Lord, please save me from my sins! Can CSR mitigate the negative impacts of sharing economy on consumer trust and corporate reputation?. (January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chuah, Stephanie Hui-Wen; Rasoolimanesh, S. Mostafa; Aw, Eugene Cheng-Xi; Tseng, Ming-Lang
• Is Part Of: Tourism management perspectives. Volume 41(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-01
• Subjects: Sharing economy -- Trust -- Corporate social responsibility -- Corporate reputation -- Airbnb -- Peer-to-peer accommodation; Tourism -- Periodicals; 338.4791
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tmp.2022.100938
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2211-9736

Abstract

Abstract: The explosive growth of Airbnb not only provides travelers with novel accommodation experiences at prices that suit their budget, but also challenges the existing regulatory and market structures. While Airbnb with its distinct peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation business model is considered a disruptive innovation in the hospitality industry, little is known about its negative side. This gap in extant literature has motivated the present study, aiming to establish whether the negative aspects of Airbnb undermine consumers' overall trust in the company and its corporate reputation, and whether this link is moderated by corporate social responsibility (CSR). Data required to answer these questions was collected via a survey in which 348 potential Airbnb users in Taiwan, selected using a nonprobability purposive sampling technique, took part. Partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the data. The results indicate that consumers' overall trust in Airbnb is negatively affected by various factors, ranging from legal, regulatory, and taxation issues to fake reviews/listings. The moderation analysis findings further reveal that, while the overall trust−corporate reputation link is strengthened by the environmental and philanthropic CSR, it is weakened by economic CSR, which can lead to unfavorable consumer attitudes and behavioral intentions. Highlights: This study is the first to examine the impact of negative aspects of sharing economy on consumers' overall trust. The possibility of CSR in repairing destroyed consumer trust and bolstering corporate reputation is also explored. This study discusses several challenges facing Airbnb, which could be the obstacles to building trust. Promoting CSR can be double-edged sword for sharing economy. Environmental and philanthropic CSR are helpful, whereas economic CSR is harmful.