation, and sharing economy. At the same time, the application research gradually tends to customer experience, customer value, and other customer perspective research. Start from “value co-creation and service leading logic” to “Customer participation, satisfaction, and loyalty” and then to the direction of “service innovation and service quality” evolution. Nowadays, the research trend of value co-creation is based on the basic theory of value co-creation and service-oriented logic.

Tour guides’ self-efficacy and resilience capability building through sharing economy platforms

PurposeThis study aims to explore how the local tour guides (LTGs) operate through the sharing economy platform. This study explores how LTGs have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions using self-efficacy and other resources to improve resilience and performance. This study also delineates the working mechanisms of peer-to-peer (P2P) platform-enabled, dynamic capability building processes, in the tourism sharing economy.Design/methodology/approachThis research adopted an interpretive approach to understand the focal phenomenon using two types of data. A total of 40 semi-structured interviews with LTGs and 26,478 online tourist reviews from tour guide service participants’ before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were used.FindingsThe findings of this study revealed that LTGs used sharing economy platforms to arrange flexible tour guide services. Resilience emerged through dynamic capability that addressed contextual factors in real time. LTGs coordinated different resources and customers during a time of uncertainty. Different sources of self-efficacy and types of dynamic capability were identified. The interplay between LTGs’ self-efficacy and dynamic capability was also delineated.Practical implicationsThe findings provide guidance for LTGs on P2P platforms and other sharing economy sectors on how diverse resources enabled by the sharing economy can enhance resilience during times of uncertainty. LTGs that engage with contextual information and are dynamic can adopt itineraries and services that will benefit tourists and their business.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the sharing economy literature by theorizing the working flow that enables LTGs to exert self-efficacy and leverage dynamic capability on P2P platforms. This study also contributes by linking resilience to contextual factors in real time. The outcomes provide guidance for LTGs to remain competitive and establish resilience in uncertain environments.

Ride-sharing platforms: the effects of online social interactions on loyalty, mediated by perceived benefits

PurposeThis study examines how customer loyalty among DiDi users in China is affected by two types of online social interaction (transactional and interpersonal) and how the online interaction–customer loyalty relationship is mediated by three kinds of perceived benefits (functional, social-hedonic and safety).Design/methodology/approachThis study empirically examines research hypotheses based on a questionnaire survey of 428 DiDi consumers.FindingsThe results reveal that transactional interactions significantly enhance customer loyalty among DiDi users via the partial mediating effects of customers' perceived functional, social-hedonic and safety benefits. By contrast, interpersonal interactions do not directly influence customer loyalty, and only social-hedonic benefits fully mediate the positive influence of interpersonal interactions on loyalty.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the theoretical development of interactive marketing management by examining how two types of online social interactions contribute to customer loyalty on sharing economy platforms by influencing the perception of benefits. It also provides useful managerial insights to help ride-sharing platforms design online social interaction functions that improve customer perceptions and loyalty.

Application and Performance of the Basic Concept of Sharing Economy in Business Model

The sharing economy is a business model based on the idea of sharing underutilized resources or assets between individuals, rather than owning them individually. This concept has been widely applied in various industries such as transportation, accommodation, and equipment rental. Sharing economy platforms have disrupted traditional business models by creating new markets and providing greater access to goods and services. The performance of the sharing economy depends on the ability of companies to create trust, facilitate transactions, and ensure the safety and quality of the shared assets. While the sharing economy has brought benefits such as increased efficiency and sustainability, it has also raised concerns about regulation, labor rights, and the concentration of market power in the hands of a few large platforms.

