Sharing Economy and Big Data Analytics. Soraya Sedkaoui
and have also provided all parties with sufficient knowledge to carry out transactions. (Institut d’assurance 2017)
The sharing economy already enjoys a good reputation among American consumers. A survey conducted by PwC1 states that 89% of them believe that it is based on trust between the participants in the exchange. About 83% believe that it makes life easier. About 76% believe that it contributes to protecting the environment. About 78% believe that it strengthens the cohesion and strength of the community. And finally, 63% say that collaboration in this economy is more pleasant than with companies (PwC 2015).
In general, a sharing economy approach reduces the ecological footprint and waste of the urban population, allowing them to save money. It also represents chances for job creation and business opportunities. It helps to strengthen and encourage social cohesion, social capital and innovation. It also helps to reduce the cost of education and research (Cooper and Timmer 2015).
The relevance of the sharing economy lies in the opportunities it offers, without however being free of potential risks.
So, what are these opportunities that are likely to appeal to the business world in particular?
2.2. Prosumption: a new sharing economy trend for the consumer
While the sharing economy has established itself for some people, it is because it has emerged in the right context. Economic and financial crises, unemployment and environmental degradation are all factors that support the adoption of this new philosophy. Individuals have become inventive in order to escape the difficult socio-economic situation, and today’s consumer is no longer the consumer we knew. This is to such an extent that it is worth wondering whether or not this is the end of consumerism.
It cannot be affirmed that the sharing economy revolutionizes consumer habits and upsets manufacturers. The “prosumer” phenomenon illustrates the willingness of individuals to shake up consumer habits:
Sharing practices, whether they are commercial or not, make it possible to give a second life to many goods, sharing their use. By promoting use on ownership, these practices have a very high potential for sustainability. (Courtois 2016)
The consumer is no longer indeterminate in the producer-consumer relationship:
The rise of new technologies gives him the tools for increased vigilance. It also helps him become a producer of that which he uses in order to become a prosumer. (Van de Walle et al. 2012)
What is a prosumer?
The term “prosumer” combines the words “producer” and “consumer”.
Figure 2.1. Prosumer2. For a color version of this figure, see www.iste.co.uk/sedkaoui/economy.zip
Historically speaking, it was first used in 1980 in Alvin Toffler’s work The Third Wave. For Toffler, the two functions of production and consumption were not separate, it was the industrial company that created a divide between them (Goyette-Côté 2013). In this context, Ritzer and Jurgenson (2010) argue that production and consumption have always dominated economies (capitalist and non-capitalist). According to both authors, prosumption involves both production and consumption, rather than focusing on one or the other. Although prosumption has always been predominant, “a series of recent social changes, particularly those related to the Internet and the web, have further centralized it”.
Box 2.1. “McDonalization” phenomenon of society
“Ritzer (1983) deepened the notion of a prosumer by talking about the phenomenon of society’s ‘McDonalization’. In his opinion, the fast food industry in the United States began to involve the consumer in the work chain as early as the 1950s. The argument is that consumers have become the waiters (by carrying food and collecting garbage) and their own kitchen assistants for their meals (by adding condiments and certain ingredients or by composing their salads in salad counters). Consumers are happy that they feel the product is more in line with their tastes and are happy that they do not have to wait to be served (not to mention that this also reduces tips). For companies, this is a significant increase in productivity, since the consumer performs tasks that were previously the responsibility of salaried employees.”
For potential consumers, the evolution of this concept represents a perspective and an opportunity to express their opinions and update their preferences. Several researchers have studied this growing phenomenon. Ritzer and Jurgenson (2010) report that:
It is only recently that prosumption has become an important subject in the literature. Prahalad and Ramaswamy (2004) describe this trend as ‘co-creation of value’.
Tapscott and Williams (2006) consider the prosumer as part of the new Wikinomic3 model, where companies put consumers to work.
In his book Cult of the Amateur, Andrew Keen (2007) opposes this idea and criticizes this model, as well as any thought process that promotes consumer dependence on the producer. However, Beer and Burrows (2007) see new relationships between production and consumption emerging, particularly on the web.
2.3. Poverty: a target in the spotlight of the shared economy
The shared economy is a way to boost the economy, especially in times of crisis. Rooted in the principles of sustainable development, it aspires to participate in the objectives of the third millennium, particularly with regard to poverty and inequality between populations.
So how can it be a means of pressure to shape a new economic model?
The shared economy represents an opportunity for society by having the capacity to reduce poverty and therefore inequalities. Before considering an answer or answers to this question, it should be noted that the relationship between the poor or precarious population and the initiatives offered by digital platforms, within the framework of the sharing economy, is not the same as that of the wealthiest class of society.
Wouldn’t using the shared economy “risk a bias between public policies, based on collective reliability and social action that is highly linked to charitable practices”? (King Baudouin Foundation4 2016). The study of King Baudouin’s foundation showed that the insecure population does not have access to the range of offers that fall within the scope of the sharing economy, in particular that of the business model, since it is not free. Furthermore, the activities of the sharing economy are carried out with digital tools that cost a significant amount. In addition, this segment of society feels inferior with regard to their inability to benefit from this kind of sharing.
The objective of the sharing economy is to create an egalitarian society through exchange platforms. These must guarantee access for all and at a lower cost for the duration of time for which it is needed, such as a car in town, tools, housing and many other goods that would otherwise be very expensive if they were acquired through the classical economy (Pasquier and Daudigeos 2016).
By definition, poverty is a person’s inability to satisfy his or her most basic needs: food, shelter, clothing, education, health, possession of comfort goods (car, travel, etc.).
Box 2.2. Poverty’s two perspectives
Poverty can be understood through two perspectives: “The first focuses on the resources, including goods and services, that are owned or available to characterize the level of poverty.” It is a monetary analysis of poverty. The second focuses on what people are able to do or be using the resources at their disposal. It is an analysis on “human capabilities” (Lasida et al. 2009).
In light of this definition, one wonders what a population living in poverty can share if it does not have the essentials to meet its most basic needs. Will access to platforms be enough to restore a sense of social reintegration to people