scholarly journals Trust in the sharing economy: the AirBnB case

2019 ◽  
Vol 119 (9) ◽  
pp. 1947-1968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Efpraxia D. Zamani ◽  
Jyoti Choudrie ◽  
George Katechos ◽  
Yaping Yin

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine sharing economy online marketplaces with the aim of understanding how trust perceptions form and get communicated through sharing economy platforms. Design/methodology/approach The authors build on online user comments and reviews as aggregated by independent third-party websites, and apply a qualitative analysis. Findings The findings show that the quantity of information and communication are important drivers towards building trust perceptions, while an overall lack of interaction between users and the marketplace provider intensifies perceived risks. Originality/value The authors validated the importance of trust and the authors have illustrated that the critical conditions that hinder trust formation are information asymmetry as well as the lack of interaction. What is also an interesting implication is that the impact of both of these can be exacerbated when there is a perceived lack of support among users and between them and the marketplace operator.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles S. Areni

Purpose The purpose of this study is to show how non-random groupings of YouTube videos can be combined with automated text analysis (ATA) of user comments to conduct quasi-experiments on consumer sentiment towards different types of brands in a naturalistic setting. Design/methodology/approach NCapture extracted thousands of comments on multiple videos representing different experimental treatments and Leximancer revealed differences in the lexical patterns of user comments for different types of brands. Findings User comments consistently revealed hypothesized relationships between brand types, based on existing theory regarding motivations for nostalgia and the relationship between consumer preferences, online product ratings and purchases. These results demonstrate the viability of conducting quasi-experimental research in naturalistic settings via non-random groupings of YT videos and ATA of user comments. Research limitations/implications This research adopts a single quasi-experimental design: the non-equivalent group, after-only design. However, the same basic approach can be used with other quasi-experimental designs to examine different kinds of research questions. Originality/value Overall, this research points to the potential for ATA of comments on different categories of YT videos as a relatively straightforward approach for conducting field experiments that establish the ecological validity of laboratory findings. The method is easy to use and does not require the participation and cooperation of private, third party social media research companies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atif Saleem Butt

PurposeThis study explores the countermeasures taken by retailers to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on supply chain disruptions.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a multiple case study approach and undertakes 36 semi-structured interviews with senior management of the four largest retailers of the United Arab Emirates. The respondents were designated at different positions such as Vice President, Director and Project Manager.FindingsResults reveal that retailers are employing six countermeasures to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on supply chains. Particularly, retailers are securing required demand, preserving cash flows, redirecting inventory, adding capacity to their distribution centres, becoming more flexible with their direct or third-party logistics provider and finally widening delivery options for their suppliers to mitigate the impact of COVID-19.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has some limitations. First, the results of this study cannot be generalized to a broader population as it attempts to build an initial theory. Second, this study uses a cross-sectional approach to explore the countermeasures employed by retailing firms to mitigate the effects of COVID-19.Originality/valueA notable weakness in a supply chain disruption literature is an unfulfilled need for research examining the strategies employed by retailers to respond to/address the challenges posed by COVID-19. Our study fills this gap.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Grimmer ◽  
Oskaras Vorobjovas-Pinta

Purpose The visitor economy is increasingly being recognised by local authorities, governments and destination marketing managers as having a significant effect on local retail precincts. This research note proposes that there is a link between the rise of the sharing economy (notably Airbnb) and the growing awareness and appreciation of the impact of the visitor economy. The purpose of this paper is to provide an example of the marketing efforts of a specific retail precinct to attract visitors engaged in the sharing economy. Design/methodology/approach The approach taken involves a review of the literature pertaining to the sharing and visitor economies. Using an example from an Australian tourist city – Hobart, Tasmania, this research reviews a collaborative marketing campaign undertaken by retailers in a city precinct designed to appeal to stakeholders in the visitor economy. Findings Shopping at local stores and retail precincts form an integral part of the travel experience. This research note offers an overview of the nexus between the sharing and visitor economies. In particular, it presents the potential implications of collaborative marketing efforts to attract visitors to a retail precinct. It is suggested that the development of new marketing and branding strategies, specifically retailer-led collaborative efforts, are a positive approach to attract stakeholders involved in the sharing and visitor economies. Originality/value This research note is one of the first to recognise the relationship between the rise of the sharing economy and the subsequent conceptualisation of a visitor economy. This note recognises the particular importance of the nexus between the sharing and visitor economies for retail precincts.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Min Hou ◽  
Chunmei Gu ◽  
Jiakai Wang ◽  
Ping Hou

