Fairness, legitimacy and the regulation of home-sharing platforms

Purpose The purpose of this study is to contribute to current hospitality and tourism research on the sharing economy by studying the under-researched aspects of regulatory desirability, moral legitimacy and fairness in the context of home-sharing platforms (e.g. Airbnb). Design/methodology/approach...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of contemporary hospitality management Vol. 32; no. 10; pp. 3177 - 3197
Main Authors: Newlands, Gemma, Lutz, Christoph
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 14.10.2020
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Subjects:
Consumer protection
COVID-19
Legitimacy
Lobbyists
Morality
Perceptions
Regulation
Rents
Sharing economy
Taxation
Tourism
Ride-hailing
Regulation
Legitimacy
Home-sharing
Fairness
Sharing economy
ISSN:0959-6119, 1757-1049
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Purpose The purpose of this study is to contribute to current hospitality and tourism research on the sharing economy by studying the under-researched aspects of regulatory desirability, moral legitimacy and fairness in the context of home-sharing platforms (e.g. Airbnb). Design/methodology/approach Three separate 2×1 between-subjects experimental vignette surveys are used to test the effects of three types of fairness (procedural, interpersonal and informational) on two outcomes: moral legitimacy and regulatory desirability. Findings The results of the research show that high perceived fairness across all three types increases moral legitimacy and reduces regulatory desirability. Respondents who perceive a fictional home-sharing platform to be fair consider it to be more legitimate and want it to be less regulated. Research limitations/implications Following established practices and reducing external validity, the study uses a fictional scenario and a fictional company for the experimental vignette. The data collection took place in the UK, prohibiting cultural comparisons. Practical implications The research is useful for home-sharing platform managers by showing how they can boost moral legitimacy and decrease regulatory desirability through a strong focus on fairness. It can also help policymakers and consumer protection advocates by providing evidence about regulatory desirability and how it is affected by fairness perceptions. Originality/value The study adds to hospitality and tourism research by offering theoretically meaningful and practically relevant conclusions about the importance of fairness in driving stakeholder opinions about home-sharing platforms.
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ISSN:0959-6119
1757-1049
DOI:10.1108/IJCHM-08-2019-0733