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Article
Publication date: 8 February 2024

Veronica Leoni, Pierpaolo Pattitoni and Laura Vici

We challenge the conventional approach to distinguish between professional and non-professional Airbnb hosts by solely using the number of managed listings.

Abstract

Purpose

We challenge the conventional approach to distinguish between professional and non-professional Airbnb hosts by solely using the number of managed listings.

Design/methodology/approach

We leverage the recently released platform policy that categorizes hosts' professionalism by their self-declared status. Our multinomial modeling approach predicts true host status, factoring in the number of managed listings and controlling for listing and host traits. We employ data from five major European cities collected through scraping the Airbnb webpage.

Findings

Our research reveals that relying solely on the number of listings managed falls short of accurately predicting the host type, leading to difficulties in evaluating the platform's impact on the local housing market and reducing the effectiveness of policy intervention. Moreover, we advocate using more fine-grained measures to differentiate further between semi-professional and professional hosts who exhibit heterogeneous economic behaviors.

Research limitations/implications

Reliable professionalism metrics are essential to curb unethical practices, promote market transparency and ensure a level playing field for all market participants.

Originality/value

This work pioneers the revelation of the inadequacy of a commonly used measure for predicting host professionalism accurately.

Details

Journal of Economic Studies, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3585

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 26 November 2021

Miriam Scaglione, Blaise Larpin and Colin Johnson

The “sharing economy” has blurred the lines between personal and commercial operations for many sectors of the economy. A convergence has occurred between hotel companies and home…

Abstract

The “sharing economy” has blurred the lines between personal and commercial operations for many sectors of the economy. A convergence has occurred between hotel companies and home sharing platforms, as Airbnb is investing in brick-and-mortar hotels, and conversely hotel companies are investing in home sharing platforms as each of the sectors tends to mimic the other. Important aspects for the hosts of Airbnb are the quality of social interaction between guest and host and the level of authenticity of social exchanges provided by interactions with locals. There is both a quantitative and qualitative demonstration of professionalization within Airbnb's organization. The aim of this research is twofold: to measure to what extent guests are aware of the professional level of the host and to evaluate the importance of these professional aspects at the different moment of the vacation process (booking, stay, and post experience).

Details

Advances in Hospitality and Leisure
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80071-272-0

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 June 2022

Marek Endrich, Pieter-Paul Verhaeghe, Rafael Costa, Lena Imeraj and Sylvie Gadeyne

The purpose of this study is to compare the spatial distribution of different types of Airbnb hosts – based on a novel typology – and to investigate their association with…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to compare the spatial distribution of different types of Airbnb hosts – based on a novel typology – and to investigate their association with neighbourhood characteristics in Brussels.

Design/methodology/approach

This study describes the location of Airbnb dwellings across the types of hosts and use spatial tests to compare their distributions to the traditional hospitality industry. With regression models, this study examines the relationship between the provision of Airbnb listings and neighbourhood indicators.

Findings

While different types of hosts offer their listings in the same urban space, they also cover different areas and exhibit different clustering processes. Their locations are associated with structural, socio-economic and demographic neighbourhood characteristics that vary across the types and provide support for the new typology.

Research limitations/implications

This study focuses on the type of Airbnb hosts and their listings in one year, 2019. It would be worthwhile to apply the typology to other cities and to observe how the distributions change over time, including the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first to suggest a finer typology of Airbnb hosts than the regular distinction into professional and non-professional types and reveals how hosts differ in the location of their Airbnbs.

Details

Consumer Behavior in Tourism and Hospitality, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2752-6666

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 March 2017

Liza Howe-Walsh and Nicole Torka

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of and interaction between (potential) repatriation supporters to develop understanding of how this affects the repatriate…

1772

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of and interaction between (potential) repatriation supporters to develop understanding of how this affects the repatriate experience.

Design/methodology/approach

A (single) case study strategy was employed, using a multiple stakeholder approach, involving 21 in-depth interviews in a large UK-based institution with repatriates, home and host HR managers, international human resource (IHR) practitioners and line managers from both home and host locations.

