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Recent technological advances in online and mobile communications have enabled collaborative consumption or product sharing among consumers on a massive scale. Collaborative consumption has emerged as a major trend as the global economic recession and social concerns about consumption sustainability lead consumers and society as a whole to explore more efficient use of resources and products. We develop an analytical framework to examine the strategic and economic impact of product sharing among consumers. A consumer who purchased a firm’s product can derive different usage values across different usage periods. In a period with low self-use value, the consumer may generate some income by renting out her purchased product through a third-party sharing platform as long as the rental fee net of transaction costs exceeds her own self-use value. Our analysis shows that transaction costs in the sharing market have a nonmonotonic effect on the firm’s profits, consumer surplus, and social welfare. We find that when the firm strategically chooses its retail price, consumers’ sharing of products with high marginal costs is a win-win situation for the firm and the consumers, whereas their sharing of products with low marginal costs can be a lose-lose situation. Furthermore, in the presence of the sharing market, the firm will find it optimal to strategically increase its quality, leading to higher profits but lower consumer surplus. This paper was accepted by J. Miguel Villas-Boas, marketing .

We describe an equilibrium model of peer-to-peer product sharing, or collaborative consumption, where individuals with varying usage levels make decisions about whether or not to own a homogeneous product. Owners are able to generate income from renting their products to nonowners while nonowners are able to access these products through renting on an as-needed basis. We characterize equilibrium outcomes, including ownership and usage levels, consumer surplus, and social welfare. We compare each outcome in systems with and without collaborative consumption and examine the impact of various problem parameters. Our findings indicate that collaborative consumption can result in either lower or higher ownership and usage levels, with higher ownership and usage levels more likely when the cost of ownership is high. Our findings also indicate that consumers always benefit from collaborative consumption, with individuals who, in the absence of collaborative consumption, are indifferent between owning and not owning benefitting the most. We study both profit-maximizing and social-welfare–maximizing platforms and compare equilibrium outcomes under both in terms of ownership, usage, and social welfare. We find that the difference in social welfare between the profit-maximizing and social-welfare–maximizing platforms is relatively modest. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2017.2970 . This paper was accepted by Gad Allon, operations management.

The sharing economy (SE) is growing rapidly around the globe, but SE firms often encounter challenges and even failures when entering some countries. The authors conduct a meta-analysis to investigate the effectiveness of key strategic drivers of SE participation (utilitarian value, social value, hedonic value, sustainability value, and trust) and examine their relative effectiveness across global contingencies (economic/competitive, cultural, societal, technological, regulatory, and demographic factors). Results indicate that hedonic value generates the most cross-national benefits, whereas social and sustainability values provide the least. The results reveal a complex pattern of global contingencies that firms should consider when developing their entry strategies, designing governance mechanisms, and evaluating the most promising markets. Finally, the authors offer three tenets that establish an emerging perspective of global SE participation: (1) High levels of economic and social inequality between SE participants lessen the importance of hedonic benefits, but enhance the importance of utilitarian and social benefits; (2) consumers are most motivated by the benefits associated with the lowest level of their unsatisfied needs on the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; and (3) consumers are more influenced by governance mechanisms that increase their trust in providers and platforms in markets with low levels of generalized trust.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss the topics of sharing economy and collaborative consumption (CC) within the domains of global entrepreneurial opportunities, strategic issues, and emerging online businesses. Both topics remain immensely rich and intertwined because of their interdisciplinary perspectives and multifaceted issues. The sharing economy and CC-based digital platforms clearly support and complement today’s business models, corporate expansion, and entrepreneurial growth. The sharing economy and CC models continue to grow yet can be disruptive in international entrepreneurship. The paper investigates the sharing economy as well as CC in ten sectors (73 firms) from the perspective of “commercial sharing systems” (Lamberton and Rose 2012, p. 109). Findings of the paper reveal that the two topics distinctly remain interconnected when dealing with their business models, entrepreneurial initiatives, and consumers in global markets. The work systematically lays the foundation for future research in the international entrepreneurship literature and its related areas. Companies that pursue the areas of sharing-based systems tend to be inherently innovative and venturesome in their business models and digital platforms. The paper also provides a research agenda and managerial implications of this timely discussion that continues to grow in international entrepreneurship.

