Airbnb – an exploration of value co-creation experiences in Jamaica

Abstract

Purpose Drawing upon the theoretical framework of the service-dominant (S-D) logic, value co-creation and social practices, this paper aims to investigate how value is co-created among guests, hosts and the wider local community in the sharing economy context of Airbnb. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative enquiry through an online content analysis was applied to thematically analyse Airbnb online guest reviews to explore the value-co-creation practices in local tourist experiences in Jamaica. Findings Based on Airbnb guest and host engagements, a theoretical framework emerges, depicting integrated operant and operand resources, host–guest value co-creation practices embedded in the destination’s authentic culture and specific value outcomes. Research limitations/implications Being grounded in the geographical and cultural context of Airbnbs in Jamaica, the findings are transferable to similar platforms of the sharing economy, tourism contexts and destinations. Practical implications Critical implications unfold for Airbnb accommodation providers, destination stakeholders and policymakers by revealing a specific set of nuanced social practices that need to occur for local authentic experiences and value to be co-created among guests, hosts and the wider local community. Originality/value The paper makes an original contribution to knowledge by being one of the first studies to apply a S-D logic lens to the Airbnb sharing economy. It breaks down resource integration, host – guest value co-creation practices and value outcomes that occur for experiences and value to emerge in an Airbnb hospitality context.

The dark side of the sharing economy: Balancing value co‐creation and value co‐destruction

“…Residents' needs and requirements conflict or compete with those of tourists using sharing properties. This raises several issues, often magnified by the use of populist strategies on social and traditional media (Johnson & Neuhofer, 2017). Locals are forced to share zero‐cost resources with visitors attracted to their region and even their buildings (Gurran, 2018).…”

Intention determination of sharing economy business provider in the theory of planned behavior model using partial least square (study case: Airbnb Indonesia)

“…Similar with this research Ortbach et al [12] uses partial least square but in different research entity. Regional airbnb platform research have been conducted by Liang et al [13] and Johnson et al [14]. Their researches are held in Jamaica [13] and North America [14].…”

“…Regional airbnb platform research have been conducted by Liang et al [13] and Johnson et al [14]. Their researches are held in Jamaica [13] and North America [14]. Liang et al [13] study about sharing economy for both entity {consumer and provider) uses service dominant logic to solve their problem.…”

“…Liang et al [13] study about sharing economy for both entity {consumer and provider) uses service dominant logic to solve their problem. Johnson et al [14] explores about the linkages between switching intention, trust, and satisfaction for customer entity, their research uses structural equation modelling.…”

Humanize your business. The role of personal reputation in the sharing economy

“…Previous research on sharing economy (Cheng, 2016) has focused on five research streams, lifestyle and social movement, consumption practice, sharing paradigm, trust, and innovation. Additional socio-economic effects of sharing economy have been identified with regards to new trends in consumer behaviour (Tussyadiah and Pesonen, 2015;Pappas, 2017), behaviours of operators and value co-creation (Camilleri and Neuhofer, 2017;Johnson and Neuhofer, 2017). Furthermore, the spread of these models has created concern about legal issues (Guttentag, 2015;Williams and Horodnic, 2017).…”