This thesis explores how the sharing economy in America combines Collaborative Consumption ideas and social values with capitalist business models to make a profit. I discuss definitions of terms associated with the sharing economy, economic anthropological theories and case studies, as well as company and consumer motivations in sharing economy companies.

The thesis focuses on the phenomenon of the sharing economy. Using Airbnb as an example to show the opportunities and threats that the sharing economy may bring to companies, individuals and society. The thesis is divided into several chapters, the theoretical part is devoted to the analysis of the marketing environment, marketing strategy, the specifics of marketing mix of tourism and the theoretical background of sharing economy. The practical part is dedicated to company introduction and analyzes marketing activities of Airbnb both in Czech republic and abroad. The main goal of this thesis is to reveal the potential od Czech market for Airbnb through market research, identify the future goals of the company and suggest how to achieve these goals.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to investigate the motivational factors for participation in collaborative consumption across industries and if specific factors attracts funding. This will be done as an attempt to extend current research within sharing economy regarding what factors to consider when attracting funding. Method and Methodology - Utilizing a deductive approach, the research questions connect motivational factors for participation with funding of industries within the sharing economy. Secondary data containing 776 funding rounds were analysed through univariate and bivariate analyses and linked to 40 935 observations of motivational factors for participation. Findings - The findings entail how some motivational factors for participation in the sharing economy can be applicable to all investigated industries, while others are industry specific. The study thus suggest that the sharing economy cannot be viewed as one coherent industry and motivational factors should not be cross-sector generalized. Contribution - The study contributes with a theoretical implication in the way it bridges the existing gap by dividing the sharing economy into different industries and connect the specific motivational factors underlying the possibility to attract funding. Furthermore, a practical implication suggests that companies can use these findings as a guideline to attract consumers and ultimately funding.

Global warming, increasing greenhouse gases emissions, global pollution, exhaustion of natural resources... Those are all consequences of human activities on the environment. Today's world is facing major environmental challenges and sustainability has become a burning topic during the last decades. In our consumption-focused society, the concept of the sharing economy has emerged as an alternative to existing consumption patterns. Advocating the "use rather than own" principle, this concept has a true potential in terms of changing the way we consume and produce to lead to more sustainable behaviors. Current literature has investigated the motivations influencing the decision to participate in the sharing economy. Three main motivations have been highlighted: economic, social and environmental. Indeed, the sharing economy offers the possibility to save or make money, strengthen social ties and reduce one's ecological impact. Even though the environmental aspect plays a part in the decision-making process, it is unclear whether it is a determining factor or only a secondary concern. Thus, our study aims at developing an in-depth understanding of the motivations that drive people's participation in the sharing economy and the role of environmental sustainability. To fulfill that purpose, we have formulated the following research question: How important is environmental sustainability among the motivations to participate in the peer-to-peer sharing economy? To answer our research question, we conducted a qualitative study. We interviewed six French users of the collaborative carpooling platform Blablacar. Questions about the sharing economy in general and use of this specific platform were asked. These interviews allowed us to understand users' perceptions and attitudes towards the sharing economy and to make the connection with the environmental motivation. Our findings reveal that the environmental motivation exists and is part of the decision- making process. We could note a behavior change as the willingness to use collaborative platforms in the future is increasing. At the same time, a growing environmental consciousness has been expressed. However, the economic motivation still strongly prevails over the environmental and social motivations to engage in sharing activities. This observation leads us to conclude about the uncertain future of the sharing economy as a more sustainable consumption pattern.

