Participants’ interaction with sharing economy platforms in Russia

Abstract

PurposeThe objective of this contribution is to pinpoint the practices of users' interactions with sharing economy platforms in Russia, as well as explore the source of motivation to use such platforms on the three cases of sharing economy platforms in Russia: Darudar [Gift-to-gift] (sharing goods), Bank Vremeny [Timebank] (sharing time and services) and Couchsurfing (sharing accommodation and leisure).Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data were gathered from 25 in-depth interviews conducted for active users of the platforms and ethnographic observations of users' offline meetings as well as digital observations.FindingsThe results reveal that participants of the platforms tend to establish their own rules and norms of interaction, thus, fostering social connection. Findings suggest that users of sharing economy platforms are driven by the potential of minimising transaction costs and intrinsic motivation, such as getting experiences which have no market alternatives, upcycling and disposal of belongings, self-promotion and self-realisation.Original/valueIn this study, sharing as based in the sharing economy is conceptualised as a separate principle of resource allocation. The theory was applied to the empirical material of three Russian platforms, which has not been done previously in the paradigm of sharing. The current literature on the sharing economy is largely switched to the for-profit North American platforms, while case studies from other settings are lacking. This article aims to fill this gap by providing insights into non-profit platforms' operation in Russia.

The role of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in sharing economy post-adoption

“…At the same time, individuals transacting in SE also experience a sense of belonging (Möhlmann, 2015), as they become part of a community that they wish to relate to and join (Radka and Margolis, 2011). They seek opinions they respect in search of things they personally value, by relying on friends and trusted sources (Shmidt, 2020). Trust is a psychological expectation governing all interactions, a safeguard of transactions between perfect strangers (Frenken and Schor, 2017).…”

“…Enjoyment is defined as the degree to which the activity of using a specific system is perceived to be pleasing and entertaining, regardless of any performance consequences resulting from system use (adapted from Venkatesh, 2000). Individuals using SE services available on an SE platform are not drawn to a website or app by potential economic or financial benefits only (Ek Styv en and Mariani, 2020;Shmidt, 2020;Xu and Schrier, 2019). Individuals using SE services mediated by digital platforms seek multi-sensory and emotional aspects while using a sharing service (Hwang and Griffiths, 2017), namely, fun, enjoyment and fantasy (Liu et al, 2020).…”

Exploring Motivations and Barriers to Participate in Skill-Sharing Service: Insights from Case Study in Western Part of Tokyo

“…Meanwhile, this study confirmed that providers' "self-actualization" which were hypothesized as motivation factors specific to skill-sharing services, significantly affected the intention to provide skills. While the discussion on self-actualization through the use of sharing services is very limited [65], it is a fundamental need that is a consequence of the motivation of people's behavior, as addressed in Maslow's human motivation theory [66,67]. The results identified by this study demonstrate that the service is closely linked to this need, especially in terms of providing one's own unique skills.…”

Assessing Trust and Risk Perceptions in the Sharing Economy: An Empirical Study

“…Trust in a technical system is primarily dependent on the perceived functionality (e.g., reliability) of the system (Thatcher et al, 2007). Establishing trust, when it comes to the sharing of a highly intimate resource, such as one’ s own apartment, is the main interactional issue on the platform (Shmidt, 2020). In order to enhance credibility and trust between guests and hosts, online profiles should be managed more effectively by guests, hosts, and the online platform (Moon et al, 2018).…”