Master's Thesis from the year 2014 in the subject Business economics - Offline Marketing and Online Marketing, grade: 8,5 (NL); 1,3 (GER), Maastricht University (Maastricht School of Business & Economics, Maastricht Center for Entpreneurship, NOVA Business School), language: English, abstract: 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.

This handbook provides comprehensive and critical coverage of the dynamic and complex relationship between democracy and sustainability in contemporary theory, discourse, and practice. Distinguished scholars from different disciplines, such as political science, sociology, philosophy, international relations, look at the present state of this relationship, asking how it has evolved and where it is likely to go in the future. They examine compatibilities and tensions, continuities and changes, as well as challenges and potentials across theoretical, empirical and practical contexts. This wide-spanning collection brings together multiple established and emerging viewpoints on the debate between democracy and sustainability which have, until now, been fragmented and diffuse. It comprises diverse theoretical and methodological perspectives discussing democracy’s role in, and potential for, coping with environmental issues at the local and global scales. This handbook provides a comprehensive overview of arguments, claims, questions, and insights that are put forward regarding the relationship between democracy and sustainability. In the process, it not only consolidates and condenses, but also broadens and captures the many nuances of the debate. By showing how theoretical, empirical and practical accounts are interrelated, focusing on diverse problem areas and spheres of action, it serves as a knowledge source for professionals who seek to develop action strategies that do justice to both sustainability and democracy, as well as providing a valuable reference for academic researchers, lecturers and students.

Collaborative consumption is a peer-to-peer (P2P) exchange of goods and services facilitated by online platforms. This phenomenon is driven by technologies that make it easier and cheaper to redistribute and share the use of existing but underutilized private resources. It is embedded in the paradigm shift in society towards access-based consumption, in opposition to acquisition and private individual ownership. Firms take on the new role of enabler of collaborative consumption by developing online platforms and smartphone apps that facilitate P2P exchanges between people in their roles of peer providers and consumers. Collaborative consumption is anchored to two opposite logics of consumption: sharing and market exchange. This results in the Heart & Wallet paradox with its tensions between a pro-social orientation and communal norms on the one hand, and a for-profit orientation and market norms on the other hand. While diverse societal and regulatory aspects of the so-called “sharing economy” are discussed in popular debate, scholars have yet to catch up on the theoretical implications from these influences on business activities and consumer behavior. This thesis aims to improve the understanding of collaborative consumption by contributing to the conceptualization of this new phenomenon as intertwined with coexisting sharing and market logics. The research is based on two papers taking the perspective of the firms operating online platforms that facilitate collaborative consumption, and two papers taking the perspective of the peer providers and consumers participating in P2P exchanges. The context of shared mobility (i.e. P2P car rental, ridesharing) is explored through three cases, using interviews with online platform managers and participants in collaborative consumption, participant observation, a netnography, a cross-sectional survey of platform users, and document analyses. This thesis situates collaborative consumption in the access paradigm, based on the temporal redistribution and monetization of private resources facilitated via online platforms, while nurturing the feelings of communal belonging and the sharing ethos embedded in P2P exchanges. Investigating the tensions of the Heart & Wallet paradox of collaborative consumption, I highlight the opposing rationales between the sharing logic of the original nonmonetary practices initiated by grassroots communities and the market logic of platform business models. I further emphasize the key function of communal identification for participants and the role of perceived sharing authenticity—the pitfalls of sharewashing for firms. This thesis contributes to service research by advancing the understanding of P2P exchanges and the conceptualization of collaborative consumption. Kollaborativ konsumtion bygger på P2P-utbyte (peer-to-peer) av varor och tjänster genom online-plattformar. Detta fenomen drivs på av teknologi som gör det enklare och billigare att dela användningen av befintliga men underutnyttjade privata resurser. Det är inbäddat i paradigmskiftet i samhället mot tillgångsbaserad konsumtion, i motsats till privat ägande. Företag får en ny roll som underlättare av kollaborativ konsumtion där privatpersoner istället intar rollerna som både leverantörer och konsumenter. Kollaborativ konsumtion är förankrat i två motsatta logiker: delning och varuutbyte. Detta resulterar i Heart & Wallet-paradoxen med spänningar emellan en pro-social orientering som bygger på gemensamma normer, och en vinstdrivande orientering baserad på marknadsnormer. Medan det funnits en debatt kring den så kallade ”delningsekonomin” och dess samhälleliga och legala implikationer, så har den akademiska debatten ännu ej hunnit ta fart kring dess påverkan på affärsverksamhet och konsumentbeteende. Avhandlingen syftar till att förbättra förståelsen av kollaborativ konsumtion genom att bidra till konceptualiseringen av detta fenomen där delningslogik och marknadslogik samexisterar. Avhandlingen är baserad på två artiklar som undersöker kollaborativ konsumtion från ett företagsperspektiv och två artiklar där begreppet studeras ur de deltagande individernas perspektiv. Kontexten ”shared mobility” (d.v.s. privat biluthyrning, samåkning) undersöks i tre organisationer med hjälp av intervjuer med anställda på onlineplattformar och deltagare i kollaborativ konsumtion, deltagarobservationer, en nätnografi, en tvärsnittsundersökning av plattformsanvändare och dokumentanalyser. Avhandlingen placerar kollaborativ konsumtion i paradigmet kring studier av tillgång till tjänster, där den temporära omfördelningen i tid och monetariseringen av privata resurser underlättas via online-plattformar, samtidigt som den gemensamma tillhörigheten och det ”delningsetos” som finns inbäddat i P2P-utbyten uppmuntras. Genom att undersöka spänningarna i Heart & Wallet-paradoxen i kollaborativ konsumtion, belyser jag motsättningarna mellan delningslogiken från gräsrotsrörelsen och marknadslogiken i plattformsaffärsmodellerna. Vidare diskuterar jag den centrala rollen av ”communal identification”-upplevelsen av autencitet vid delning av resurser för kollaborativ konsumtion. Avhandlingen bidrar till tjänsteforskningen kring tillgång till tjänster genom en ökad förståelse av P2P-utbyten och en konceptualisering av kollaborativ konsumtion.

