Today, there has been growing concern on how to live a life more sustainable in terms of people’s needs and consumptions, globally with no exception in Sweden. It is due to the challenges that society faces to ensure the existence of resources availability for current as well as future generation. At the same time, we are looking at an era where the advancement of technology could incentivize people to shift their consumption pattern from acquiring new products to used goods from other peers. This technology provides the possibility for peer communication and matchmaking to exchange goods from local communities to different regions within the country. This practice is widely known as the sharing economy, although many other similar terms are used by academic scholars as well as business practitioners. As of today, several studies have attempted to understand people’s motives for participating in the sharing economy practice. Nevertheless, some other aspects have not been thoroughly researched, such as the social interaction within the practice. Social interaction is perceived as one of the essential features that the sharing economy heavily relies on among the two practitioners. Hence, the main aim of this study is to understand the role of social interaction between peers while outlining the dimensions within an interaction that affects participation. Therefore, a qualitative study was adopted for this thesis by interviewing eight Swedes while observing the second-hand platforms they were exercising. In this study, we adopted the Social Practice Theory as our theoretical framework to comprehend the meaning behind the practitioners’ involvement, the competence they display, and the materials they curate within the practice. The findings of this study illustrated that social interaction was not only an essential part in the second-hand practice, but also inevitable to avoid completely. Furthermore, our empirical findings illustrated social interaction as a gateway to receive financial benefits while simultaneously offering the practitioners the possibility of manifesting their virtues through the practice. Moreover, we also discovered that social interaction was a crucial element for promoting but also preserving practice. The aspect of social interaction makes the involved practitioners need to manage the adequate know-how/understanding and competencies to get benefits from the practice, such as negotiation capability, dispute handling, risk evaluation, and managing overly apprehension. In addition, we found it beneficial to distinguish the buying practice and the selling practice as two different practices instead of a single practice.

Tidigare forskning kring delningsekonomi visar att bristen på tillit är ett av de största hinderför en lyckad implementering av delningsekonomi. Undersökningen syfte var att identifierafaktorer som bidrar till ökad tillit kring delningsekonomi av varor och tjänster blandstudenterna på studentboendet Rönnen i Malmö. För att identifiera faktorer bedrevs enfokusgrupp med studenter från boendet. Resultaten från fokusgruppen låg till grund förutformning av en enkät som sedan spreds till övriga boende på studentboendet Rönnen. Denteoretiska grunden baserades på Chen, Lai och Lin (2014) tillitsmodell som betonar vikten avtillit till låntagare. Resultaten från undersökningen visar däremot att tillit till förmedlare är avstörre vikt bland de boende på studentboendet Rönnen. Uppsatsens resultat visar att en extern part bör hantera utlåningsprocessen och upprätta kontrakt med personuppgifter mellanutlåningsparterna. / Previous research shows that the lack of trust is one of the biggest challenges when it comes to successfully implement sharing economy. The aim of this study was to identify elements that contributes to an increase in trust towards sharing economy among the residents at the student housing Rönnen in Malmö. To be able to identify elements a focus group was conducted with students from the student housing. The results from the focus group laid the foundation for surveys that was distributed amongst the other residents at the student housing Rönnen. The theoretical foundation of the study was based on Chen, Lai and Lin’s (2014) trust model that emphasizes the importance of the trust in borrower. The results from the study shows that trust in intermediary is of more importance amongst the residents of the student housing Rönnen. The study’s results shows that an extern part should handle the process of borrowing and should execute contracts with personal details between all parties involved.

This qualitative study looks at host-guest interaction facilitated by the phenomenon of tourism social entrepreneurship through the lens of emotional solidarity. Social entrepreneurship is arguably the social innovation that tourism needs and has become an alternative strategy to develop tourism in host communities with the potential to create positive community change. However, the literature on combining sharing  economy, social or community entrepreneurship and emotional solidarity is scarce. Therefore, this study analyses host-guest interactions facilitated through the socialstart-up socialbnb. Findings from this study indicate that there are at least two crucial criteria forsustainable tourism development and positive community change. First, social entrepreneurship should create and facilitate tourism structures and networks, which avoid the negative impacts of tourism to the residents and instead create social,ecological, and economic benefits for the local community. Perhaps, focusing on theneeds of the local community and creating beneficial host-guest relationships is themost effective way to promote tourism development that is supported by residents.Thus, social entrepreneurship should not only act as a facilitator between guests and the local community but also consider the residents’ attitudes towards tourism development and the actual economic need for tourism in the destination, especially in the Global South.

