How Trust and Risk Influence Sharing Intentions on Airbnb

Abstract

Peer-to-peer accommodation sharing continuously changes the traditional hospitality service industry. This study examines the sharing economy platform Airbnb. In particular, we investigate how trust in renters and perceived risk of renters influence the providers’ intentions to share a particular type of accommodation – single room vs. entire apartment. Understanding the drivers of the sharing intentions is key – not only for Airbnb and accommodation providers, but also for researchers investigating services in the sharing economy. To fill this gap, this paper employs survey data (n = 203) and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Drawing on the theory of trust and risk, we find that the providers’ intentions to share the entire apartment are stronger influenced by trust in renters respectively perceived risk of renters than the providers’ intention to share only a single room on Airbnb. Academic and practical implications and future research directions are discussed