A new lease on life : Why do Norwegian Consumers Participate in Collaborative Consumption? A case study of Airbnb and Bilkollektivet

Abstract

Norwegians have started to show an increased interest in the new socio-economic groundswell – collaborative consumption. The new economic model is characterized by components such as peer-to-peer transactions, utilization of idle capacity and access over ownership. The objective of this master thesis has been to gain knowledge of why Norwegians choose to participate in collaborative consumption. We have conducted a case study of Airbnb and Bilkollektivet. The study has been carried out by focus groups interviews with 17 current users of these platforms. The broad range of factors identified during the interviews was coded and reduced into different categories. We identified five categories: financial, convenience, experiential, social and symbolic. The main reasons why people choose to participate in collaborative consumption are often described as a mean to do good. However, their intentions may not be entirely pure, as participation offers users possible financial benefits as well. Our findings indicate that the motive for participation was predominantly financial. It seems like the Norwegians have bypassed the initial idealistic phase and right into the more “business like” phase of collaborative consumption. In addition, the users also found participation appealing, as the services are convenient to use and offers them perceived control in every step of the process. Through collaborative consumption the power is shifting to the consumers, where they can start deciding which products and services that matters.