The Autonomous Vehicle is about to enter the mass-market. The question is not about when it will happen but in which conditions, under which form or who will be the first car manufacturer to release an efficient and reliable final product.By now, the equation has not been solved, due to the high price of the technologies needed, the lack of solutions to provide a reliable network, and the necessity to change conventions established a long time ago in terms of responsibility of the driver.Depending on who is talking, the Autonomous vehicle is not only an evolution of a previous product, which is able to evaluate and to progressively transform into something different that we could call a self-driven car. This innovation is one step further and is challenging everything that was established until now in terms of objective criteria expected from a car. This is why some are calling this a disruptive innovation, or even a revolution, in the sense that it has the power to totally change the way we are interacting with our everyday transportation system.To enter into the market, this technology, this product, will have to overcome some challenges, on the technological side but also on the psychological side of his future clients.Therefore, this thesis research analyses why this innovation could be the future of the Automotive industry, where it is coming from, what are the challenges it will have to overcome, which will be the impacts, and the different possible scenarios.

No description available.

The present project provides a survey of contemporary work relations in the context of the so-called gig economy (also known as the sharing, collaborative, platform, and on-demand economy). Against the background of recent concerns over automation replacing work at a large scale, the project argues instead that the displacement of work warrants more critical attention. The project examines how the gig economy presents their services as automating technologies while downplaying the ways that workers' employment, not to mention lives, are made increasingly precarious by these alleged improvements. Specifically, the project surveys three gig-economies, the ride-hailing service Uber, the home-sharing service Airbnb, and the online labor marketplace Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT). Methodologically, the project employs an interdisciplinary approach, integrating insights from political economy, critical theory, discourse analysis, and ethnographic research. A qualitative assessment of the respective work environments shifts a relatively apolitical discourse on the future of work not only toward a more pronounced critique of the gig economy, but also toward a renewed discussion on the kinds of jobs that earn the labels of freelance and entrepreneurship. Professionals and scholars concerned with the future of work stand to benefit from the findings of the research, particularly as it challenges some commonplace assumptions in the discourse of what has been termed postcapitalism. / Ph. D. / The present project provides a survey of contemporary work relations in the context of the so-called gig economy (also known as the sharing, collaborative, platform, and ondemand economy). Against the background of recent concerns over automation replacing work at a large scale, the project argues instead that the displacement of work warrants more critical attention. The project examines how the gig economy presents their services as automating technologies while downplaying the ways that workers’ employment, not to mention lives, are made increasingly precarious by these alleged improvements. Specifically, the project surveys three gig economies, the ride-hailing service Uber, the home-sharing service Airbnb, and the online labor marketplace Amazon Mechanical Turk (AMT). Methodologically, the project employs an interdisciplinary approach, integrating insights from political economy, critical theory, discourse analysis, and ethnographic research. A qualitative assessment of the respective work environments shifts a relatively apolitical discourse on the future of work not only toward a more pronounced critique of the gig economy, but also toward a renewed discussion on the kinds of jobs that earn the labels of freelance and entrepreneurship. Professionals and scholars concerned with the future of work stand to benefit from the findings of the research, particularly as it challenges some commonplace assumptions in the discourse of what has been termed postcapitalism.

