Sharing Economy at the Base of the Pyramid: Opportunity and Challenges

Abstract

This book is an attempt to extend the boundary of the sharing economy literature by understanding the opportunities and challenges of implementing sharing economy models at the base of the pyramid (BOP). Compared to contexts generally studied in mainstream sharing economy models, the unique characteristics of the BOP contexts require a reconceptualization of several aspects of the existing models. To this end, this book is the first step in integrating knowledge from various theoretical perspectives and empirical contexts. The diverse theoretical perspectives that the chapters in this book have drawn upon include digital social innovation, platform cooperativism, technoficing, institutional entrepreneurship, social intermediation, social entrepreneurship, collaborative consumption, resourcing, social capital, and ecosystem perspectives. In terms of empirical contexts, this book integrates the understanding of various sharing economy models implemented across geographies such as Australia, China, India, Italy, and Malaysia. Thus, this book represents the beginning of a process of creating a rich body of knowledge about sharing economy models in the BOP context that has implications for both theory and practice.