Disruptive innovation and e-micro-entrepreneurship in tourism: the IRMA model approach for Airbnb platform

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how Airbnb has been transformed from an informal form of tourism accommodation into an emerging form of tourism e-micro-entrepreneurship through an interesting triangle consisting of three distinct parts: hosts, platform and guests.

Design/methodology/approach

Considering that the peer-to-peer response has sealed the sharing economy's success, research methodology involves primary research that focuses on the adeptness of Airbnb hosts as e-micro-entrepreneurs from the customers' perspective. A quantitative methodology was employed by applying a convenience sampling strategy through a structured questionnaire that was distributed online, resulting in a collection of 150 useable responses. A statistical analysis has been performed to test the research's objectives.

Findings

Driven by Airbnb hosts' entrepreneurial behavior in managing their listings and guests' responses, research findings led to the development of a post-conceptual IRMA model, which describes this particular form of hosting as an e-micro-entrepreneurship opportunity, while guests' satisfaction confirms the platform's performance and hosts' efforts in service quality provision.

Research limitations/implications

This study brings valuable insights to the tourism e-entrepreneurship literature through the assessment of the Airbnb platform and the hosts as e-micro-entrepreneurs, providing useful information to researchers and managers involved in the Sharing Economy's disruptive innovation and a more complete understanding of the drivers of Airbnb's consumer adoption.

Originality/value

Research on Airbnb mainly focuses on service quality from the customer perspective, while the existing literature does not highlight how a new type of e-micro-entrepreneurship has emerged by operating in the sharing economy's disruptive innovation ecosystem, which illustrates the factors that motivate hosts and guests to share accommodation services in an equilibrium bond.

Citation

Poulaki, I., Chatzopoulou, E., Constantoglou, M. and Konstantinidou, V. (2024), "Disruptive innovation and e-micro-entrepreneurship in tourism: the IRMA model approach for Airbnb platform", Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JHTI-05-2023-0309