Findings

Although line managers, senior managers, family members and third party providers (e.g. relocation agencies, tax advisors) are important for repatriation support, the case study evidence highlights that HR professionals are mainly responsible for the quality of the support delivered by other repatriation supporters. Inadequate support from the headquarters IHR department caused by a lack and unclear information about repatriation procedures and related responsibilities results in insufficient support for home and host HR managers. This negatively impacts repatriates line managers (perceptions of) HR support. Weaknesses in the support chain (headquarter IHR, home and host HR and line managers) are responsible for repatriates (perceived) limited or non-support.

Research limitations/implications

The small size of our sample, the single case study design and the method precludes generalisation of the findings. However, the authors’ “look inside” increased the understanding of repatriation support and in particular the support quality. By linking this information to the knowledge of previous studies on organisational support and the devolution of human resource management, the authors are able to identify several topics future studies in the field of repatriation management.

Practical implications

IHRM policies have to reflect the role of multiple stakeholders including home and host line managers and HR professionals as well as third party providers and assign clear lines of responsibility to provide a transparent and consistent experience. Repatriates family has to be acknowledged as a stakeholder that has a major influence on repatriation success and failure. Excluding partners and children issues from international career policies has to be considered as a serious HR shortcoming. Second, ensuring timely information regarding return positions. Providing debriefing interviews upon repatriation can help to identify future roles within the organisation. Equally important is exit interviews to explore whether the person has completed an assignment within the previous 24 months and whether this experience has contributed to their decision to leave the organisation. Opportunities to ensure repatriates are being considered for positions as part of the talent pool is crucial. Finally, the authors emphasise the need to acknowledge that third party vendors are part of the repatriation process and must be considered in terms of (perceived) organisational support.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies that highlights the role and interaction of (potential) repatriation supporters. Specifically, this study contributes to addressing three knowledge gaps: it identifies a lack of communication among HR professionals and between them and line managers as a potential source of insufficient organisational support; the findings highlight HR professionals responsibility for supporting line managers and other repatriation supporters in operational repatriation management; and finally, the results support the assumption that HR professionals and line managers own (non-)experience with working abroad might affect the quality of support policies and practices for repatriates.

Details

Journal of Global Mobility: The Home of Expatriate Management Research, vol. 5 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-8799

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 January 2021

Ruggero Sainaghi and Rodolfo Baggio

This paper aims to examine the question of whether commercial, peer-to-peer accommodation platforms (Airbnb, in particular) and hotels are in fierce competition with each other…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the question of whether commercial, peer-to-peer accommodation platforms (Airbnb, in particular) and hotels are in fierce competition with each other with the possible presence of substitution threats, and compares the time series of the occupancy values across two supplier types.

Design/methodology/approach

The cities of Milan and Rome are used as case studies for this analysis. To assess the extent of synchronization, the series of Airbnb and hotels are transformed into a series of symbols that render their rhythmic behavior, and a mutual information metric is used to measure the effect.

Findings

The results show that Airbnb hosts and hotels have different seasonal patterns. The diverse occupancy trends support the absence of direct competition between Airbnb and hotels. The findings are consistent in the two analyzed cities (Milan and Rome). Interestingly, there are higher similarities between seasonal occupancy series of Airbnb listings in Milan and Rome, on one side, and hotels in Milan and Rome, on the other, than between Airbnb and hotels in the same city.

Research limitations/implications

The findings show a progressive de-synchronization (within mutual information) among the five groups of Airbnb hosts triggered by the rising professionalization degree. This result suggests the existence of a partial different business model for multi-listing hosts.

Practical implications

The study illustrates an absence of any substitution threat between Airbnb and hotels in both cities. This could have important consequences, especially for the pricing and revenue management policy. In fact, the higher the substitution threat, the higher the attention that Airbnb entrepreneurs should pay to the pricing strategy implemented by hotels, and vice versa.

Originality/value

This study sheds new light on the competition threat between Airbnb and hotels. In this study, hotels and Airbnb hosts appear as two very separate markets.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 October 2019

Tami France, Lize Booysen and Carol Baron

In this world of global interconnectedness, women continue to develop cross-cultural careers and their experiences impact global scholarship and practice. The purpose of this…

1489

Abstract

Purpose

In this world of global interconnectedness, women continue to develop cross-cultural careers and their experiences impact global scholarship and practice. The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationships, resources and characteristics that support female expatriate success, with specific focus on the role of mentor/coach relationships. The sample included 102 women from the USA, Canada, Australia and the UK working or formerly working in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan.

