Abstract

In this conceptual study, we dig deeper into the relatively unexplored social aspects of economic P2P transactions that can pose serious implications for peer consumption behavior. As more peers adopt P2P housing accommodation platforms like Airbnb, social interactions among them increase. However, in situations when intermediaries like co-hosts or host-assistants are present, social interactions and subsequent value co-creation for guests and hosts may be affected. This study uses the foundation of social capital theory, which considers relationships as a valuable resource and recognizes its productive value which can be appropriated to an economic form and others as well. We state the formation of social capital in Airbnb and realize it through two different perspectives – resource based and networking - targeting the guest-host and host-host relationships respectively. Our analysis of past research on collaborative platforms and social capital theory, leads to the formation of a framework and eight propositions. We define value co-creation separately for the guest-host and host-host relations and pave the way for future theoretical research in this area. From a practical standpoint, we highlight the role of information representation for the hosts which is critical for pairing with compatible guests for accommodation

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