Internationalization in the Sharing Economy: An Empirical Study into a Car Sharing Company based in Copenhagen

Abstract

The internationalization of firms is a topic that has been researched extensively in the past, however, almost no studies have investigated this process in the sharing economy. To enrich the academic field, this paper investigated how GreenMobility - a car sharing company - should internationalize by conducting a quantitative single-case study.
The findings reveal that the current internationalization theories and models do not sufficiently explain or provide suggestions as to how companies in the car sharing industry should internationalize. The research thus determined that the following characteristics make a potential city attractive: low levels of congestion, a well-functioning public transportation infrastructure and support from the local government. The paper has revealed that car sharing users tend to be young and non-brand loyal. To satisfy customer preferences, GreenMobility should emphasize price and car network coverage when going abroad.
Due to the growing importance of the car sharing industry as well as the sharing economy in general, the researchers believe that the field longs for further research. This paper serves as an example of how GreenMobility should internationalize but cannot provide an overarching framework for the entire industry.