Exploring driver and user perspectives of service quality in sharing economy transport platforms

With the rise of the sharing economy, companies such as Uber have emerged as an alternative to traditional transport methods. Digital sharing economy platforms enable the encounter of two types of ‘users’: peer providers (i.e. drivers) and travellers (commonly referred as users). To acknowledge the needs of both the user and the provider, we must understand their perceptions of service quality (SQ) in this new context. However, existing research about SQ in platform-based transport focuses only on the users’ perspective. Given that peer providers are an essential part of peer-to-peer transport services, this exploratory study aims to capture the perceptions of SQ from the perspective of users and drivers. Relying on service quality theory, two quality assessment scales are designed for the users and the providers, respectively. Based on the data obtained from 646 users and drivers, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is used to validate the proposed scales. This study contributes to the literature of quality management in the sharing economy and provides valuable insights for platform managers.

Professionalism and homophily bias: A study of Airbnb stay choice and review positivity

Sharing economy platforms increasingly turn to professionalism to compete with their industry competitors, exemplified by their rule-based practices and fewer emphases on personal relationships. Such expanding professionalism has different effects on social discrimination that is infesting these platforms. We argue that professionalism may reduce one type of discrimination, homophily bias, in partner selection but increase the discrimination in online reviews in these platforms. Using 372,627 stays on Airbnb in New York City, this study demonstrates homophily bias existed in both the selection and review of partners, based on the similarity in race, gender, and age. Moreover, while certain practice of professionalism (i.e., instant booking) reduced homophily biases in partner selection, another professionalism practice (i.e., staying in entire places/apartments) exacerbated the biases in guests’ online reviews of hosts. Our findings suggest that researchers and practitioners should be cautious about the one-fit-all tendency of implementing certain professionalism practices on such platforms.

A Turn of the Tables: Psychological Contracts and Word of Mouth about Sharing Economy Platforms When Consumers Get Reviewed

Abstract The Peer-to-Peer sector of the sharing economy relies on reputation systems through which consumers and providers review each other. Whereas prior research has examined the effects of reviews by consumers on providers and firms, this research examines, for the first time, a turn of the tables in which consumers are evaluated. Across a pilot and seven studies (five preregistered), using multiple actual behaviors and sharing contexts, results reveal that a negative review of the consumer from the peer provider leads to negative word of mouth (NWOM) about the platform. Drawing from psychological contract theory, the research demonstrates that this effect is mediated by consumers' perceived betrayal by the platform. Two sets of moderators are identified. The first set establishes that a breach of consumers' psychological contract with the platform underlies the effect. In the second set, platform policies that may render a breach more or less consequential can intensify or mitigate consumer reactions. Specifically, making the review private (vs. public) and providing opportunities for justice restoration (response, revenge, and dispute) attenuate the effect of review valence on betrayal and NWOM. Implications for sharing economy platform managers and consumers are discussed.

A Study of the Influence of Consumer Self-Identity on Collaborative Consumption

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between motivation factors and trust in suppliers in the sharing economy and explore the moderating effect of self-identity on that relationship. For this, the present study collected data from 332 consumers of Airbnb in South Korea through a survey method. In the results, first, the quicker responsiveness of suppliers or more confidence in the personal information of suppliers consumers perceive in sharing economy platforms, the more they are likely to trust in suppliers. Second, positive relationship between confidence in the personal information of suppliers and trust in suppliers is stronger for consumers high rather than low in interdependent self-view. However, interdependent self-view was found to have no significance on the relationship between consumers' perceived responsiveness of suppliers and their trust in suppliers. For research contribution, this study is the first one to examine the integral model of antecedents of trust in the platform.

Achieving sustainable development goals through a sharing economy: Empirical evidence from developing economies

Achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) through a sharing economy is a global concern which requires policymakers and researchers' attention. The improvement of sharing economy activities may increase sustainable development in developing economies. Thus, this study empirically examines the impact of sharing economy activities such as corporate social responsibilities (CSR), eco-design, supplier green management (SGM), internal green management (IGM), and customer green management (CGM) in achieving SDGs using data from the Emerging Seven (E7) countries. This study uses a questionnaire method to gather data from respondents and Amos software to test the validity and reliability of the data, and the relationships among the variables. The results show that SGM, eco-design, CSR, CGM, and IGM play positive roles in achieving SDGs in E7 economies. The present research provides guidelines for regulators and policymakers devising rules associated with SDGs attainment using sharing economy platforms.