Design/methodology/approach

This three phase sequential mixed-methods exploratory research study included 10 one-on-one semi-structured interviews, 102 survey respondents and 3 facilitated focus groups attended by nine professional women.

Findings

This research offers evidence that resiliency-based characteristics must be cultivated and developed to support expatriate cross-cultural success. These characteristics can be cultivated through relying on multiple relationships, such as mentors, coaches, host country liaisons, expatriate colleagues, friends and family as well as by supporting and mentoring others. These characteristics can also be developed through specific cultural experiences, knowledge and skill building resources, as well as developing an informed view of self and identity clarity through reflective activities.

Originality/value

Based on the overall findings, a cross-cultural professional success model was designed and implications for scholarship, organizational effectiveness and cross-cultural leadership practice are presented.

Details

Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, vol. 26 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5794

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 October 2022

Garima Negi and Smita Tripathi

The paper intends to review academic research on peer to peer (P2P) accommodation sharing, notably Airbnb, for 2010–2022 and to identify the knowledge gaps for future research…

1191

Abstract

Purpose

The paper intends to review academic research on peer to peer (P2P) accommodation sharing, notably Airbnb, for 2010–2022 and to identify the knowledge gaps for future research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

Numerous databases were searched using keywords. Based on the central theme of the research papers, the papers were divided into eight segments—consumer behavior, host behavior, host–guest relationship (HGR), trust in Airbnb, dominant theories in Airbnb, Airbnb regulation, Airbnb and hotels and macro impacts of Airbnb. In-depth content analysis resulted in the final 101 papers for inclusion.

Findings

The review advances comprehension of the Airbnb phenomenon by enriching the literature with new and most recent studies. Most existing Airbnb research has been conducted in Europe, USA/Canada, followed by Asian countries like China, Singapore, S. Korea and India. Future studies should include South America, Africa and other developing nations. More cross-cultural studies are required to understand consumer and host behavior in different cultural settings. Numerous proposals to fulfill the research gaps identified by the paper are discussed.

Practical implications

The study will give better insights into the spiraling P2P accommodation economy. The study will be useful to researchers, scholars, Airbnb, the hotel industry, vacation rental players and destination marketing organizations by relating the study findings to practical competition analysis. The study provides deeper insights into the decision-making process of both guests and hosts by examining the relevant motivators and constraints. It will also assist the Airbnb platform in identifying its strength over the traditional hotel industry and other vacation rentals. The findings will also assist policymakers in better controlling the Airbnb phenomena by providing a comprehensive view of the micro and macro environment.

Originality/value

The paper includes the most recent studies from Asian countries like India, Singapore, China, Korea and Taiwan, not covered by earlier reviews. Prior studies mainly focused on European and American countries. Also, the paper tried to cover the macro impacts of Airbnb in-depth and the effects of COVID-19.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, vol. 6 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 February 2021

Beatriz Benítez-Aurioles

The purpose of this paper is to verify the hypothesis that seasonality in the peer-to-peer (p2p) market for tourist accommodation is smaller than the existing in conventional…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to verify the hypothesis that seasonality in the peer-to-peer (p2p) market for tourist accommodation is smaller than the existing in conventional markets, taking the case of the island of Majorca as a reference. This paper will also determine the role of professional hosts in the management of prices and in the marketing of accommodation according to seasonal demand variations.

Design/methodology/approach

From the information obtained through web scrapings of Airbnb listings and from data provided by official statistics, comparable indicators of seasonality are developed. Likewise, econometric estimates are provided to detect differences regarding the determination of accommodation prices between professional and nonprofessional hosts.

Findings

The p2p market is less subject to seasonality than the conventional one. In the particular case of Palma de Majorca, fluctuations in accommodation demand are even smaller than in the rest of the island's municipalities. Professional hosts apply marketing techniques related to price and product promotion and are sensitive to demand variations altering prices and responding to the economic stimuli in this way. At an academic level, these findings suggest, on the one hand, the relevance of considering the heterogeneity of the touristic market when constructing theoretical models. And, on the other hand, basic economic principles should be applied to explain agent behavior in the p2p market.

