A Taxonomy of Initiatives at Work in the Sharing Economy

Abstract

It is crucial to classify SE initiatives to better understand such a multifaceted phenomenon. However, previous attempts to classify SE initiatives seem not to contemplate the full SE complexity. Therefore, this study proposes a new classification using a broad taxonomic approach. It started by systematically selecting a set of initiatives. Then, an intensive search on secondary data about the initiatives selected was conducted in order to identify relevant attributes. Next, the attributes identified were successively aggregated resulting in four attribute groups. In the end, each initiative was analysed from the perspective of each attribute group, resulting in five SE categories: commodity intermediary, wealth redistributor, unique-service intermediary, skill redistributor, and decentralized commodity intermediary. Findings suggest that generalizations from studies focused on specific initiatives might be problematic, entrepreneurs should consider the characteristics of different SE categories to design appropriate platforms, and policymakers should avoid regulating all SE initiatives in a homogeneous manner.

How to Grow the Sharing Economy? Create Prosumers!

“…The sharing economy consists of a wide variety of actors, initiatives and platforms and researchers are increasingly turning towards classifying and structuring this complex phenomenon (Fernandes et al, 2020; Lim, 2020; Sands et al, 2020). In the sharing economy, triadic interactions occur between a platform operator, a peer service provider and a consumer, rather than the traditional dyadic firm-to-consumer interactions (Benoit et al, 2017).…”

Who Shares? Profiling Consumers in the Sharing Economy

“…Indeed, traditional dyadic firm-to-customer interactions are now triadic interactions involving a platform provider, a shared service intermediary and a customer (Benoit et al, 2017), all of whom can share the benefits of sharing (Hamari et al, 2015). Providers and intermediaries benefit from new business models (Fernandes et al, 2020) and value-added services (e.g. insurance, payment) that operate in a lean and economical manner (Zervas et al, 2017) and can lead to positive effects on brand reputation (Puschmann and Alt, 2016) .…”

The Sharing Economy: A Marketing Perspective

“…journals were identified through a keyword search for “collaborative consumption”, “marketing”, and “sharing economy” on Google Scholar and segmented according to themes using an inductive thematic analysis by the author) shows that, to date, research has shed light on: The typologies of sharing (e.g. through access, collaboration, and community for access/club, closed commercial, open commercial, and public goods sharing in business-to-consumer, consumer-to-consumer, consumer-to-business, business-to-business, and government-to-consumer market structures across myriad industries such as consumer goods, entertainment and media, energy and utilities, food, hospitality, and mobility and transport, with new intermediaries emerging such as commodity intermediary, wealth redistributor, unique-service intermediary, skill redistributor, and decentralised commodity intermediary) (see Acquier et al, 2017; Belk, 2010, 2014a, 2014b; Fernandes et al, 2020; Gruszka, 2017; Habibi et al, 2016, 2017; Lamberton and Rose, 2012; Mair and Reischauer, 2017; Plewnia and Guenther, 2018; Richardson, 2015; Wittel, 2011); The market segmentation for a “sharing” business (e.g. mobility-focused sharer, diverse-platform sharer, power-platform sharer, sharing idealists, sharing opponents, sharing pragmatists, and sharing normatives) (see Davidson et al, 2018; Hellwig et al, 2015; Sands et al, 2020); The goals of sharing and participating in the sharing economy (e.g.…”

“…The typologies of sharing (e.g. through access, collaboration, and community for access/club, closed commercial, open commercial, and public goods sharing in business-to-consumer, consumer-to-consumer, consumer-to-business, business-to-business, and government-to-consumer market structures across myriad industries such as consumer goods, entertainment and media, energy and utilities, food, hospitality, and mobility and transport, with new intermediaries emerging such as commodity intermediary, wealth redistributor, unique-service intermediary, skill redistributor, and decentralised commodity intermediary) (see Acquier et al, 2017; Belk, 2010, 2014a, 2014b; Fernandes et al, 2020; Gruszka, 2017; Habibi et al, 2016, 2017; Lamberton and Rose, 2012; Mair and Reischauer, 2017; Plewnia and Guenther, 2018; Richardson, 2015; Wittel, 2011);…”