Motivations Behind Sharing in housing: A Self-Determination Theory

The need for sustainable transformation affects all areas of the economy and society. The housing situation of private households is also subject to this transformation process, with the result that housing and location preferences as well as qualitative and quantitative housing needs are changing. In recent years, the sharing economy has established itself as a new sustainable form of consumption. The wisdom "You are what you own" has been replaced by "You are what you can use and share". As the ultimate place for sharing, cities play a key role in the development and spread of this phenomenon. The concept of "shared cities", which can be applied in various areas such as spaces, mobility, objects and food, can thus make an important contribution to the efficient use of resources, the sharing of living space, energy use and conscious consumption in housing. However, little is known about the various motivations why people participate in sharing in housing.By using the Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study aims to investigate the reasons why consumers participate in shared cities. According to this theory, motivation can be driven by intrinsic and by extrinsic values.For this purpose, survey data from n = 1,005 German private households are analysed using multiple linear regression. The results emphasise the importance of intrinsic and in particular extrinsic motivation for the intention to participate in sharing in housing. The study provides important implications for theory and management practice in order to realise sharing in housing in the future.