Orientador: Victor Hugo de Almeida / Resumo: A presente pesquisa buscou examinar o setor dos motoristas por aplicativo, como enfoque específico na empresa Uber. Buscou-se, por meio da realização de entrevistas com trabalhadores, identificar vulnerabilidades às quais os motoristas por aplicativos estariam expostos e, diante dos dados coletados, discutir as políticas públicas necessárias para a proteção do setor, sempre com foco na efetivação das garantias fundamentais desses trabalhadores. Como resultados encontrados, a análise do contexto histórico permitiu compreender que a Uber representa uma ressignificação do trabalho dentro do contexto da sociedade informacional, pautando-se no lema da flexibilidade. Quanto aos dados encontrados na pesquisa empírica realizada, evidencia-se a questão de ordem econômica, na medida em que a maioria dos trabalhadores escolhe a Uber como única fonte de renda e tem, por motivação, a procura do trabalho, o desemprego no país e o baixo rendimento auferido, o que demanda uma valorização da remuneração dessa forma de trabalho. A questão econômica incide ainda em um aumento da jornada laboral e, não havendo controle para evitar excessos, pode resultar em consequências negativas para a saúde e a segurança desses trabalhadores. Ainda, tal atividade laboral apresenta diversos riscos aos trabalhadores, como, por exemplo, assaltos e acidentes, evidenciando a necessidade de adoção de mecanismos de segurança. A empresa Uber adota mecanismos de controle de qualidade que limitam a autonomia dos trabal... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The present research sought to examine the driver by application sector, as a specific focus in the company Uber. It was sought, through interviews with workers, to identify vulnerabilities to which drivers by applications would be exposed and, in view of the collected data, to discuss the public policies necessary for the protection of the sector, always focusing on the realization of the fundamental guarantees of these workers. As results found, the analysis of the historical context allowed us to understand that Uber represents a re-signification of work within the context of the information society, based on the motto of flexibility. As for the data found in the empirical research carried out, the economic question is evident, since most of the workers choose Uber as the only source of income and have as motivation, the search for labor, unemployment in the country and the low income earned, which demands an appreciation of the remuneration of this form of work. The economic issue also implies an increase in working hours and, in the absence of control to avoid excesses, can result in negative consequences for the health and safety of these workers. Also, this work activity presents several risks to workers, such as assaults and accidents, evidencing the need to adopt safety mechanisms. The Uber company adopts mechanisms of quality control that limit the autonomy of the workers, functioning as a true system of labor coordination. This implies directly to the issue of subo... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

As a result of technological growth, there is a change in lifestyle which increases thedemands and expectations of consumers, especially in younger generations. Thisdemand forces the companies to update their business models to fulfil customerneeds, which results in the development of mobile applications and websites thatprovide convenience and flexibility to the users. This development gives rise to thesharing economy; it is the combination of old sharing practices with the newtechnological advancement through online. This sharing system hugely affects theconsumer behaviour, and this consumer behaviour is noted in the younger generation,especially in generation Z as they are the generation with the primary consumermarket in the upcoming decades, who are born and brought up in the internet world.Finding the attitude towards sharing economy is considered between the Indian andthe Swedish generation Z. Therefore, in order to understand more about this concept,a qualitative study is performed with the Indian and Swedish gen Z sharing economyconsumers. Our study includes ten interviews, five on both sides. An integrated modelwas developed from existing theories, which was adapted to analyze and comparethe findings of this study. This framework is regarded as the bedrock for this research,and themes were segmented from the transcribed interviews through the thematicanalysis. The finding of this study indicates that the Indian generation Z respondentsare showing active response to the sharing economy platforms. In contrast, theSwedish generation Z respondents are exhibiting passive participation towards sharingplatforms due to the various factors which are discussed in detail. The researchexplores how each structure is related in this study to evaluate the attitude of Indianand Swedish generation Z.Supervisor:

The sharing economy refers to the activities facilitated through the digital platform that enable people to obtain, give, or share access to digital or physical resources and services. Although the sharing economy practice in the real-world is thriving and pervasive, there is a lack of scholarly work. Sharing pets activity is not a new concept, and people shares pets on digital platforms such as websites, and digital groups on social media. Sharing pets activity is different from sharing other things. Because the motivations of sharing pets are all related to the love for pets, and it is related to accessibility, ownership of pets, and interaction and relationship between human beings and pets. These particular features deserve scholarly attention. Activity Theory is applied in this study, as it shapes the way of data collection and analysis. The sharing pets practice is analyzed as individual and collective activity systems, to understand the motiving role of digital platform in sharing activity. The finding indicates that digital platform plays a crucial role in sharing activity, and according to activity, it facilitates the activity of the sharing pet in three ways: It facilitates the achievement of motive by users in each level of activity systems; it reduces the contradiction caused by the interaction of two activity system; it also promotes the transition of motives so that users can have more motives to participate in sharing pets activity.

