Building trust in sharing economy platforms: trust antecedents and their configurations
Publication date
2021-01-15ISSN
2054-5657
Abstract
Purpose: The sharing economy is the internet-enabled business model that has changed the way people travel,
work and interact. Similar to other internet-enabled settings, trust is of paramount importance for the sharing economy as
it leads to continued use and positive word-of-mouth. The main objectives of this research are twofold: (1) to identify the
most relevant antecedents of trust in the sharing economy; and (2) to identify which combination of these antecedents
allows repurchase intention and positive word-of-mouth to be achieved.
Methodology: Through revision of trust theories and complementary frameworks, and an analysis of the sharing
economy, we develop a model of trust for the sharing economy. We propose a model assuming that different types of trust
will form a limited number of pathways valid for the creation of positive behavioural intentions. We use Qualitative
Comparative Analysis to empirically assess the proposed model on a sample of 235 sharing economy users.
Findings: We find two configurations that jointly suggest the key role of website quality and usability in
generating consumer trust. We propose that, on the one hand, platforms might focus on creating value-added services and
increasing the reliability of the platform brand. On the other hand, platforms can focus on creating good signalling
mechanisms, and educate their service providers towards reliable behaviour.
Originality: We build a conceptual model of trust in the sharing economy setting, that considers the feedback
loops among the combination of several dimensions. We define specific strategies for platforms in the sharing economy
that lead to repurchase intention and positive word-of-mouth.
Document Type
Article
Document version
Accepted version
Language
English
Subject (CDU)
65 - Communication and transport industries. Accountancy. Business management. Public relations
Keywords
Pages
31
Publisher
Emerald
Collection
31; 4
Is part of
Internet Research
Recommended citation
Akhmedova, Anna; Vila-Brunet, Neus & Mas-Machuca, Marta. Building trust in sharing economy platforms: trust antecedents and their configurations. Internet Research, 2021, 31(4), 1463-1490. Disponible en <https://www.emerald.com/intr/article-abstract/31/4/1463/444869/Building-trust-in-sharing-economy-platforms-trust?redirectedFrom=fulltext>. Fecha de acceso: 4 mar. 2026. DOI: 10.1108/INTR-04-2020-0212
Note
Aquest document correspon a la versió de l'autor acceptada (post- print / Author Accepted Manuscript) per la revista Internet Research
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
Rights
© 2021. Aquesta versió de l'autor està dipositada sota una llicència Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC). Això significa que qualsevol persona pot distribuir, adaptar i desenvolupar l'obra amb finalitats no comercials, sempre que se citi la font completa. Si voleu utilitzar aquest manuscrit amb finalitats comercials, visiteu https://marketplace.copyright.com/rs-ui-web/mp
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/