This doctoral thesis represents pioneering research in integrating Smart Mobile Lockers with City Buses (SML-CBs) for e-commerce last-mile delivery, a novel concept rooted in the sharing economy. It explores the innovative use of underutilized urban bus capacities for parcel transportation while incorporating smart parcel lockers to facilitate self-pick-up by customers. Comprising six chapters, the thesis delineates its background, motivations, contributions, and organization in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 presents a comprehensive review of the recent literature on last-mile freight deliveries, including a bibliometric analysis, identifying gaps and opportunities for SML-CBs intervention. In Chapter 3, using survey data, we conduct empirical analytics to study Canadian consumers’ attitudes towards adopting SML-CBs, focusing on deterrents such as excessive walking distances to pick-up locations and incentives led by environmental concerns. This chapter also pinpoints demographic segments likely to be early adopters of this innovative delivery system. To address the concerns over walking distances identified in Chapter 3, Chapter 4 presents a prescriptive model and algorithms aimed at minimizing customer walking distance to self-pick-up points, considering the assignment of SML-CBs and customers. The case study results endorse the convenience of SML-CBs in terms of short walking distances. To systematically assess the sustainability benefits, a key motivator identified in Chapter 3, Chapter 5 includes analytical models for pricing and accessibility of SML-CBs. It also employs a hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology to analyze the sustainability performance of SML-CBs. It establishes system boundaries, develops pertinent LCA parameters, and illustrates substantial greenhouse gas (GHG) savings in both operational and life cycle phases when SML-CBs are utilized instead of traditional delivery trucks. The dissertation is concluded in Chapter 6, summarizing the principal contributions and suggesting avenues for future research. This comprehensive study not only provides empirical and analytical evidence supporting the feasibility and advantages of SML-CBs but also contributes to the literature on sustainable logistics and urban freight deliveries. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) / This doctoral thesis represents pioneering research in integrating Smart Mobile Lockers with City Buses (SML-CBs) for e-commerce last-mile delivery. It explores the innovative use of underutilized urban bus capacities for parcel transportation while incorporating smart parcel lockers to facilitate self-pick-up by customers. Comprising six chapters, the thesis delineates its background, motivations, contributions, and organization in Chapter 1. Chapter 2 presents a comprehensive review of the recent literature on lastmile freight deliveries. In Chapter 3, we study Canadian consumers’ attitudes towards adopting SML-CBs, focusing on deterrents such as excessive walking distances to pickup locations and incentives led by environmental concerns. To address the concerns over walking distances identified in Chapter 3, Chapter 4 presents models and algorithms for operating SML-CBs. Chapter 5 presents an assessment of the sustainability of SML-CBs. The dissertation is concluded in Chapter 6, summarizing the principal contributions and suggesting avenues for future research.

The Sharing Economy (SE) and its platforms has been on the uprise since the 2008’s Great Recession. Although previous researchers have found that culture influences consumers' willingness to adapt new innovations and technologies, very few studies on SE and collaborative consumption focus on how cultural values can play a role. Additionally, most studies on SE do not include Asian countries, event hough they contributed to 57% of the global GDP growth between the years 2015 and 2021. Thailand has one of the highest GDP in Southeast Asia, where the tourism sector comprises a large portion. In 2022, Thailand was Airbnb’s most visited country in the region, yet no study has been conducted on how the country’s cultural values influence SE participation and the potential expansion of Airbnb. As domestic tourism in the country is also big, Thai nationals’ answers from the 7th wave of World Value Survey, were used to establish where the country is situated on Hofstede’s scales. Thailand was deemed to be closer to having a Large Power Distance, High Uncertainty Avoidance, Collectivism, Femininity, Short-term Orientation, and Restraint. After the cultural values had been established, a systematic literature review was performed to identify previous studies done on how cultural values, as defined by Hofstede’s model, influence SE participation and adaptation. The results from the sestudies were then applied to Thailand, to establish how Thailand’s cultural values would influence Airbnb’s expansion in the country. Thailand’s Collectivism and Femininity were found to be to Airbnb’s benefit. However, the Large Power Distance, High Uncertainty Avoidance, and Restraint, were to Airbnb’s disadvantage. For the dimension Long-term vs Short-term Orientation, it was difficult to draw any clear conclusions as the studies did not agree on its influence. / Sharing Economy (SE), eller delningsekonomi, och dess plattformar har sitt ursprung i börskraschen 2008. Även om tidigare studier pekat på att en individs kultur påverkar dennes tendens att anamma nya innovationer och teknologier, har väldigt få studier gällande SE och dess koppling till kulturella värden gjorts. Vidare har få studier utförts inom länder i Asien, även om dessa länder bidrog med 57% av den globala BNP tillväxten mellan åren 2015 och 2021. Thailand är ett av de länder med högst BNP i Sydostasien, där turismsektorn utgör en stor del av detta. År 2022 var Thailand Airbnb’s mest besökta land i regionen, trots detta har ingen studie gjorts på hur landets kulturella värden påverkar SE deltagande och Airbnbs potentiella expansion i landet.   Eftersom den nationella turismen inom landet också är stor, användes thailändares svar från 7e vågen för World Value Survey för att etablera vart landet befinner sig på Hofstedes skalor. Baserat på detta så anses Thailand vara närmare till att ha Large Power Distance, High Uncertainty Avoidance, Collectivism, Femininity, Short-term Orientation, och Restraint. Efter att landets kulturella värden hade etablerats, genomfördes en systematisk litteraturstudie för att identifiera tidigare studier som genomförts på hur kulturella värden, enligt Hofstedes modell, påverkar SE deltagande. Resultaten från dessa studier applicerades sedan på Thailand, för att etablera hur Thailands kulturella värden påverkar Airbnbs expansion i landet.   Thailands Collectivism och Femininity är till Airbnbs fördel, medan dess Large Power Distance, High Uncertainty Avoidance, och Restraint är till Airbnbs nackdel. För den kulturella dimensionen Long-term vs Short-term Orientation, var det svårt att dra några tydliga slutsatser då de identifierade studierna inte höll med varandra om dess påverkan.