Delningsekonomi som företagsform har ökat de senaste åren. Delningsekonomi definieras som en digital plattform vilket kan användas privat eller av företag för att dela varor eller tjänster. I definitionen ingår att ingen överlåtelse av äganderätt sker, med andra ord, den som hyr ut har fortfarande kvar ägandet. Tidigare forskning inom ämnet delningsekonomi har målat upp det som en lovande affärsstrategi som lyfter fram ekonomiska aspekter. Dessa visas i termer av positiv koppling till bekvämlighet, bättre service och lägre kostnader. Potentiella fördelar och nackdelar med delningsekonomin har det forskats en del inom, men dock saknas studier som jämför svenska delningsekonomiska företag med svenska traditionella företag ur ett nyckeltalsperspektiv. Syftet med studien är att analysera och jämföra svenska företag inom delningsekonomiska sektorn med traditionella företag med utgångspunkt från nyckeltal för företagen. Strategin som användes i studien är flermetodsforskning. Först gjordes komparativ forskningsdesign med en kvantitativ metod. Tio nyckeltal användes för att kunna påvisa eventuella likheter och skillnader mellan företagen. Sedan gjordes systematisk innehållsanalys av årsredovisning för att förstå mer av företagens ekonomiska situation. Resultatet i denna studie visar på att det finns skillnader mellan delningsekonomiska företag och traditionella företag. Delningsekonomiska företag har generellt sämre nyckeltal; jämförelse med traditionella företag. Delningsekonomiska företag har högrekostnader än traditionella företag. Denna slutsats att delningsekonomiska företag har högre kostnader än traditionella företag går emot tidigare forskning inom ämnet. Grundtanken med delningsekonomiska företag är att kostnaderna ska vara lägre än traditionella företag men i denna studie visas att svenska företag har högre kostnader. Studien ger som resultat att i delningsekonomiska företag är nio av tio nyckeltal är lägre för delningsekonomiska än traditionella företag. De studien har kommit fram till tyder på att delningsekonomiska företag har en sämre ekonomisk ställning än traditionella företag. / Sharing economy is defined as a digital platform which can be used privately or by companies to share goods or services. The definition includes that no transfer of ownership takes place, in other words, the lessor still has the ownership. Previous research in the subject of sharing economy has painted it as a promising business strategy that highlights economic aspects. These are displayed in terms of positive connection to convenience, better service, and lower costs. There has been some research into potential advantages and disadvantages of the sharing economy, but there are no studies that compare Swedish sharing economy companies with Swedish traditional companies from a key figure perspective. The purpose of the study is to analyze key figures and compare Swedish companies in the sharing economy sector and Swedish traditional companies. This study found that nine out of ten key figures had a lower value for sharing economy than traditional companies. The observations the study has shown indicate that sharing economy companies have a worse financial situation than traditional companies.

In recent years, a new wave power of sharing economy, or known as collaborative consumption has emerged in accommodation, and tourism marketplaces (Guttentag, 2015). Airbnb is one of the most talked-about among the sharing hospitality companies, which is an online marketplace and a platform connecting worldwide travelers with local hosts somewhere. Although Airbnb has two types of users, guests and hosts, in current studies of Airbnb hosts, most researchers focus on the hosts from a business perspective. This study aimed to identify and understand hosts’ motivations to start the Airbnb business, and the benefits and challenges in a host’s experience. The informal interview was the method for the study, and data were processed by thematic analysis. The results find that motivations varied from host to host when sharing nature in common. The benefits overweighed the challenges in each host’s experience since participants could gain economic benefits (extra income), mental health (brain exercise for old hosts) and well-being (cross-cultural social learning) in sharing economy. Worries about security and extra physical work did not bother most hosts, and the effects of a tax on Airbnb hosts were not obvious.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to research the factors influencing the purchase intention of Airbnb in China from the perspective of liability of foreignness. Methodology: This thesis adopts a quantitative approach through a questionnairebased survey among Chinese people. Based on a PLS-SEM analysis of the data from 241 online questionnaires, this thesis teststhe effects of perceived risk, perceived higher price, lesser availability of listings, as well as lesser availability of advertising on consumers’ purchase intention towards Airbnb in China. Findings: The results illustrate that both perceived higher price and lesser availability of listings would reduce Chinese purchase intention towards Airbnb in China, whereas perceived risk and lesser availability of advertising do not significantly influence Chinese purchase intention towards Airbnb in China. Research implications: The study contributes to the literature on sharing economy and customer behavior by providing a new framework from the perspective of liability of foreignness in order to understand more completely the deterrents of the Chinese consumer’s purchase of Airbnb-related products and services in China. Specifically, this thesis invokes a relatively under-explored theoretical view (i.e., the liability of foreignness) in the research on the internationalisation of sharing economy, which enables us to enrich the research on sharing economy and international customer behaviors. This study also enhances the understanding of the barriers of international marketing of sharing economy and advances the research on the internationalisation of sharing economy by evaluating the four relevant factors (i.e., perceived risk, perceived higher price, lesser availability of listings, and lesser availability of advertising) in the host country. Practical implications: Our findings entail several practical implications for managers of Airbnb in conquering the Chinese market. For example, given that perceived higher price and lesser availability of listings appears to be the critical barriers of consumer intentions, we recommend that Airbnb China employ strategies to increase the availability of listings, and devise relatively lower pricing strategies to attract Chinese consumers.