ABSTRACT. The purpose of this article is to gain a deeper understanding of possible advantages of the sharing economy, incentives for being involved in the sharing economy, the platforms and practices of the sharing economy, and the capacity of the novel sharing practices to assist in initiating a social transition. This study is grounded in the considerable body of scholarship examining the relevance of the sharing economy to both the public and private spheres, the constraints of the reputational processes that sharing platforms supply, reasons for participating in the sharing economy, and the latter’s effects on ecological welfare and social connection. pp. 69–75
JEL codes: Q01; Q56

Keywords: sharing economy; peer-to-peer relationship; collaborative consumption

How to cite: Nica, Elvira, and Ana-Madalina Potcovaru (2015), “The Social Sustainability of the Sharing Economy,” Economics, Management, and Financial Markets 10(4): 69–75.

Received 19 March 2015 • Received in revised form 22 October 2015
Accepted 23 October 2015 • Available online 23 December 2015