This dissertation, comprised of three essays, investigates the behavioral aspects and social dynamics impacting service providers and consumers in sharing economy, with a particular focus on ride-hailing services. The first essay, informed by general deterrence theory and protection motivation theory, investigates the behavioral factors influencing the operational performance of sharing economy service providers, specifically within the ride-hailing industry, by surveying drivers. The second essay, drawing upon social identity theory, explores the effects of rider-driver ethnicity alignment on drivers' anticipated ride satisfaction, willingness to perform, and riders' trust in the driver through scenario-based online experiments with ride-hailing drivers and riders. The third essay presents a bibliometric review of existing literature on ride-hailing services to explore research trends, theoretical underpinnings, and also to identify research gaps and future opportunities in the fields of supply chain and operations management. Taken together, the three essays in this research enhance our comprehension of the behavioral factors affecting service providers and consumers within the sharing economy. As a result, both theoretical and managerial insights are generated, contributing to the existing supply chain literature.

近年來，由於行動科技的盛行以及共享經濟的浪潮之下，有越來越多企業改變了以往的商業模式，從傳統的加工製造，轉向媒合產業中的供給和需求，銷售有形的產品和硬體設備不再是其主要的獲利來源，共享型的平台企業開始大量在市場中出現，企業開始透過提供媒合供需的服務，轉型成為共享型的平台企業。 雖然共享型的平台企業開始大量在市場中出現，但真正能夠成功並且持續成長的卻少之又少，因此，本研究以目前全球最大的出租私人房屋平台Airbnb，以及中國相應失敗案例愛日租等兩家具有經營與流量規模的共享型平台企業做為研究個案，以策略行銷4C架構來分析，在其創業初期雙邊市場群體所面對的交易成本，並探討兩家個案在經營上採用的相異行銷策略產生的4C正向循環以及負向循環。 最後，本研究給予即將發展共享型平台企業之新創事業及中小型企業未來策略發展方向，在發展初期，平台企業若仿效愛日租個案在極短期內透入大量資金完全複製其他成功個案的商業模式是存在失敗風險的，應該效仿Airbnb長期動態的分階段、分項解決行銷交換成本，建立一個正向的4C循環，將雙邊市場群體皆突破用戶臨界數量，以觸發網路效應，以幫助其在有限的資源之中達到有效快速的成長。 / Recently, due to the advanced internet technology and the trend of sharing economy, more and more company has changed their usual business model, from the traditional manufacturing to the service of gathering demands and supplies. Selling the tangible products and equipment is no longer the main source of profit. More and more sharing platform companies have appeared in the market and the business has transformed its business model by degrees. Although there are more and more sharing platform companies emerge in the market, very few company can maintain the growth. This study takes the largest global house-renting platform, Airbnb, and the corresponding platform, Airizu, for comparison. And use the 4C framework to identify the transaction costs that the sharing platform companies and the bilateral party faced and further discover the different strategies used by the two cases. Finally, this study provides the sharing platform companies some recommending strategy of future development. For those startups in the very beginning stage, if the platform companies go for the strategy that Airizu took, by throwing in capitals to copy the entire business model from others, it will undertake huge financial risks, and on the other hand, if the platform companies go for the strategy that Airbnb took, by solving the transaction costs step by step in the long term, it will have better chance to get a 4C positive cycle. To not only raise the number of users from the bilateral parties to reach the network effect, but also help the company to achieve great success within limited resources.