Exploring the role of the service provider in sharing economy services

Saeed Zal, Lin Guo, Chuanyi Tang, Junzhou Zhang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate the role of the service provider in determining customer satisfaction in sharing economy services. The authors sought to examine how the intrinsic and extrinsic cues along with their interactions influence customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses a mixed-methods design to test the hypotheses. Study 1 uses secondary data from Inside Airbnb. Study 2 uses a 2 × 2 × 2 between-subject experimental design. Findings: Both studies support the confirmation bias perspective over the expectancy-confirmation perspective in explaining the interplay among different cues in determining customer satisfaction. In the context of Airbnb, in the absence of a Superhost badge, if hosts adopt a reactive communication style, physical presence has a greater impact on customer satisfaction compared to virtual presence. Originality/value: This study extends the services marketing literature and cue utilization theory by investigating the dynamic interactions among multiple intrinsic and extrinsic service cues. It shed new light on how a combination of these cues may become additive or redundant in determining customer satisfaction. This study contributes to the services marketing literature by addressing the interactive nature of sharing economy services and the neglected role of service providers.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)746-760
Number of pages15
JournalJournal of Services Marketing
Volume38
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - 25 Jun 2024

Keywords

  • Airbnb
  • Customer satisfaction
  • Extrinsic cues
  • Intrinsic cues
  • Service provider
  • Sharing economy

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