Sharing economy: a review of the literature and a framework for future research

Abstract

Purpose

As sharing economy has become increasingly popular, researchers from various disciplines begin to pay more attention to this important phenomenon. However, the current literature is fragmented and lacks a framework to integrate previous studies and guide future research. This study aims to systematically review the literature to better understand what one knows and what one need to know about sharing economy and provide a road map for future research in the context of sharing economy.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic review was conducted with EBSCO and science direct database. In total, 91 studies were identified.

Findings

The review shows that previous studies focus on different stakeholders, including consumers, peer service providers, platform providers, and competitors. The authors further identify the main topics and limitations of the literature (integrated into a framework) and provide possible directions for future studies. For example, the authors find that few studies have examined individual and technical factors. The findings also show that consumers’ other activities and outcomes have received little attention. To address these limitations, future studies that examine how individual and technical characteristics influence sharing economy’s usage intention/behaviors are suggested. The authors also suggest future studies to explore other activities during the process of sharing economy services.

Research limitations/implications

The framework and directions provided can further the sharing economy research by addressing important gaps in the current literature.

Originality/value

This review identifies many opportunities for researchers to better understand the phenomenon of sharing economy.

Citation

Wang, X., Lin, X. and Abdullat, A. (2021), "Sharing economy: a review of the literature and a framework for future research", VINE Journal of Information and Knowledge Management Systems, Vol. 51 No. 3, pp. 418-437. https://doi.org/10.1108/VJIKMS-11-2019-0182