Collaborative practices and consumeristhabitus: An analysis of the transformative mechanisms of collaborative consumption

Abstract

In 2010, collaborative consumption was raised up as a disruptive and even revolutionary mode of consumption. Adopting a theoretical and methodological framework inspired by the praxeology of Pierre Bourdieu, this article offers a study of this transformative prophecy. Qualitative data were collected incrementally and using various methods. Their analysis reveals that consumers identify and adopt these activities above all in practical ways shaped by commercial mechanisms. Although influenced by this consumerist habitus, some collaborative practices are also based on an alternative market mindset. Furthermore, consumers identify a space for practices between which they navigate in dynamic ways. Based on these mechanisms and the level of perceived socialisation inherent in collaborative activities, we propose to discuss the consumerist habitus, the transformative potential of such practices and the challenges ahead for marketing research.

No one rides for free! Three styles of collaborative consumption

“…Such access practices resemble a consumerist ideology (in contrast with sharing practices) because these services are only temporary for some customers until they can afford car ownership (Bardhi and Eckhardt, 2012;Herbert and Collin-Lachaud, 2017;Lawson et al, 2016). Similarly, customer misbehavior practices (e.g., trashing the car) in accessbased services is contagious, but communal identification actually reverses this effect (Schaefers et al, 2016b).…”

“…They further distinguish between platform-regulated communities (e.g., GetAround, P2P car rental), and self-regulating communities (e.g., Majorna, cooperative carsharing; see Belk, 2014a). Most collaborative consumption practices are made easier by online platforms such as Airbnb facilitating accommodation rental (Bucher et al, 2016;Habibi et al, 2016;Huber, 2017;Zervas et al, 2017), or LeBonCoin facilitating goods rental and second-hand sales (Herbert and Collin-Lachaud, 2017;Parguel et al, 2017;Philip et al, 2015). The main activities of a dual-sided platform relate to optimizing the exchange organization between peers and their competitive objectives (i.e., two distinct but interdependent value propositions are formulated), designing a governance system, while creating trust and reducing the perceived risk of P2P exchanges de Rivera et al, 2017;Einav et al, 2016;Kumar et al, 2018;Muzellec et al, 2015;Perren and Kozinets, 2018;Rochet and Tirole, 2006).…”

“…Critics argue that private resources were already shared in close social circles (e.g., ridesharing among friends, hitchhiking) before online platforms incorporating social relations into matchmaking business models and misusing the words sharing and community (Belk, 2014a(Belk, , 2017Scholz and Schneider, 2016). As such, several studies have described ideological tensions across sharing economy practices, between market-mediated exchange norms with aspects of profitmaximization, self-interest, and utilitarianism; and non-market social norms with elements of solidarity, mutuality, generalized reciprocity, and communal belonging (Albinsson and Perera, 2012;Eckhardt and Bardhi, 2016;Habibi et al, 2016;Herbert and Collin-Lachaud, 2017;Martin et al, 2015;Perren and Kozinets, 2018;Scaraboto, 2015;Schor et al, 2016). For instance, BlaBlaCar rebranded its ridesharing platform with a more mature visual identity emphasizing the personal connections (e.g., conversations), high levels of trust (almost as much as close social circles), and enriching exchanges between its community members, while hoping to justify its criticized commission (considered increasingly expensive for a "super low-cost travel network") with evermore convenient and efficient search functions (Butt D'Espous et al, 2018).…”

“…Previous studies have used practice theory to investigate the sharing economy (Hazée et al, 2017;Herbert and Collin-Lachaud, 2017;Huber, 2017;Schor et al, 2016). Practice theory is valuable because it enables considering that the role of platforms as service providers is to facilitate interactions and that individuals' practices influence each other, which both consequently influence the framing and narrative of the diverse practices in the sharing economy.…”

“…This conceptualization is in line with market studies (e.g., Araujo et al, 2010): The practices performed in P2P markets are influenced by both the participants in collaborative consumption, and the service providers owning and operating online platforms. Supporting Chandler and Chen's (2016) conceptualization of practice styles, Herbert and Collin-Lachaud (2017) argued that various collaborative consumption practices (e.g., ridesharing, accommodation rental) are united by a practice style that differs between the dimensions of commercial/alternative market mindsets, and high/low degrees of socialization. That is, collaborative consumption practices can be performed in various styles according to the participants' engagements, understandings and procedures.…”