Loyalty model in the sharing economy platforms in the Covid-19 setting; the role of perceived social responsibility and trust

Abstract

Purpose: The COVID-19 crisis has changed consumer expectations towards service, thus exposingmany already existing challenges associated with the sharing economy. Linking different streams ofresearch, we propose a loyalty model that links customer perceived service quality, customer trust andcustomer loyalty in the COVID-19 economy, while adding customer perceived social responsibility ofthe platform at the centre to mediate these relationships. Design/methodology/approach:We tested this model on an international sample of 275 sharingeconomy users. Structural Equation Methods were applied to test the proposed model. Findings: Our findings indicate that the quality of the web/app adaptation and perceived socialresponsibility affected customer trust and consequently customer loyalty. Additionally, perceived socialresponsibility of the platform appeared to affect user loyalty directly. Originality/value: Due to the COVID-19, the peer-to-peer nature of offline interaction in the sharingeconomy became a burden, while the responsibility of platforms towards local communities, usercommunities and other stakeholders became increasing pressing. This research mirrors these trends andproposes actionable map of potential avenues for sharing economy platforms in the new setup andguidelines for future research.