PurposeA large number of competitors springing up at the same time is a unique phenomenon to emerging markets. How to promote product sales and improve platform performance through appropriate advertising communication strategies is not only an actual problem for the P2P platforms that are committed to long-term and stable operations but also an academic problem in marketing.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected a total of 1960 pieces of panel data of the P2P platforms and constructed a panel data analysis model after filtering.FindingsThe empirical analysis reveals the following: the prevention-focus advertising has a greater impact on platform trading volume, compared with the promotion-focus advertising, and the impact is positively significant; the platform which has a third-party cooperation should use promotion-focus advertising, while prevention-focus advertising is a better choice for the platform without a third-party cooperation. Furthermore, the effects of prevention-focus advertising and promotion-focus advertising on the platforms using individual projects and platforms using organization projects differ.Originality/valueThe results of this study have some reference to the selection of advertising communication strategies for the high-risk financial products.


2020 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-175
Author(s):  
Alberto Mazzoleni ◽  
Enrica Pollonini

PurposeWe developed a model to demonstrate how multiple interrelated aspects of a firm influence its recourse to third-party financing, which frequently depends on the characteristics of each food production chain.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted an empirical research on a relevant sample of small- and medium-sized Italian dairy firms. Our research methodology is inspired by the grounded theory (Glaser and Strauss, 1967).FindingsOur findings illustrated that firm indebtedness is the result of intertwined variables, linked to different firm dimensions, including growth, financial structure and economic dynamics.Research limitations/implicationsA portion of the analysed phenomenon is not explained using the sample and econometric tools.Practical implicationsThere are practical implications for the decision-makers in a firm (in particular, the managers and the shareholders) as the model allows to evaluate the influence of a set of mutually interdependent firm variables for the indebtedness level.Originality/valueFirst, we considered the recourse to third-party financing within the context of the systems theory (Millová and Blatný, 2015) and from the perspective of linked causes and mutually connected variables. Second, our research focussed on a well-defined food chain and on features of firms operating in this context. Last, our model considered the impact of the recent economic crisis, which motivated us to review the existing models.


2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 138-157
Author(s):  
Daria Elżbieta Jaremen ◽  
Elżbieta Nawrocka ◽  
Michał Żemła

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to identify the state-of-the-art of scientific research on externalities generated in cities by the sharing economy in tourism (SET) based on an extensive literature review. Design/methodology/approach This review detected benefits and costs of the SET in cities development described in the literature using the economic externalities theory approach. The SALSA (Search, AppraisaL, Synthesis and Analysis) research procedure was used to collect relevant academic articles. For findings, the qualitative and quantitative content analysis combined to make a critical analysis of selected papers was conducted. Findings Thirty articles devoted to the impact of the SET in cities were identified. Five topics that gained researchers’ attention were recognized: real estate market; transportation; quality of life and gentrification; entrepreneurship and innovativeness of citizens; and local budgets’ incomes. The studies that present externalities of development of the SET in a more complex way are extremely rare. Research limitations/implications Research limitations are related to the methods used. The subjectivism of the research is a limitation to possibilities to achieve similar results when analyzing the same set of papers by different researchers. The results then are not to be generalized. Practical implications The research reveals a list of problems with externalities of the development of the SET in tourism destinations. Those problems are to be solved by policymakers in cities. Originality/value This study identified the gaps of previous research on the impacts of the SET on cities’ development. The paper presented an original conceptualization of future research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theophilus Olugbenga Babatunde ◽  
Cyril Ayodele Ajayi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) on real estate agency transactions with a view to determine its influence on the performance of estate agents. Design/methodology/approach A research approach in which questionnaire was administered to elicit relevant information from 220 practicing Estate Surveyors and Valuers surveyed in the course of the study. Data collected were analysed using mean ranking, relative influence index and analysis of variance. Findings The results showed that the use of ICT impacted positively on real estate agency transactions by promoting company’s brand thereby increasing the level of patronage. Consequently, the increased level of patronage signifies an increase in the level of income of the agents. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to social media applications otherwise referred to as ICT, which are used in real estate agency transactions. Further study on other ICT media and their effects on more areas of real estate practice in the developing economy may be required. Originality/value This paper is one of the few works on the impact of ICT on real estate agency transactions with particular reference to the social media networking especially in an emerging economy. Most of the previous studies conducted on ICT and real estate focussed only on internet use with respect to real estate agents and practices.


