The Impact of Shared Service Provider Characteristics on Consumer Value Co-creation Behavior
The emergence of peer-to-peer sharing platform business models has fundamentally revolutionized pipeline business models,giving rise to a novel category of service providers known as shared service providers.These service providers capitalize on their underutilized assets such as spare rooms,cars,or skills and expertise to effectively cater to consumer demands.In the process of P2P sharing services,the shared service provider has a significant impact on consumer psychology and behavior.The academic community has conducted studies on how shared service providers influence consumers,but there are three aspects that require further research:First,current research mainly focuses on the influence of shared service providers on consumer behaviors such as purchasing,repeat purchasing,booking,and reviewing.However,it does not examine their impact on consumer value co-creation behaviors.Second,existing research primarily explores the influence of external attributes of shared service providers(e.g.,photos,facial expressions,star ratings)but neglects to discuss their internal traits.Finally,while trust theory,behavioral motivation theory,and signaling theory have been used to explain the influence of external attributes of shared service providers on consumers in existing research,there is limited utilization of the stereotype impression theory perspective.To address this research gap,this article adopts a consumer perspective and explores the mechanism through which the characteristics of shared service providers impact consumer value co-creation behavior from a stereotype theory standpoint.Stereotype theory suggests that individuals tend to form generalizations about certain groups based on perceived traits or attributes associated with those groups.Drawing upon relevant literature on shared service providers and stereotype theory,this study aims to shed light on how specific characteristics exhibited by these providers affect consumer behavior.To test our research model and hypotheses,we collected data from two sources:58786 second-hand data crawled from Ctrip.com(a popular online travel platform)and 408 first-hand data obtained directly from consumers who have used shared accommodation services.The research findings indicate that:(1)Consumers perceive sociability and autonomy as significant characteristics of shared service providers.(2)The sociability of shared service providers only positively influences consumers'citizenship behavior,while the autonomy of shared service providers only positively affects consumers'participation behavior.(3)The interaction effect between the sociability and autonomy of shared service providers triggers consumers'appreciation emotions,further promoting both citizenship behavior and participation behavior as two forms of value co-creation.This paper encompasses three theoretical dimensions of enlightenment Firstly,it extends the application boundaries of stereotype theory by applying it to the peer-to-peer sharing economy business model,moving beyond its traditional association with the pipeline business model.Secondly,it identifies and validates the core characteristics that distinguish shared service providers from conventional frontline employees from a consumer perspective,thereby enhancing individual level research in the field of sharing economy.Lastly,adopting a stereotype theory perspective,this article uncovers the formation mechanism of consumer value co-creation behavior,contributing to an enriched understanding of consumer value co-creation behavior.In terms of managerial insights:During the brand introduction phase of P2P sharing economy platforms,or when the service providers are considered"novices"or have a high level of affiliation needs,it is imperative to adopt a social image strategy.Similarly,during the brand maturity phase of P2P sharing economy platforms,or when the service providers are regarded as"veterans"or have low-level affiliation needs,it becomes essential to embrace an autonomous image strategy.Furthermore,in the context of the brand growth phase of P2P sharing economy platforms,or when the service providers are perceived as"growing"or have moderate-level affiliation needs,it is crucial to implement a composite image strategy.
shared service provider characteristicsconsumer value co-creation behaviorstereotype theorysociabilityautonomy
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