Sharing Economy Platforms with Reference-Dependent Gig Workers

Sharing Economy Platforms with Reference-Dependent Gig Workers

Modelling the determinants of consumers' intentions to use online sharing economy platforms

Modelling the determinants of consumers' intentions to use online sharing economy platforms

Power Imbalance in the Sharing Economy Platform Technologies: Potential Solutions from Contract Law

Power Imbalance in the Sharing Economy Platform Technologies: Potential Solutions from Contract Law

Регулирование и поддержка платформ шеринг-экономики: постановка проблемы и варианты решения

Introduction: the sharing economy development in Russia is attracting more and more attention, both from the scientific community and from practitioners. At the same time, the issues of regulation in the scientific literature are covered rather fragmentarily. Objectives: to develop models of sharing economy platforms regulation and functioning as well as support measures in this area. Methods: semantic analysis of research papers, systemic and graphical methods for describing models. Results: the paper presents the author’s models of sharing economy platforms regulation, taking into account their commercial and non-commercial basis. Models show that commercial platforms, being rather sophisticated in operational issues, appear to be much simpler. The functioning of non-commercial platforms involves a wider range of processes. They do not only satisfy particular needs, but also contribute to the institutional transformation. Thus, if commercial platforms can be considered a separate market, then non-commercial ones have a significant potential for transforming institutions at various governance levels. In addition, the paper outlines certain measures to support sharing economy projects by involving them in resolving social problems, including designing the “smart cities”. Conclusions: the obtained results contribute to the development of research in the field of sharing economy in Russia; the suggested support measures for sharing economy projects are applicable in solving social and environmental problems.

Innovation-Driven Evolution of the Sharing Economy in a Russian Region: The Case of Sverdlovsk Region

Relevance. The sharing economy, an emerging sector, encounters obstacles such as intricate regulations, insufficient funding, constraints in data collection infrastructure, and uncertainties in evaluation methodologies. For the best results, it is crucial to thoroughly examine risks and find effective ways for the sharing economy to grow in the region. Research objective. This study aims to examine trends in sharing economy development in a major Russian area, using the case of Sverdlovsk region as an example. Data and Methods. The study relies on scientific publications from Scopus, EBSCO, and RSCI databases, alongside proprietary indicators and websites of 19 representative companies. It introduces a methodology utilizing SimilarWeb and Yandex WordStat services to collect consumer behavior metrics from online sharing economy platforms in Russia and Sverdlovsk region. Results. Results reveal escalating interest in sharing economy transportation services, suggesting potential funding reallocations in the public sector. Additionally, the popularity of freelance exchanges in Sverdlovsk region indicates a substantial remote work talent pool. Although the labor market's sharing economy is in its nascent stage, it demonstrates future growth potential. Notably, the rental of goods and equipment holds considerable promise for growth in Russia's industrial regions. Conclusion. The study identifies a research challenge centered on the formulation of methodological principles for evaluating essential parameters within innovative sharing economy economic models at the regional level. Methodological guidelines are outlined, encompassing empirical assessments via SimilarWeb and Yandex WordStat services, with proposed indicators for analysis. Recommendations to support shared economy companies are also provided, serving as a potential blueprint for the government of Sverdlovsk region in their future planning endeavors.

ПОПУЛЯРНЫЕ КЛАССИФИКАЦИИ ШЕРИНГОВЫХ ПЛАТФОРМ И УСТОЙЧИВОСТЬ ШЕРИНГА

The review of the most well-known classifications of the sharing economy platforms (SE) is carried out as a key tool for implementing SE business models. The problem of SE sustainability, the potential of various SE business models to ensure sustainable value creation is studied.