Master's Thesis: The trust currency in the Sharing Economy: An experimental Framework. (original) (raw)
Related papers
Trust in the Sharing Economy: An Experimental Framework
2016
Peer-to-peer platforms in the realm of the sharing economy, such as Airbnb or BlaBlaCar, have heavily rattled the electronic commerce landscape and are expected to further impact consumer behavior in the future. While trust between the parties involved is of utmost importance in such platform economies, experimental research on this aspect is scarce. In this conceptual paper, we first present an experimental framework for targeting trust in the sharing economy based on experimental economics and the trust game in particular. In doing so, we sketch out a path to complement existing Information Systems research on the sharing economy by experimental methods. Second, we apply the framework to a specific use case, by developing a research model and experimental design to explore the role of user representation for trust on sharing economy platforms. We therefore set the stage for controlled (laboratory) experiments to enrich research on trust in the sharing economy.
Die Unternehmung, 2016
Trust has been in the focus of research on business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce in the last decade. The rise of consumer-to-consumer (C2C) markets in the context of the sharing economy, however, has posed new challenges and questions regarding the dimensionality and role of trust in online transactions. We outline a conceptual research model for the role of trust with regard to the consumers' and suppliers' intentions to engage in this economy. Our model differentiates between three substantial targets of trust, that is, trust towards peer, platform, and product (3P). We propose and evaluate a questionnaire, which addresses these targets in their dimensions ability, integrity, and benevolence. Der Faktor Vertrauen spielt im Business-to-Consumer (B2C) E-Commerce bereits seit vielen Jahren eine wichtige Rolle. Die stetig wachsende Bedeutung von Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) Märkten im Kontext der Sharing Economy wirft nun neue Fragestellungen bezüglich der Dimensionalität sowie der Rolle von Vertrauen in Online-Transaktionen auf. In dieser Arbeit stellen wir ein konzeptionelles Modell zur Untersuchung des Zusammenhangs zwischen Vertrauen und Nutzung der Angebote der Sharing Economy vor. Wir unterscheiden zwischen Anbieter-und Konsumentenperspektive.
The trust currency in the Sharing Economy: an Airbnb case study. Evidence from: Italy & Ukraine
The Sharing Economy can also be called the Economy of Trust. Trust can be defined as an attitude, a feeling, that is culturally and historically determined, and that is why we hypothesized that there might be differences between countries. The aim of our research is to discover how one of the most known Sharing Economy businesses, Airbnb, engages trust among its users. We have conducted a cross cultural study into two different countries, Italy and Ukraine. In order to explore and analyze the topic, we used a qualitative approach based on collecting data by conducting face-to-face interviews of males and females between 20 and 25 years old (CreActives). And interesting fact is that a lot of people in Ukraine do not even know about the existence of the Airbnb service, while in Italy the situation is opposite. In both countries, people, who we interviewed, use Airbnb service just for traveling. In Italy, people use Airbnb to travel everywhere, inside their own country, through Europe but also to other continents. In Ukraine, the use of Airbnb is reduced to almost nothing. People use Airbnb only in the case of traveling abroad (Europe or America), but not inside their own country. All Ukrainians underlined their motives for why they use Airbnb rather than traditional accommodation or other similar hospitality services, and they spoke about the importance of a personal contact between a host and a guest. Not all the Italians attach such a high importance to the personal contact, for this sample the results are more complex. We conclude that there are effectively some differences in trust levels between the two countries, which can be attributed to cultural differences.
Responsibilities of Sharing Economy Platforms for Cultivating Trust
Proceeding of the International Conference Sharing Society, 2019
Trust is a double-edged sword in peer-to-peer (p2p) sharing economy, being both the foundation and a slippery ground of sharing resources with total strangers. The online platforms are the most influential actors in trust formation as they set the terms of sharing. How these sites can cultivate and sustain trust is the main question this research asks, which aims to contribute to a more structured evolution of p2p sharing platforms. This research proceeds through a qualitative investigation across ten sharing economy platforms, introducing a comparative understanding of middlemen’s peculiar responsibilities and performances in nourishing trust. Mainly inspired by Giddens’ (1990) abstract system approach, this study constructs a trust pyramid where trust is put in: (i) the internet, (ii) meaning/motivation for p2p sharing, (iii) the legal support for sharing; (iv) the platform (v) the peers. For p2p sharing to occur, trust in the foregoing systems is prerequisite, which can be challenged through learning experiences mostly at the top two levels. Platform trust and peer trust are under platforms’ direct influence and craft the center of this inquisition that benefits from online participant observation and case study research. The focal platforms are chosen based on leading roles in their categories such as Airbnb, Couchsurfing, Uber, Lyft, and Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Patreon, Crowdcube, Zopa and Wikipedia. Examination of site materials, news reports, and blog posts contributed to online archival research executed at the Internet, the habitat of sharing economy where collaborative actions become initiated. The accessibility and clarity of key information are treated as a measure of platforms’ level of transparency enabling effective trustformation. Collaborative consumption spaces like Airbnb, Couchsurfing, Uber, and Lyft fare stronger than studied crowdfunding platforms in peer trust with self-monitoring tools, while in terms of platform trust crowdfunding sites achieve higher standards. Yet, most of the studied platforms fall short of the openness this new ecosystem demands given a revenue-sharing partnership with users, which requires empowering users not only in financial but also in informational terms.
