Sub-Network Structure and Information Diffusion Behaviors in a Sustainable Fashion Sharing Economy Platform

Abstract

It is important to understand the creative processes of social value networks in terms of the interdependent connections between fashion sharing economy businesses and consumers. In particular, when the similarity in the values of each member is shared in the sub-network, the closeness of the relationships can be further strengthened. In such value chains, the overall process is important because the content, which is originally provided through the distribution process, is reinterpreted from the consumer’s point of view and it is reproduced as new creative output with high added value. In this study, the characteristics of sub-network structure, the characteristics of social relations, and network externality are proposed and analyzed as influential variables of information diffusion behaviors that explain the diffusion of shared information in fashion sharing economy platforms. We examined the shared information diffusion performance of the sharing economy platform as a multidimensional influential factor including the network characteristics, and proposed a structural model that integrated network research and mobile information diffusion research. We surveyed 400 people with experience of fashion information activity on sharing economy platforms. Frequency, validity, reliability, measurement model and path analyses were conducted using SPSS and AMOS statistical packages. The results showed that trust value, profit/risk sharing, interdependence, and cultural/social similarity of the sub-network structure characteristics affected social relations, while trust value and cultural/social similarity also influenced relational embeddedness. Social relations and relational embeddedness, in turn, affected perceived complementarity and social interaction, both of which affected fashion information diffusion behaviors. Finally, social pressure, social ties, and social unity affected trust values. The results of this study can be applied not only to social connections among the members of the sub-network of a fashion sharing economy platform, but also as an effective means to explain the maintenance and reinforcement of mutual relations, thereby advancing the current academic research and practical applications.

The Cinderella moment: Exploring consumers' motivations to engage with renting as collaborative luxury consumption mode

“…Indeed, RTR further represents a new access economy model providing sustainable solutions by offering a more intensive usage of products (Acquier et al, 2017). In other words, this alternative model of clothing consumption would potentially make the fashion industry more sustainable (Eckhardt et al, 2019; Na et al, 2019). Accordingly, this is one of consumers' emergent motivations, founded on the need to make more sustainable (smarter) choices, and as a result of the prospect of increasing the life of each luxury product.…”

“…Specifically, the American platform “RTR” is considered a typical example in this sense (Eckhardt et al, 2019). Other similar platforms are also emerging in Europe (such as the Italian Drexcode and DressYouCan , and the British FrontRow which are so far available only in the London area), due to a sort of social contagion phenomenon that pushes consumers to be more attentive to fashion sharing economy platforms (Na, Kang, & Jeong, 2019).…”

“…Indeed, the demand for sustainable fashion sharing economy platforms means that a new direction in the fashion industry is emerging, implying that consumers make effective consumption decisions taking into account the related resources (i.e., raw materials, energy, impact on environment, etc.) and minimizing the waste in manufacturing the specific garment (Na et al, 2019). For instance, this new consumption behavior of fashion would specifically reduce the carbon emissions from clothing manufacturing and the waste of unwanted goods (Eckhardt et al, 2019).…”

Network Externality as a Mediator on Business Growth:

“…A number of studies have confirmed evidence of the effect of direct network externalities in the digital environment, digital transformation and the influence of network externalities contribute to an increase in the number of subscribers, a reduction in the number of networks (distortion of market competition), and a decrease in telecommunications prices (Radukić et al, 2020). Previous research on network externalities is generally in the telecommunications sector (Hung et al, 2020;Mouakket & Sun, 2019;Na et al, 2019), social networking sites (Hung et al, 2020;Mouakket & Sun, 2019), relating to digital technology (Lyu, Guo, & Chen, 2023;Pang, Ruan, & Wang, 2023).…”

A Grounded Theory Approach to Reconstruct Brand Value Based on Prosumption Logic in the Era of Sharing Economy Platform

“…In such economic lives, individual users, with nearly zero marginal cost, are increasingly involved in the production, consumption and sharing of their commodities and services by joint efforts [7]. Therefore, studies seek insights into sharing economy platforms [8] [9].…”