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Article
Publication date: 6 November 2018

Timm Teubner

The purpose of this paper is to explore Airbnb’s inherent network structure emerging from transactions between hosts and guests and provide comprehensive background information on…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore Airbnb’s inherent network structure emerging from transactions between hosts and guests and provide comprehensive background information on the underlying data basis.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis is based on actual Airbnb data from 16 major US cities (Asheville, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York City, Oakland, Portland, San Diego, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Seattle and Washington DC), available at InsideAirbnb.com, comprising a total of 135 thousand listings and 2.7 million transactions. The data are transformed into a graph and analyzed from a network perspective.

Findings

The web of host–guest connections on Airbnb represents a omniferous graph, that is, connecting virtually all users via relatively short distances. Hosts and guests differ markedly with regard to degree distribution. Overall, 98 per cent of all transactions represent first-time encounters.

Research limitations/implications

This paper provides first insights into the very fabric of host–guest interactions on Airbnb from a macroscopic perspective. The platform’s network topology may be leveraged as a resource for trust-building between users. Moreover, platform operators may use network analyses to gain deeper insights into their user base. These may in turn be used to identify determinants of side-switching, deter users from platform circumvention or for churn prevention.

Originality/value

Platform ecosystems continue to expand and gain increasing economic, social and societal importance. For C2C platforms with two compartmentalized and decentral market sides (i.e. many individual providers and many individual consumers), the emerging transactional network structure has, thus, far experience almost no research attention. This analysis of Airbnb’s web of host–guest connections reveals a topology some archetypical social network properties (e.g. short distances). This structure and the knowledge about users’ positions therein yields viable cues for trust-building as well as a valuable resource for (platform) business analytics.

Details

Journal of Systems and Information Technology, vol. 20 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1328-7265

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…

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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

Article
Publication date: 17 July 2023

Noman H. Chowdhury, Marc T.P. Adam and Timm Teubner

A growing body of research has identified time pressure as a key driver of cybersecurity (CS) risks and vulnerabilities. To strengthen CS, organizations use CS documents (e.g…

Abstract

Purpose

A growing body of research has identified time pressure as a key driver of cybersecurity (CS) risks and vulnerabilities. To strengthen CS, organizations use CS documents (e.g. best practices, guidelines and policies) intended to strengthen CS. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of how specifically time pressure is addressed by CS documents.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a systematic search for CS documents followed by a content analysis of the identified documents. First, the authors carried out a systematic Web search and identified 92 formal and informal CS documents (e.g. security policies, procedures, guidelines, manuals and best practices). Second, they systematically analyzed the resulting documents (n = 92), using a structured approach of data familiarization and low-/high-level coding for the identification and interpretation of themes. Based on this analysis, the authors formulated a conceptual framework that captures the sources and effects of time pressure along the themes of industry, operations and users.

Findings

The authors developed a conceptual framework that outlines the role of time pressure for the CS industry, threats and operations. This provides a shared frame of reference for researchers and practitioners to understand the antecedents and consequences of time pressure in the organizational CS context.

Research limitations/implications

While the analyzed documents acknowledge time pressure as an important factor for CS, the documents provide limited information on how to respond to these concerns. Future research could, hence, consult with CS experts and policymakers to inform the development of effective guidelines and policies on how to address time pressure in the identified areas. A dedicated analysis within each area will allow to investigate the corresponding aspects of time pressure in-depth along with a consideration for targeted guidelines and policies. Last, note that a differentiation between CS document types (e.g. formal vs informal and global vs regional) was beyond the scope of this paper and may be investigated by future work.

Originality/value

This study makes three main contributions to the CS literature. First, this study broadens the understanding of the role of time pressure in CS to consider the organizational perspective along the themes of industry, threats and operations. Second, this study provides the first comprehensive assessment of how organizations address time pressure through CS documents, and how this compares to existing research in academic literature. Third, by developing a conceptual framework, this study provides a shared frame of reference for researchers and practitioners to further develop CS documents that consider time pressure’s role in secure behavior.

Details

Information & Computer Security, vol. 31 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4961

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 December 2020

Tobias Menzel and Timm Teubner

This paper aims to present a conceptual framework for the emerging field of green energy platform economics.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present a conceptual framework for the emerging field of green energy platform economics.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors develop a conceptual framework based on a careful review of the existing literature, and research into the current provider landscape and insights from academic and industry experts. The authors also examine the implications for the energy sector’s value chain and derive a research agenda based on those areas where research still needs to be pursued.

Findings

The framework combines the spatial characteristics of platform models (residential/mobile) with the different types of platform business model (B2C/C2C/C2Grid). Using this framework, the authors illustrate how green energy platforms can fundamentally disrupt the conventional electricity value chain by enabling prosumers to market their assets, creating new arenas for trading and collaboration, and by increasing transparency and competition in the sector. The authors also identify areas where more research is required, particularly empirical studies into energy forms other than electricity and analyses of currently underrepresented aspects such as user interfaces and social interactions.

Social implications

Green energy platforms have the potential to contribute meaningfully to the energy sector’s decarbonization, digitalization and decentralization, and hence to the deceleration of climate change.

Originality/value

This paper is among the first to provide a holistic perspective on platformization in the energy sector. It also offers a new perspective on platform economics in general that is based on the unique characteristics of energy as an economic good (intangibility, homogeneity, credence good).

Details

International Journal of Energy Sector Management, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6220

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 June 2020

Merlin Stone, Emmanuel Kosack and Eleni Aravopoulou

The purpose of this study is to examine the relevance of academic research, in terms of the topic match, to commercial practise in information technology, using the case study of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the relevance of academic research, in terms of the topic match, to commercial practise in information technology, using the case study of a large and very rapidly growing supplier that uses leading-edge management approaches, Salesforce.com.

Design/methodology/approach

Academic literature review and review of commercial literature and information published by Salesforce.com.

Findings

Academics’ choice of topics matches the issues and topics present in the development of Salesforce.com, but suffers from the lack of interdisciplinary approach and particularly fails to integrate technical, marketing and financial approaches.

Research limitations/implications

The case study is of only one company, though an important one, although other large companies are involved e.g. Amazon Web services. However, the approach could easily be widened to several companies.

Practical implications

The case study approach will help academics focus on creating more applicable research and help students to learn about companies and may also eventually help practitioners to create thought leadership.

Social implications

If the financial and economic aspects of such case studies are integrated with other business aspects, these will provide a better view of the positive (or negative) contribution made by companies such as the one in the case study.

Originality/value

This is the first time that a case study has been examined in the context of the relevance/rigour debate.

Details

The Bottom Line, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0888-045X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 1995

Bernd Jahnke, Michael Bächle and Monika Simoneit

When trying to establish quality management in a service industryone is confronted with a particular set of problems due to thedistinctive characteristics of service processes…

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Abstract

When trying to establish quality management in a service industry one is confronted with a particular set of problems due to the distinctive characteristics of service processes. Describes the assessment procedure for service processes using a case study obtained from the sales department of a company in the computer industry. A slightly modified process modelling technique – usually employed in the field of requirements engineering – is used to analyse and depict the processes. Aims to discover weak points inherent in the business processes and eliminate them in order to pass the ISO 9001 certification audit.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 12 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

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