Regulation and Fairness in the Sharing Economy

• In Event: ICA Interactive Paper/Poster Session III
  In Interactive Poster Session: Communication and Technology Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

Sharing economy platforms frame a dichotomy between innovation and regulation. Cur-rent discussions surrounding the merits and desirability of regulatory oversight, among policy makers, academics, and platform advocates, are nevertheless conducted in a top-down fash-ion on both sides. What is often left out is the user perspective. We suggest that one of the most fundamental shapers of a user’s perspective on regulation is their own experiences of the sharing economy. A key factor in user experience is perceived fairness. In this contribution, we investigate how the perceived fairness of a platform can impact regulatory desirability among users, based on a survey in 12 European countries. We find that procedural fairness has a positive effect on the desire for regulation, while interactional fairness has a negative one.

Authors

• Gemma Newlands, BI Norwegian Business School

• Christian Fieseler, Norwegian Business School