Is the sharing economyliving up to itssustainabilitypromise? · Sharing economyand sustainability Sharing economy (SE) initiatives exemplify disruptive organizational innovations

Is the sharing economy living

up to its sustainability promise?

Aurélien Acquier,

Associate Professor, ESCP Europe

[email protected]

@aacquier

European Economic and Social Committee– Public hearing – March, 2017, the 1st

Aurélien Acquier ([email protected]; @aacquier)

A research program on the sharing economy

“The environmental and

social impacts of sharing

economy”

2

Academic Partners

NGO partners


Sharing economy and sustainability

Sharing economy (SE) initiatives exemplify disruptive organizational innovations based on digital models, that may contribute to the transition towards low-carbon societies

1. How green is the sharing economy?

2. Understanding SE organizational models to understand (and regulate) their sustainability impacts

3


How green is the sharing economy?

Excess / idle capacity

4Renting?

Re-selling?Lending?

Digital platforms

A solution to boostcircular economybusiness models basedon functionnality and access

Intensifying resourceuse

+

+

A green narrative within the Sharing economy:


An attractive story, but…

• Customer behaviors:

– From owners to clients : shifts in behaviors

– Substitution effects with more eco-friendly products/ services (car-sharing VS train)

– Rebound effects: how do people use the money savedthrough sharing economy?

– P2P re-selling platforms may intensifyhyperconsumption

• The back-office of the sharing economy:

– The impact of transport and logistics

– The impact of digital infrastructure

5

see Acquier, Carbone and Demailly (2016)


Sharing economy and sustainability

1. How green is the sharing economy?

2. Understanding SE organizational models to understand (and regulate) their sustainability impacts

6

Aurélien Acquier ([email protected]; @aacquier) 7

Pieter Brueghel the Elder


Sharing economy: an umbrella concept

8

Sharing

economy

Collaborative

economyOn demand /

gig economy

Collaborative

consumption

Crowd-

based

economy

Holacracy &

collective

governanceGift

economy

Alternative

consumptionPeer to peer

economy

Access

economy

Functional

/circular

economy


The feel good / fell bad story of the sharing economy

9

26th January 2016, Paris (Porte Maillot)

2011


A typology of SE organizational models

10

Towards mutualization

and access Peer to peer

decentralization

Purpose: economic

value creation

Purpose: extended

value creation

Matchmakers

Commoners

C’

C’

C’

C’

I

C’ C’

Mission-driven

platforms

P

P

I

PP

P

P

I

PP

P

P

P

P

Legend

I : Initiative

C : Consumers

C’: Contributors

P : Peers

C

C

ICC

C

C

Shared Infrastructure

providers

Source: Acquier, Carbone & Massé (2017)

Matchmakers


providers

Commoners Mission-driven

platforms

- High sustainability promise- Issues: scaling the initiative,

lack of access to capital and professionalization

Sustain


providers

- Functional economy(access VS. ownership)- Capital intensive-> May require public / private collaboration

Shape

- Market driven platforms- Environmental impacts are unintended by-products- High growth potential => important social and environmental externalitiesand controversies

Regulate


Recommendations

• The relationship between sharing economy and environemental efficiency is complex

• Beware of technological solutionism (Morozof, 2013)

• Need to think the diversity of SE organizations:

– Sharing economy: make it green!

– Pay attention to « hybrid organizations »

• Beyond the environmental, huge social challenges (unequality, power, transformation of work)

11


A few references

• Acquier, A.; Demailly, D.; Carbone V. (2016), L’économie collaborative est-elle source de progrès environnemental? The conversation

• Acquier, A.; Carbone V.; Massé, D. (2016), Framing the sharing Economy – a business model perspective, Egos conference

• Morozov, E. (2013b). To Save Everything, Click Here. The Folly of Technological Solutionism. PublicAffairs.

• Parguel, B.; Lunardeau R.; Benoit-Maureau (2017) Sustainability of the Sharing Economy in Question: When Second-Hand Peer-to-Peer Platforms Stimulate Indulgent Consumption

12

Back-up slides



14



decentralization

Purpose: economic

value creation

Purpose: extended

value creation

Matchmakers


platforms

C’

C’

C’

C’

I

C’ C’

P

P

I

PP

P

P

I

PP

P

P

P

PC

C

ICC

C

C

Legend

I : Initiative

C : Consumers

C’: Contributors

P : PeersShared Infrastructure

providers




15


and accessPeer to peer

decentralization

Purpose:

economic value creation

Purpose:

extended value creation


providers Matchmakers


platforms


From promises to impacts

16



decentralization

Purpose: economic

value creation

Purpose: extended

value creation

Matchmakers

Commoners

C’

C’

C’

C’

I

C’ C’

Mission-driven

platforms

P

P

I

PP

P

P

I

PP

P

P

P

P

Legend

I : Initiative

C : Consumers

C’: Contributors

P : Peers

C

C

ICC

C

C


providers


Matchmakers


providers


platforms

- High sustainability promise- Issues: scaling the initiative,

lack of access to capital and professionalization

Sustain


providers

- Functional economy(access VS. ownership)- Capital intensive-> May require public / private collaboration

Shape

- Market driven platforms- Environmental impacts are unintended by-products- High growth potential => important social and environmental externalitiesand controversies

Regulate

Is the sharing economyliving up to itssustainabilitypromise? · Sharing economyand sustainability Sharing economy (SE) initiatives exemplify disruptive organizational innovations

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