Building trust in sharing economy platforms: trust antecedents and their configurations

Abstract

PurposeThe sharing economy is the internet-enabled business model that has changed the way people travel, work and interact. Similar to other internet-enabled settings, trust is of paramount importance for the sharing economy as it leads to continued use and positive word-of-mouth. The main objectives of this research are twofold: (1) to identify the most relevant antecedents of trust in the sharing economy; and (2) to identify which combination of these antecedents allows repurchase intention and positive word-of-mouth to be achieved.Design/methodology/approachThrough revision of trust theories and complementary frameworks, and an analysis of the sharing economy, the authors develop a model of trust for the sharing economy. The authors propose a model assuming that different types of trust will form a limited number of pathways valid for the creation of positive behavioural intentions. The authors use qualitative comparative analysis to empirically assess the proposed model on a sample of 235 sharing economy users.FindingsThe authors find two configurations that jointly suggest the key role of website quality and usability in generating consumer trust. The authors propose that, on the one hand, platforms might focus on creating value-added services and increasing the reliability of the platform brand. On the other hand, platforms can focus on creating good signalling mechanisms and educate their service providers towards reliable behaviour.Originality/valueThe authors build a conceptual model of trust in the sharing economy setting, that considers the feedback loops among the combination of several dimensions. The authors define specific strategies for platforms in the sharing economy that lead to repurchase intention and positive word-of-mouth.

Service quality in the sharing economy: A review and research agenda

“…Satisfaction and repurchase intention are what follows having established trust and created value (Akhmedova et al, 2021;Mas-Machuca et al, 2021). Trust is a complex, highly studied concept…”

“…The immediate outcomes of quality are trust and value. Satisfaction and repurchase intention are what follows having established trust and created value (Akhmedova et al, 2021; Mas‐Machuca et al, 2021). Trust is a complex, highly studied concept which must be present when talking about service quality.…”

The Role of Trustworthiness Facets for Developing Social Media Applications: A Structured Literature Review

“…The system provides sufficient information that is accurate, understandable, useful, complete, relevant and timely updated so that the user is able to evaluate the context (e.g., product, service, seller). [14,24,63,85,93,94] Integrity, compliance, compatibility The system complies with standards (e.g., industry specific standards) or regulations, adheres to the user's accepted ethical or moral codes and is compatible with his/her beliefs or values. [14,21,24,56,57,77,90] Non-Repudiation Ability to prove to sender that data has been delivered and to prove to receiver the sender identity for an unambiguous data transmission.…”

“…A system designed in a way that enables users to effortlessly use it with easy access to understandable information that supports users in the usage. [21,24,57,[92][93][94]96,97,102] Website quality, completeness, perceived usefulness, web site design, interface design, likeability On the one hand, the extent to which the implemented set of software features meet the needs of its users. One the other hand, an attractive graphical design in terms of structure, navigation and content.…”

“…One the other hand, an attractive graphical design in terms of structure, navigation and content. [14,21,24,63,85,94,96,97,102] Table A3. Overview of the trustworthiness facets of organizations.…”