In Trust We Thrive: What Drives the Sharing Economy?
Corvinus Journal of Sociology and Social Policy
Rapid growth of sharing economy in the last two decades may signal a paradigm shift in global capitalism and societal values. Digital platforms have brought together strangers with under-utilized capacities and assets with those who need them without looking for ownership. The radius of trust which was initially confined to family, friends and local communities; now encompasses strangers who speak no common language and who live oceans apart. Trust driven by Digital Identity (DI) and Trust and Reputation Information (TRI) have enabled what was considered as improbable or even impossible some years ago. Further expansion and deepening of trust, based on new technologies combined with international legal framework, has the potential to rewrite the apparatus of modern capitalism and societal values. Civil society and governments need to engage on this issue to guide them to a direction most beneficial for the society. However, the current extraordinary situation due to the Corona Virus...
When Hosts Trust Guests and Sharing Platforms: Trust in Sharing Economy
Journal of China Tourism Research, 2021
The peer-to-peer accommodation business has become an important topic in tourism. While the sharing economy relies heavily on peer-to-peer interactions, understanding of this new form of business from the host perspective is still developing. Further, the study argues that the majority of existing studies have often primarily concentrated on Airbnb and therefore limit our understanding of the sharing economy. This study employs a sociological perspective to understand trust through the lens of Chinese hosts and their dynamic interactions with sharing platforms beyond Airbnb. Drawing on in-depth interviews, this qualitative study explores the complexities involved in hosts' interpersonal and institutional trusting relationships. A conceptual appraisal of the concept of trust in the Chinese context informs the empirical work. Specifically, the study identifies different types of hosts and how their way of being a host shapes their trust behaviours to both sharing platforms and guests.
Trust in Sharing Economy Business Models from the Perspective of Customers in Szczecin, Poland
Sustainability, 2019
The concept of a sharing economy, as part of a wider collaborative economy concept, is among the most important economic and technological trends that will influence socioeconomic development in the future. Interest in using the opportunities offered by sharing platforms is increasing; hence, the subject is a current and important issue. Confidence in technology, service providers and application providers is a key issue when making decisions about using such solutions. The aim of the paper is to examine the level of trust in sharing economy business models considering two groups of factors, trust in people and in technology, among several demographic groups. The paper has an empirical character and the results are provided on the basis of a survey conducted in Szczecin, Poland, with 403 respondents who are current and potential users of sharing platforms. The obtained results show that platform management requires more attention focused on building mutual trust networks among participants rather than strengthening the confidence in using the technology.
The Role of Social Trust in Governing the Sharing Economy for Poverty Reduction
Economics, Law, and Institutions in Asia Pacific, 2021
Trust can be applied to many sectors, including the sharing economy. The sharing economy, a relatively new economic model, can be defined as an peer-to-peer (P2P) transactions. Online community platforms have been innovated to facilitate the sharing economy. This chapter aims to answer these two questions. First, what is the role of 'trust' in the sharing economy? Second, what are the reasons behind sharing economy growth through the transaction cost economics (TCE) lens? This research found that culture and the social background are determining factors in the level of trust. The finding from this research helps to fill the gap in regulating the sharing economy in emerging markets. Moreover, this chapter provides recommendations on how to design appropriate policy to regulate the sharing economy by using the TCE lens.
Sustainability, 2021
Though multiple studies have explored the phenomenon of car sharing, very few have indulged into exploring how different forms of trust varies between users of different business models. We address this research gap through employing quantitative data analyses of car sharers in Norway. Results show that the levels of ingroup and outgroup-trust (i.e., trust towards friends/family or unfamiliar persons) are markedly low for the members of the peer-to-peer scheme (M = 3.4/2.9) as compared to the cooperative (M = 6.0/4.8) and business-to-consumer scheme (M = 5.7/4.4). In contrast, technology-based trust is more important for the P2P sharers (M = 5.8) than cooperative (M = 5.6) and the B2C users (M = 5.6). Our findings echo previous studies, indicating that a different set of institutional logics is driving the transactions at the emerging P2P platforms compared to former non-profit sharing communities.