Sharing can help make goods available to many people who would otherwise have no access to them. In the effort of motivating more people to participate in the sharing economy, it is useful to know the variables that influence the willingness to share (WTS). Our study aims to identify these variables. Applying field theory, we conducted an experiment based on nonmonetary sharing situations. Complementing existing research directed towards users of goods, we focused on the providers of goods, thus broadening the understanding of sharing contexts. We demonstrate that WTS can be explained by several variables. In particular, a low social distance increases individuals' WTS their belongings with others. Product involvement is also a predictor of whether or not people are willing to share. In contrast, consumer characteristics such as materialism, altruism, and interpersonal trust have no impact on sharing intentions. Our findings provide significant implications for consumer research and for the marketing of sharing organizations.

The economy of sharing is described as a phenomenon that has the potential to change markets and consumer behaviour permanently. In line with the basic principle of ‘sharing instead of owning’, sharing—according to the implicit assumption—could lead to better utilisation of hardly used goods and services. Against this background, sharing could be an effective way to strengthen sustainable consumption patterns. The aim of this publication is to explain the sharing behaviour of consumers by using systematic analysis of selected influencing factors. Five different articles show, for example, that one’s willingness to share decreases with increasing social distance from the person with whom one shares. Furthermore, economic motives have a strong influence when it comes to loyalty towards a sharing provider. In contrast to these self-referential preferences, the book also shows that social and ethical motives are essential in sharing. Overall, the different analyses reveal that sharing lies in a field of conflicting interests between individual value orientation and public service orientation. Based on these findings, the concept of strategic marketing planning is used to identify implications for companies and societal stakeholders. These measures should be systematically planned, implemented and controlled as a permanent task. Only in this way can social challenges be solved in the context of sustainability.

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