Skill-sharing services have the potential to foster regional development and mutual aid within a community through residents’ social participation. Despite the growing social demand for skill-sharing services, few cases have utilized individuals’ knowledge, skills, and other intellectual assets. To widely diffuse such services, it is necessary to clarify user factors (motivations and barriers to use services) and reflect on the service design process. However, there is limited knowledge regarding user analysis and skill-sharing services. Thus, this study explores user factors that affect the intention to use skill-sharing services and derives guidelines for skill-sharing service design and development. A hypothetical user factor model was constructed through a literature review of user research in sharing services and empirical analysis of actual skill-sharing services. The hypothetical model was applied to a survey on the use of skill-sharing services by residents in Hino city, the western part of Tokyo (n = 358). The results revealed that social motivation and self-actualizational motivation significantly affected the service use intention of skill providers. Economic motivations and enjoyment of service activities derive the service use intention of skill receivers. Moreover, familiarity was identified as a significant factor for both skill providers and receivers. These findings generated practical propositions for service designers to foster the further diffusion of skill-sharing services.

A laundromat is a collaborative consumption alternative that is representative of a larger shift toward a sharing economy. The present study aimed to investigate determinants of laundromat use and develop a theoretical model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior to provide insights into consumer intentions regarding laundromats. This study also investigated differences among consumer motivations concerning laundromats in terms of their washing practices and sociodemographics using correspondence analyses. Data were collected from laundromat users. The model results indicated that consumer intentions were driven primarily by attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and perceived usefulness. Further group analysis between the respondents only using laundromats and those using laundromats together with other washing choices showed different significant intention determinants. Convenience and speed were the most practical reasons for using laundromats. The correspondence analyses indicated divergent motivations of various customer segments. Our findings could be used to support laundromats and their marketing campaigns by highlighting the uniqueness of their services to gain customers at different segments and also to maintain their existing consumer base.

The sharing economy, as a developing business model, is becoming more and more popular. This phenomenon can be observed in many countries. The sharing economy, as a part of human life in its essence, has existed for a long time. In general, the sharing economy is considered an economic model where individuals or organizations share a certain type of property or, in this way, provide services for a financial reward. One of the most used sectors, where there is constant interest, is the shared transport of people, goods, and services. However, platforms operating in the shared transportation segment should be analysed from various points of view, such as their financial results and overall economic stability. The study is primarily focused on the sector of shared transport and transport services. The chief objective of the study was to demonstrate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on shared transport and transport services within the territory of the Slovak Republic. The analysis included ride-hailing platforms such as Bolt Services SK as well as food and dining delivery platforms such as Wolt Slovakia. Through appropriately chosen methods of financial and economic analysis, the situation of the platforms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was determined. We also performed an analysis of the development of the number of cars and the related level of automobilization in the territory of the Slovak Republic, since the shared economy represents an alternative to conventional economic models.

The sharing economy is an emerging industry with potential for ensuring sustainable economic growth since it is based on underused resources. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of demographic characteristics (age, gender, education and income) and motives financial benefits, fun, meeting people and social responsibility) on turning a sharing economy consumer into a provider. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analysis has been carried out on data from a large survey conducted in twelve European countries on the state of the sharing economy. The empirical results show that men and individuals under 35 years of age are more likely to participate in the sharing economy as providers. Moreover, consumers who are more driven by altruistic motives and less by financial benefits are more likely to offer their services as providers. This research can be useful to policy makers and managers in exploring the opportunities of supporting broader participation in offering services as providers in the sharing economy.

The purpose of this research is to investigate the effects of perceived value dimensions (i.e., economic value, hedonic value, symbolic value, and social value) on behavioral intent to engage in collaborative consumption from the perspective of Generation Y. Furthermore, this research aims to investigate the mediating effect of young consumers’ attitude toward collaborative consumption on the relationship between perceived value dimensions and behavioral intent to engage in collaborative consumption. Research findings suggest that specific dimensions of perceived value (economic, hedonic, symbolic, and social) have different direct effects on young consumers’ behavioral intention to engage in collaborative consumption services. Regarding the mediating role of consumers’ attitude toward collaborative consumption, it was found that the mediating effect takes place only in the symbolic value-behavioral response link. Given the paucity of research focusing specifically on collaborative consumption from the perspective of Generation Y, this study provides new and useful insights for researchers and managers.

Understanding the potential factors and underlying mechanisms to engage in collaborative consumption practices has become a significant concern for academics and practitioners. However, collaborative consumption research is still considered in its early stage; thus, further research is needed. Based on this need, this study extends existing research by providing empirical support for the importance of value perceptions and empathy on female consumers’ attitudes and behavioral intentions to engage in collaborative consumption in the apparel industry. This study also shows a significant moderating effect for materialism and the need for uniqueness in the collaborative consumption of apparel. These findings are believed to be particularly valuable in contributing to the broader literature on collaborative consumption and guiding, especially practitioners, to develop strategic tactics for motivating consumers to engage in collaborative consumption practices.