What is mine can be yours : the rise of peer-to-peer renting as a way of consumption in Portugal

• Main Author: Martins, Inês Seabra de Castro Mendes
• Publication Date: 2018
• Format: Master thesis
• Language: eng
• Source: Repositórios Científicos de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (RCAAP)
• Download full: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.14/26992
• topic: Sharing economy; Peer-to-peer economy; Peer-to-peer object renting; Motivations; Barriers; RNTERS; Portuguese consumers; Economia partilhada; Aluguer de objetos entre consumidores; Motivações; Barreiras; Consumidores portugueses

The peer-to-peer economy is a fast-growing and much-debated subject. The success of peer-to-peer renting platforms falls upon the capability of managers to understand the users’ motivations and barriers for engaging their platform and hence identify their target audience effectively. The focus of this dissertation is peer-to-peer object renting, where individuals make available their day-to-day objects, temporarily, to others for a rental fee, to satisfy the momentary need of the renter without ownership being transferred. This study aims at identifying the users and non-users’ motivations and barriers for engaging RNTERS, the only peer-to-peer object renting platform in Portugal. Another goal was to understand the openness of the Portuguese market towards this alternative way of consumption. Both in-depth interviews and an online survey, held among 254 respondents, were conducted to investigate the relative importance of the motives for and against participating in RNTERS. The results reveal the underlying motivations and barriers differ across user type (renter and owner) and non-user. The findings suggest financial benefits, necessity, convenience and familiarity with the platform are some of the most decisive drivers for engaging RNTERS. It is also demonstrated that the risk of use, effort anticipation, lack of insurance and lack of trust are the leading deterrents against the platform in case. In the end, it is discussed guidelines for future research and some implications for managers based on the results obtained. By capturing the underlying drivers and impediments of the Portuguese, useful insights were provided to RNTERS and managers of these platforms.