Exploring the ways that contemporary urban life takes the Holocene for granted, this multidisciplinary book warns that anthropogenic environmental impacts are on course to challenge the viability of most human settlements. It highlights how, despite increased warnings, most cities appear to be in denial of the potential impending catastrophes and remain ill-prepared to handle major disruptions.

Provides a practical introduction to business design and entrepreneurship in the digital economy for non-business students.

The global market is constantly evolving and it has become essential for organizations to employ new methods of appealing to customers in order to stay abreast on current trends within the world economy. The Handbook of Research on Driving Competitive Advantage through Sustainable, Lean, and Disruptive Innovation features theoretical development and empirical research in social media platforms, internet usage, big data analytics, and smart computing, as well as other areas of organizational innovation. Highlighting implementation challenges facing innovative processes, this publication is a critical reference source for researchers, students, professionals, managers, and decision makers interested in novel strategies being employed by organizations in an effort to improve their standings on the global market.

Policies to stimulate innovation at national and local levels must both build on and contribute to the dynamics of innovative clusters. This book presents a series of papers written by policy makers and academic experts in the field, that demonstrate why and how this can be done.

This volume of Eurasian Studies in Business and Economics focuses on latest results from entrepreneurship and SME research, Human Resources, along with a focus on the Tourism industry. The first part deals with topics ranging from entrepreneurial intentions, social entrepreneurship and technological entrepreneurship to EU policies such as the 7th Framework program. Bridging the themes, the second part on Human Resources and General Management deals with human capital issues, labor force education, employer branding and aligning HR practices to knowledge management outcomes. The third part in particular concentrates on the tourism industry in exploring innovative marketing strategies, WEB 2.0 Challenges, tourism product innovation, and success in international markets.

The rapid rise of knowledge-based economies has revolutionized the perceptions and practices of globalized business. Recent developments in engineering, electronics, and biotechnology have expanded the very definition of entrepreneurship in today’s international market, weaving discussions of enhanced connectivity and communication, environmental sustainability, and government policy changes into a complex, multidimensional conversation. The Handbook of Research of Entrepreneurship in the Contemporary Knowledge-Based Global Economy provides a comprehensive survey of the most recent developments in the field of entrepreneurship, highlighting their effects on information technology, business networking, knowledge production, distribution, and organization. This timely publication features extensive coverage of the fast-developing entrepreneurial field, illuminating recent technological, social, and strategic innovations in language that is accessible for a worldwide audience of business educators, researchers, and students. This authoritative text showcases research-based articles on entrepreneurship for knowledge economies; academic entrepreneurship; women and entrepreneurship; entrepreneurship education; organizational learning ability; innovations in industry, agriculture, and management; and the evolution of a new, all-inclusive corporate culture.