Changes in consumption patterns have always taken place. Never in the history, however, was the impact of humans on their surrounding environment that significant. The base of this impact is industrialization and the post World War II economic boom in the triad. The attitude towards buying changed dramatically with the start of hyper-consumption and the introduction of the credit system. Idealizing haves and admiring ownership impacted people and nations around the globe. The invention of the Internet gives rise to a completely new form of media. It allows the current and new generations to thrive on the developments. The Internet offers new marketplaces and acts as a medium to create new communities. The most recent developments indicate a revival of old virtues and arts of trading. Collaborative consumption is a developing and increasingly observable trend which includes many forms of sharing and trading and defines access as superior to ownership. This trend appears to be manifold and covers numerous traditional and new industries (Botsman, 2010).
The purpose of the thesis is to investigate if this trend can be considered as a phase, a niche, or if it can become a movement that will potentially redefine the way we do business. Will collaborative consumption develop into the new status quo?
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Research questions
1.2 Preliminary definitions
1.3 Research structure
2 COLLABORATIVE CONSUMPTION
2.1 Definition
2.2 Indicators
2.2.1 Value shifts.
2.2.2 The new generation.
2.2.3 New marketplaces.
2.3 Systems
2.3.1 Product service systems.
2.3.2 Redistribution markets.
2.3.3 Collaborative lifestyles.
2.4 Principles
2.4.1 Critical mass.
2.4.2 Idling capacity.
2.4.3 Belief in the commons.
2.4.4 Trust between strangers.
2.5 Drivers of collaborative consumption
2.5.1 Peer-to-peer technologies
2.5.2 Communities.
2.5.3 Price consciousness.
2.5.4 Experience.
2.5.5 Profits.
2.5.6 Environmental concerns.
2.5.7 Access over ownership.
3 HYPER-CONSUMPTION
3.1 The beginning of hyper-consumptions
3.2 Features
3.3 Characteristics
3.4 Internal drivers
3.5 External drivers
4 CONCLUSION OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW
5 EMPIRICAL STUDY
5.1 Introduction to empirical research
5.1.1 New business opportunities.
5.1.2 Developments of product service systems.
5.1.3 Developments of redistribution markets.
5.1.4 Developments of collaborative lifestyles.
5.1.5 Development of research questions and hypothesis.
5.2 Method of empirical work
5.2.1 Exploratory study.
5.2.2 The instrument.
5.2.3 Data collection and descriptive statistics.
5.2.4 Analysis procedure.
6 FINDINGS
6.1 Analysis of usage
6.1.1 Socio-demographics and usage.
6.1.2 Personality and usage.
6.2 Analysis of types
6.2.1 Socio-demographics and types.
6.2.2 Personality and types.
6.3 Analysis of ‘non-participation drivers’
6.3.1 Socio-demographics and ‘non-participation drivers.’
6.3.2 Personality and ‘non-participation drivers.’
6.4 Analysis of ‘participation drivers’
6.4.1 Socio-demographics and ‘participation drivers.’
6.4.2 Personality and ‘participation drivers.’
7 DISCUSSION
7.1 Managerial implications
7.1.1 Usage.
7.1.2 Types.
7.1.3 ‘Non-participation drivers.’
7.1.4 ‘Participation drivers.’
7.2 Limitations
7.3 Future research
8 CONCLUSION
Research Objective and Thematic Focus
The primary objective of this thesis is to investigate whether collaborative consumption is a temporary phase or a niche market that will develop into a new status quo, potentially redefining business models. It seeks to analyze the drivers, types, and usage patterns of collaborative consumption while examining the influence of socio-demographics and personality types.
- The impact of industrialization and hyper-consumption on global consumption patterns.
- The definition, principles, and systemic foundations of collaborative consumption.
- Empirical evaluation of usage patterns and participation drivers across North America, Europe, and Asia.
- Managerial implications for businesses regarding channel strategies and customer engagement.
- Analysis of individual behaviors using Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI) in relation to consumption trends.
