The Participation in Sharing Economy Platforms in Denmark: Understanding the User's Intention to Adopt Carsharing Services in Denmark during COVID-19

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this thesis is to assess the effects of perceived risks and perceived benefits on the user’s intention to participate in sharing economy platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Research design/methodology/approach – A focus group was conducted with five participants to construct a research model and validate and expand prior research. Subsequently, an online survey was distributed among car-sharing users in
Denmark. 152 completed responses were collected. The research
model was based on the extended valence framework and empirically tested using the partial least squares structural equation modelling.
Findings – The results of this thesis imply that perceived benefits were significant drivers of the user’s intention to participate, whereas the perceived risks were shown to not be significant. Further, trust was found to play a significant role in enhancing the effect of the perceived benefits, decreasing the effects of the perceived risks and not a significant direct role in driving the users’ participation in the sharing economy.
Research limitations/implications – The impacts of perceived risks, perceived benefits, and trust on the users' intention to participate in the sharing economy were investigated in this thesis, which added to the scarce current body of knowledge. Limitations can be drawn through the research context as only people
residing in Denmark completed the survey and is further limited to the car-sharing context.
Managerial implications – The results provide actionable insights on how to improve the users' willingness to participate in sharing economy platforms.
Originality/value – This thesis incorporated novel perceived risks and perceived benefits and examined how these influence the users’ intention to participate in a sharing economy platform during the COVID19 pandemic.