2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 145-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun Qiu ◽  
Peter Popkowski Leszczyc

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study firms’ decisions of voluntary disclosure of high product quality by sending their products to intermediaries for review, and how the nature of the reviews subsequently substitutes the brand names in terms of affecting the price of the product. Design/methodology/approach – Using data on camcorders and point & shoot digital cameras collected from multiple intermediary sources, this paper empirically tests the relationships among brand equity, send for review decisions, the nature of reviews and pricing, controlling for endogeneity. Findings – This paper finds that firms are likely to send their high-quality products to the intermediaries for review, but such likelihood varies across different brands. Relatively weak brands are more likely to send their products for review than relatively strong brands. By doing so, weak brands receive two benefits: first, intermediary reviews help eliminate price differentials between weak brands and strong brands. The more positive is the review, the higher is the price. When intermediary reviews are not obtained, some strong brands effectively charge a price premium over weak brands. Second, intermediary reviews subsequently attract more consumer word of mouth (WOM). The more positive is the review, the more consumer WOM is attracted. Researchlimitations/implications – One limitation is that this paper does not account for the influence of intra-brand competition. The second limitation is related to the assumption that intermediary reviews are accurate. Practicalimplications – This paper offers managerial implications to brand managers concerning send-for-review and pricing decisions. It proposes how managers leverage third-party endorsement in launching a new product. Originality/value – This paper is one of the few papers empirically studying the interaction of two communication approaches: disclosure and brand signaling. It modifies the commonly assumed relationships among brand, quality and price by demonstrating the substitute effect of intermediary reviews and brand names on price. This paper is also the first research that empirically examines the impact of firms’ “send-for-review” decisions on generating consumer WOM. Managerially, this paper substantiates Godes et al.’s (2005) framework on how firms should manage social interactions upon the release of new products.


2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 193-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Najib Razali ◽  
Rohana Abdul Rahman ◽  
Yasmin Mohd Adnan ◽  
Azlina Mohd. Yassin

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of using information and communication technology (ICT) on retail property in Malaysia. It also examines what listed property companies perceive in terms of the implications of using ICT in the retail property sector in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from sample surveys completed by 79 property companies listed on the Bursa Malaysia (formerly known as the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange). An ICT retail impact matrix was then developed to assess the significance of ICT on retail property in Malaysia. Findings – The findings of the study revealed that ICT would have only a minor impact on retail property in Malaysia and that there would still be a need for the traditional means of conducting a retail property business. It also found that the listed property companies were ready to implement ICT applications and that the demand for retail property would still increase in Malaysia in the future. Research limitations/implications – Only 66 percent of listed property companies in Malaysia (the respondents) participated in the study. Originality/value – This paper seeks to look at the impact ICT has on retail property in Malaysia. For this purpose, an ICT retail impact matrix was developed to assess this impact. As such, this study will be used as a benchmark for future ICT studies relating to retail property and the real estate sector in Malaysia.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 214-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Lee West

Purpose – The paper aims to answer the central question: to what extent does the Better Business Bureau (BBB)’s policy of providing a third-party seal inculcate consumer trust from consumers to BBB-accredited business members? Design/methodology/approach – For this mixed-methods study, the qualitative section used a phenomenological approach with three focus groups of consumers and business owners. The quantitative section utilized binary logistic regression from consumer survey data conducted in Colorado. Additionally, document analysis was conducted to understand BBB history and policy details. Findings – Consumers who notice the BBB logo are 4.7 times more likely to trust a real estate sales business than if they do not notice the BBB logo. Furthermore, consumers who notice the BBB logo are 17 times more likely to trust an auto and boat sales business when they notice the BBB logo. Research limitations/implications – A main limitation of the study was the inconclusive data that appeared between the qualitative and quantitative data regarding the impact of the BBB seal and trusting home service industries. Researchers are encouraged to further explore how the BBB logo affects trust with home service businesses. Practical implications – The BBB logo retains potency as a proof source of trust in the marketplace. However, the BBB is less relevant to the millennial generation. The BBB should explore ways to incorporate technology through social media and Internet applications. Originality/value – This work has value as the only mixed-method study on this topic, and these findings add to the body of marketing literature by Kimery and McCord, Cook and Luo and Garrett.


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