Sharing Economy

Globally, prominent sharing-based services include Uber, Lyft, and Airbnb, which have become behemoths in terms of their valuation, revenue, and number of users. Uber is reported to have over 100 million users globally. Bangladesh has also witnessed a rise in sharing-based services of both global and local origins. Sharing services have severely disrupted traditional business models and the economy they collectively encompass is referred to as the “sharing economy.” Based on a systematic literature review of top management journals and other scholarly works, the authors present the most overarching conceptualization of sharing-based services. Taking this knowledge forward, this chapter not only conceptualizes and compares sharing-based services in Bangladesh but also identifies “collaborative consumption” as the most dominant type of sharing-based services among them. This chapter also presents scholarly works on the customers' motivators and barriers, which creates grounds for future research efforts in Bangladesh concerning collaborative consumption services.

Overview, Framework, and Research Propositions of Secondhand Exchange in the Platform Economy

This chapter describes secondhand exchange in the context of the platform economy. Consumers have long engaged in reselling and buying used items as an alternative to purchasing firsthand items, but researchers have little understanding of how these exchanges are different theoretically from traditional consumption patterns. This chapter presents a clear definition of secondhand exchange and separates it from related concepts, including lateral exchange markets, the sharing economy, access-based consumption, and collaborative consumption. It is suggested that secondhand exchange and related consumer behavior in the platform economy can be understood by considering platform differences related to 1) when and how product ownership is transferred (i.e., direct and indirect), 2) the level of platform intermediation (i.e., low, moderate, or high), and 3) buyers' knowledge of reseller identity (i.e., unknown, obscured, and known). Research propositions are presented for these dimensions for each facet of the consumption process (i.e., buying, owning, and disposal).

Digital platforms: customer satisfaction, eWOM and the moderating role of perceived technological innovativeness

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate how customer satisfaction can be achieved in the context of digital platform services, its influence on electronic word of mouth (eWOM) and how such relationships can be moderated by perceived technological innovativeness (PTI).Design/methodology/approachThe research framework was developed and empirically tested using an online survey and analysed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Data were gathered from 501 Uber customers in London, UK.FindingsThe study recognises and confirms that trust and cost saving enhanced customer satisfaction in Uber mobility services, which has a positive impact on eWOM. There are other findings regarding users who share rides vs those who do not share. Furthermore, it has been found that PTI moderates the relationship between customer satisfaction and eWOM.Originality/valueThe research draws on collaborative consumption literature and contributes to the antecedents of customer satisfaction in digital economy literature: trust, environmental impact, cost saving and utility. The study offers an empirical validation of the role of PTI in enhancing eWOM. The paper breaks new ground for a better understanding of how PTI can moderate the influence of customer satisfaction and eWOM in digital platforms.

Social Interactions In Non-Monetary Accommodation Sharing: Host’s Motivation and Value Co-Creation

<p>Accommodation sharing, as collaborative consumption platforms, fosters memorable tourism experiences by allowing individuals to have direct interactions with hosts and local communities. Airbnb and CouchSurfing exemplify two of the most popular accommodation-sharing platforms, representing the distinction between monetary and non-monetary platforms. While Airbnb as a monetary accommodation sharing platform has gained much attention in the academic literature, little is known regarding CouchSurfing and its non-monetary model. Current research postulates that by the absence of financial involvement, CouchSurfing offers more intimacy and experience in the host-guest relationship. Meanwhile, shifts in tourist behaviour have determined the direction of value co-creation in the tourism industry. Together with tourism providers and other social actors, tourists are engaged in active participation and interaction to create value jointly and for all participants. Motivated by the extant literature on accommodation sharing and value co-creation, this research contributes to the conceptualisation of value co-creation in non-monetary accommodation sharing through the perspective of the host. Taking CouchSurfing as the context, this research answers several questions: 1) what is the motivation of Indonesian CouchSurfing members to host? 2) Through what practices is value co-created between host and guest in CouchSurfing? 3) What resources are needed to co-create value in the context? 4) What value emerges from hosting in CouchSurfing? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants from Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Bali. In addition to the individual interviews, a focus group discussion with 6 participants was held in Yogyakarta. Findings from this research highlight the intrinsic, personal and emotion-based nature of hosts’ motivations to participate in Couchsurfing, including the establishment of personal connections and friendships, an opportunity to behave in altruistic ways, and the increase of knowledge through other people’s lives and experiences. To fulfil these motivations to the best possible extent, guest selection strategies were put into place by hosts, based on prior experience. The co-creational social practices then closely aligned to those motivations and are regulated by hosts’ management strategies. This ensured a positive experience, resulting in a variety of value outcomes including new knowledge, positive self-identity as well as professional opportunities. Findings of this research also highlight the unique nature of co-creational experiences in non-monetary accommodation sharing and the unusually strong impact of motivations on all components of the value co-creation process. This research concludes with suggestions for future research and both theoretical and practical implications for harnessing intimacy and authenticity in the tourism industry.</p>

Social Interactions In Non-Monetary Accommodation Sharing: Host’s Motivation and Value Co-Creation

<p>Accommodation sharing, as collaborative consumption platforms, fosters memorable tourism experiences by allowing individuals to have direct interactions with hosts and local communities. Airbnb and CouchSurfing exemplify two of the most popular accommodation-sharing platforms, representing the distinction between monetary and non-monetary platforms. While Airbnb as a monetary accommodation sharing platform has gained much attention in the academic literature, little is known regarding CouchSurfing and its non-monetary model. Current research postulates that by the absence of financial involvement, CouchSurfing offers more intimacy and experience in the host-guest relationship. Meanwhile, shifts in tourist behaviour have determined the direction of value co-creation in the tourism industry. Together with tourism providers and other social actors, tourists are engaged in active participation and interaction to create value jointly and for all participants. Motivated by the extant literature on accommodation sharing and value co-creation, this research contributes to the conceptualisation of value co-creation in non-monetary accommodation sharing through the perspective of the host. Taking CouchSurfing as the context, this research answers several questions: 1) what is the motivation of Indonesian CouchSurfing members to host? 2) Through what practices is value co-created between host and guest in CouchSurfing? 3) What resources are needed to co-create value in the context? 4) What value emerges from hosting in CouchSurfing? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 participants from Bandung, Yogyakarta, and Bali. In addition to the individual interviews, a focus group discussion with 6 participants was held in Yogyakarta. Findings from this research highlight the intrinsic, personal and emotion-based nature of hosts’ motivations to participate in Couchsurfing, including the establishment of personal connections and friendships, an opportunity to behave in altruistic ways, and the increase of knowledge through other people’s lives and experiences. To fulfil these motivations to the best possible extent, guest selection strategies were put into place by hosts, based on prior experience. The co-creational social practices then closely aligned to those motivations and are regulated by hosts’ management strategies. This ensured a positive experience, resulting in a variety of value outcomes including new knowledge, positive self-identity as well as professional opportunities. Findings of this research also highlight the unique nature of co-creational experiences in non-monetary accommodation sharing and the unusually strong impact of motivations on all components of the value co-creation process. This research concludes with suggestions for future research and both theoretical and practical implications for harnessing intimacy and authenticity in the tourism industry.</p>