Sharing Economy and Platforms

The sharing economy describes systems in which digital platforms allow individuals to exchange access to goods, services, or spaces directly with one another, bypassing traditional intermediaries — Airbnb and Uber being the most cited examples. Researchers in this area study how these arrangements reshape consumer behavior, what motivates people to rent out a spare room or borrow rather than buy, and how trust between strangers is built and sustained at scale through reviews and reputation mechanisms. A central tension in the literature concerns sustainability: peer-to-peer models are often framed as reducing waste through shared use, yet evidence suggests they can just as easily stimulate new consumption. Open questions include how regulation should adapt to platforms that blur the line between amateur and commercial providers, and whether the economic benefits of platform participation are distributed equitably across different users and communities.

Works

38,592

Total citations

329,614

Keywords

Sharing EconomyCollaborative ConsumptionPeer-to-Peer AccommodationSustainabilityTrust and ReputationAccess-Based Consumption