Abstract
Despite the Sharing Economy’s (SE) enormous potential, or perhaps because of it, there has been an outcry of concern relative to the management ethics of SE platforms. Within the SE, the institutional role of the sharing platform is that of data generator and value creator. Inherent to the creation of value for platform members is trust. Trust is that mechanism which facilitates online strangers doing business, it weakens individuals perceived risk of doing business on the platform. In the current SE environment, there is a lack of consistent codes of conduct among SE platforms in similar industries and little transparency relative to their ratings and review processes. This research analyzes the influence of adding “trust objects” to the SE processes that govern the collection and communication of Peer-2-Peer (p2p) reviews. The first phase is a qualitative exploration of platform and industry practices. The second phase is two experimental studies to test if modifying “trust objects” surrounding these processes will increase the perceived trustworthiness of the reviews, and positively influence willingness to transact with the platform.
Presenters
Johnine McCartneyAssistant Professor, Marketing, Ithaca College, New York, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Trust, Peer-2-Peer, Product reviews, E-commerce, Sharing Economy, Governance, Digital regulation