Excerpt from the Book
2.4.2 Idling capacity.
The second principle of collaborative consumption is idle capacity. The economic definition of idle capacity is: …the unused capacity of partially used facilities. It is the difference between: (a) that which a facility could achieve under 100 percent operating time on a one-shift basis, less operating interruptions resulting from time lost for repairs, setups, unsatisfactory materials, and other normal delays; and (b) the extent to which the facility was actually used to meet demands during the accounting period... (Federal Acquisition Regulation, 2012, p. 135)
Idle capacity can also apply to collaborative consumption. It applies to all unused tangible (e.g. cars, tools) and intangible (e.g. time, space) assets equally. This can include a car that is only used to get to work and back, which can equal a total of 1 or 2 hours a day. The car’s idle capacity is more or less 22 hours (minus operating interruptions). The car can be used by someone else during that time. Similar methods can be applied to tools, space, labor, and any other kind of product or service that are partially unused. One difficulty present before the Internet is to locate idle capacities.
Houses or rooms can be promoted via newspapers or magazines. However, utilizing idle capacities were inefficient if something small was needed, e.g. tools. Therefore, the Internet, extended through mobile devices, makes it easier today to locate and access offered capacities. The new technologies make it for the first time economic to access capacities rather than owning them (Botsman & Rogers, 2011, pp. 83-88) (compare Figure 2).
Summary of Chapters
1 INTRODUCTION: Outlines the research questions, the motivation behind investigating collaborative consumption as a potential status quo, and the structure of the study.
2 COLLABORATIVE CONSUMPTION: Provides a comprehensive definition and analysis of the indicators, systems (product service, redistribution, lifestyle), and core principles of collaborative consumption.
3 HYPER-CONSUMPTION: Examines the currently dominant economic model of hyper-consumption, its historical evolution, and its drivers such as planned obsolescence.
4 CONCLUSION OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW: Synthesizes the theoretical findings to prepare the ground for the empirical research study.
5 EMPIRICAL STUDY: Details the methodology, survey design, and hypothesis formulation used for the quantitative analysis of participants' behaviors and preferences.
6 FINDINGS: Presents the empirical results concerning usage patterns, types of collaborative consumption, and the influence of socio-demographics and personality on drivers.
7 DISCUSSION: Interprets the findings by providing managerial implications for companies, discussing study limitations, and outlining future research directions.
8 CONCLUSION: Summarizes the thesis, emphasizing that while collaborative consumption is growing, its long-term future as a dominant paradigm requires further observation.
Keywords
Collaborative Consumption, Hyper-consumption, Product Service Systems, Redistribution Markets, Collaborative Lifestyles, Idle Capacity, Critical Mass, Belief in the Commons, Trust, MBTI, Consumer Behavior, Sustainability, Peer-to-Peer, Digital Age, Marketing Strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental goal of this master thesis?
The study aims to determine whether the trend of collaborative consumption is merely a niche or a movement capable of evolving into a new economic status quo.
Which key concepts are at the core of this research?
The work focuses on the contrast and transition between traditional hyper-consumption, characterized by ownership and excess, and collaborative consumption, which prioritizes access and usage.
What methodology does the author use for empirical data?
The research uses an exploratory approach based on an online survey distributed to participants in North America and Europe, analyzing data using statistical methods such as chi-square tests.
What are the primary systems of collaborative consumption identified?
The author categorizes collaborative consumption into three main systems: product service systems, redistribution markets, and collaborative lifestyles.
How does personality influence consumer behavior in this study?
The study incorporates Myers-Briggs Type Indicators (MBTI) to analyze whether different personality dichotomies—such as extraversion versus introversion—correlate with preferences for collaborative services.
What role do "participation drivers" play?
Participation drivers, such as community, environmental concerns, and price consciousness, are identified as factors influencing why individuals choose to engage with collaborative consumption platforms.
How does the Internet facilitate the principle of "idling capacity"?
The Internet and mobile technologies enable individuals to efficiently locate and share underutilized assets (like tools, spare rooms, or car seats) that would otherwise remain idle.
What are the identified "non-participation drivers"?
The research examines factors that hinder adoption, such as concerns regarding privacy, time investment, lack of reliability, and the perceived necessity of ownership.
- Citar trabajo
- Frank Born (Autor), 2013, The role of collaborative consumption, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/318593
