Collaborative Consumption is a term used to describe the notion of sharing and joint utilization of goods and services. Being deeply rooted in anthropology, the phenomenon of
joint consumption is currently experiencing a form of renaissance on the internet, as online communication is beginning to lower the hurdles of geographical, social and emotional distance associated with sharing activities of an individual’s direct social circle. Although evidence suggests that the collaborative consumption market bears huge profit potentials, little research seems yet to have been conducted to foster the understanding of people’s motivation to engage in such sharing networks. To address this gap, the following research study reviews the literature on a diverse set of academic fields such as consumer behaviour, sharing, anthropology, sociology and increasing returns, based on which proposition are presented aimed at clarifying the influence of selected factors on people’s sharing behaviour.
Grounded on these propositions, the study provides a conceptual model designed to improve the understanding of people’s motivation to actively participate in collaborative consumption ventures. In this context, special focus is set on the supply of goods in ‘pure’ sharing systems in which no immediately observable exchange takes place. In an attempt to expose the assumptions made to preliminary scrutiny, focus group research has been conducted with frequent users of the Dutch collaborative consumption network Peerby. Findings suggest that there seems to be interaction effects between different constructs, as individuals tend to consider them jointly rather than independently when deciding whether to engage in sharing or not. Furthermore, the need for development of richer definitions of constructs used, to aid
better understanding of potentially influential factors and set a solid basis for future theory testing, is uncovered.
Table of Contents
2. Introduction
3. Literature Review
3.1 General Approach
3.2 Consumer Access to Resources
3.3 Collaborative Consumption
3.4 Sharing
3.4.1 Sharing, Gift Giving and Commodity Exchange
3.4.2 Incentives to Share
3.4.3 Impediments to Share
3.5 Increasing Returns – Putting Collaborative Consumption into Motion
4. Conceptual Model
5. Research Design and Methodology
5.1 Case Selection – Peerby.com
5.2 Exploratory Research
5.3 Focus Group Technique
5.4 Sample Choice and Research Execution
6. Data Analysis and Results
7. Discussion
8. Conclusion
8.1 Theoretical Contributions
8.2 Managerial Contributions and Implications
8.3 Limitations and Suggestions for further Research
Objectives & Key Themes
This master thesis investigates the psychological and social drivers behind participation in "pure" collaborative consumption ventures. The primary research goal is to synthesize literature across diverse fields to develop a preliminary conceptual model of sharing behavior, subsequently validated through qualitative focus group research with active users of the Dutch platform Peerby.com, to provide actionable managerial insights for improving sharing network engagement.
- The influence of possessiveness and emotional attachment on the willingness to share.
- The role of "increasing returns" and network effects in scaling sharing communities.
- Overcoming barriers to sharing, specifically regarding trust, risk, and perceived convenience.
- The synthesis of anthropological, sociological, and economic perspectives on sharing behavior.
Excerpt from the Book
3.4.3 Impediments to Share
Despite the many advantages associated with sharing, there are also a number of factors which commonly impede sharing behaviour. In line with Belk's (2007) previously discussed argument of resource abundance as a stimulator of sharing activities, Lamberton & Rose (2012) argue that perceived product scarcity risk, defined as “the likelihood that a product or product-related resource will be unavailable when a consumer desires them”, directly determines sharing propensity. The stonger people believe that a good will not be available to them when needed due to the engagement in a sharing arrangement, the less likely they are to participate in sharing communities. Assuming that the majority of (commercial) sharing systems do not provide the luxury of collective consumption goods, defined by Samuelson (1954) as goods “which all enjoy in common in the sense that each individual's consumption of such a good leads to no sub-traction from any other individual's consumption of that good” (p. 387), Lamberton & Rose (2012) shape the term rivalry. It is used to describe the phenomenon that one person’s use of a shared good diminishes the availability of that same good to other people in a sharing system.
Summary of Chapters
2. Introduction: Introduces the rise of collaborative consumption as a digital-age trend and identifies the research gap regarding the motivations for participating in "pure" sharing networks.
3. Literature Review: Consolidates academic perspectives from anthropology, sociology, and economics to establish a theoretical foundation for understanding sharing drivers and barriers.
4. Conceptual Model: Presents a framework that maps the relationships between supply and demand factors to predict individual and aggregate sharing success.
5. Research Design and Methodology: Details the exploratory research approach, specifically the use of the focus group technique with Peerby.com users in Maastricht.
6. Data Analysis and Results: Describes the transcription and indexing of focus group data to extract themes regarding user motivation.
7. Discussion: Analyzes the findings regarding possessiveness, emotional attachment, and product characteristics, contrasting them with existing academic literature.
8. Conclusion: Summarizes the study’s theoretical and managerial contributions, acknowledges limitations, and proposes directions for future research.
Keywords
Collaborative Consumption, Sharing Economy, Pure Sharing, Peer-to-Peer, Possessiveness, Emotional Attachment, Network Effects, Increasing Returns, Trust, Consumer Behavior, Social Acceptance, Exploratory Research, Focus Group, Peerby, Sustainability.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The thesis explores the motivations and drivers behind why individuals participate in "pure" collaborative consumption—sharing systems where no direct monetary or observable reward is expected.
What are the central thematic fields covered?
The study integrates concepts from anthropology, sociology, consumer behavior, and economics, specifically focusing on how these fields explain sharing, access versus ownership, and network dynamics.
What is the primary research objective?
The main objective is to develop a conceptual model that explains factors influencing the supply and demand sides of sharing networks and to provide a preliminary validation of this model through qualitative data.
Which methodology is employed in the study?
The study uses an exploratory, qualitative research design, employing focus group interviews with frequent users of the Peerby platform to uncover deep-seated motivations and validate theoretical propositions.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body examines literature on sharing barriers and drivers (such as trust, possessiveness, and convenience), constructs a conceptual model, and discusses empirical findings from focus group sessions regarding user behavior.
Which key terms characterize the thesis?
Key terms include "pure" sharing, collaborative consumption, network effects, perceived scarcity, emotional attachment, and the cost-benefit trade-off in sharing platforms.
How does "possessiveness" impact sharing behavior?
The research suggests that high levels of possessiveness and emotional attachment to products act as significant hurdles to sharing, as individuals view certain objects as extensions of themselves or their personal history.
How can sharing platforms like Peerby increase participation?
Based on the study, platforms can improve participation by introducing trust-building mechanisms (e.g., identity verification, peer reviews) and by helping users distinguish between items they are emotionally attached to and those they are more willing to share.
- Citation du texte
- Anna Catharin Heil (Auteur), 2014, Drivers of Participation in Collaborative Consumption Ventures, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/314179