Research limitations/implications

This work does not use a direct demand measurement. Instead, it approximates demand through the reviews left by guests in p2p markets. At least in the case of the island of Majorca, the touristic demand represents a reduced percentage of touristic demand in total.

Practical implications

So far, both public and private strategies to combat seasonality have focused on increasing occupancy in conventional accommodation. Still, the fact that hotel demand and private accommodation demand are different has relevant implications for price management, touristic products, supply planning and the implementation of marketing campaigns. Also, advertising could be aimed at alleviating the undesirable effects of seasonality.

Social implications

The evidence presented helps the design of public policy strategies aimed at mitigating the problem of seasonality in touristic demand to accommodate it to social preferences in each area.

Originality/value

This is the first piece of research, as far as we are aware of, that addresses the phenomenon of demand seasonality in the p2p market for tourist accommodation. In addition, a comparison is made with the seasonal patterns that characterize the conventional hotel market. New ideas are provided for the design of a comprehensive touristic policy in which both markets are considered.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9792

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 December 2018

David Dann, Timm Teubner and Christof Weinhardt

A growing body of research from various domains has investigated Airbnb, a two-sided market platform for peer-based accommodation sharing. The authors suggest that it is due time…

4987

Abstract

Purpose

A growing body of research from various domains has investigated Airbnb, a two-sided market platform for peer-based accommodation sharing. The authors suggest that it is due time to take a step back and assess the current state of affairs. This paper aims to conflate and synthesize research on Airbnb.

Design/methodology/approach

To facilitate research on Airbnb and its underlying principles in electronic commerce, the authors present a structured literature review on Airbnb.

Findings

The findings are based on 118 articles from the fields of tourism, information and management, law and economics between 2013 and 2018. Based on this broad basis, the authors find that: research on Airbnb is highly diverse in terms of domains, methods and scope; motives for using Airbnb are manifold (e.g. financial, social and environmental); trust and reputation are considered crucial by almost all scholars; the platform’s variety is reflected in prices; and the majority of work is based on surveys and empirical data while experiments are scarce.

Practical implications

Based on the present assessment of studied topics, domains, methods and combinations thereof, the authors suggest that research should move toward building atop of a common ground of data structures and vocabulary, and that attention should focus on the identified gaps and hitherto scarcely used combinations. The set of under-represented areas includes cross-cultural investigations, field experiments and audit studies, the consideration of dynamic processes (e.g. based on panel data), Airbnb’s “experiences” and automated pricing algorithms and the rating distribution’s skewness.

Originality/value

This study provides a comprehensive overview of work on the accommodation sharing platform Airbnb, to the best of the auhtors’ knowledge, representing the first systematic literature review. The authors hope that researchers and practitioners alike will find this review useful as a reference for future research on Airbnb and as a guide for the development of innovative applications based on the platform’s peculiarities and paradigms in electronic commerce practice. From a practical perspective, the general tenor suggests that hotel and tourism operators may benefit from: focusing on their core advantages over Airbnb and differentiating features and aligning their marketing communication with their users’ aspirations.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 31 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 January 2023

Blanca Suarez-Bilbao, Maike Andresen, Marian Crowley-Henry and Edward P. O'Connor

Externalities influence the career trajectories of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) and their respective career crafting. This study aims to explore the international career…

1853

Abstract

Purpose

Externalities influence the career trajectories of self-initiated expatriates (SIEs) and their respective career crafting. This study aims to explore the international career crafting of SIEs (encompassing their proactive career reflection and construction), taking the combined external influences of complexity, chance and change into consideration.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employ a qualitative (interpretative) approach, combining career crafting and the chaos theory of careers (CTC) to further understand, from an individual standpoint, the impact of externalities on the career crafting strategies of 24 SIEs who have relocated within the European Union.

Findings

The authors show that SIEs' proactively craft their careers to varying degrees and with varying frequency. The CTC – incorporating complexity, chance and change – allows for a more nuanced understanding of SIEs' career crafting.

Originality/value

This paper applies the concept of career crafting to an international context, exploring the impact of externalities on SIEs' careers. In this way, the authors combine two previously separate theories, extend the application of career crafting to an international career context and emphasise the role of temporality and the whole-life view of career in SIEs’ career crafting approach.

Details

Career Development International, vol. 28 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1362-0436

Keywords

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