Examining Cross-Industry Collaboration in Sharing Economy Based On Social Exchange and Social Network Theories

Information technology and advanced online environments have reduced the cost of these exchange activities and triggered the emergence of the sharing economy. Con-sequently, public attitude toward the sharing economy has gradually shifted from re-luctance to acceptance. Moreover, the sharing economy has revolutionized the busi-ness models and viewpoints of conventional industries, and sharing service providers have gradually shifted from an independent to a collaborative stance, thereby affect-ing conventional economies. This study interprets the phenomenon of cross-industry collaboration in the sharing economy through social exchange and social network the-ories. A multiple-case research framework is used to examine tourism and service in-dustries. Secondary data of service providers and users on sharing platforms are ana-lyzed using content analysis, supplemented with a content analysis of the interview data of three hotel executives. The varying phenomena of the conventional and shar-ing economies on social exchange and social network were compared. Finally, this paper proposes conclusions and practical recommendations according to the analytical results. Â JEL classification numbers: D85, M31, L14.