The role of platform governance in customer risk perception in the context of peer-to-peer platforms

ABSTRACT

The peer-to-peer (P2P) economy has provided many work opportunities for a large number of peer providers, and these opportunities have the potential to reduce poverty. Despite its economic and social benefits, customer risk perception discourages customers from consistently participating in the P2P economy. Although scholars have investigated the role of risk perception in P2P economy participation, insufficient attention has been paid to how to effectively attenuate customer risk perception. Based on governance theory, this research is intended to develop a theoretical framework to test how platform governance reduces customer risk perception in the P2P economy, as well as the important moderating effects. The analysis of a total of 311 valid questionnaires from customers shows that platform governance reduces customer risk perception, and such effect of P2P platform governance becomes much more effective for professional peer providers than for amateurs, and more effective for high-priced properties than for low-priced properties .

KEYWORDS:

• Customer risk perception
• platform governance
• governance theory
• professionals
• P2P economy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China [Project No. 72072006, 71502006].

Notes on contributors

Shuai Wang

Shuai Wang is a doctoral student in Business School, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China. Her research focuses on sharing economy, digital business transformation, service marketing. She has published in Business Management Journal.

Shuang (Sara) Ma

Shuang (Sara) Ma is an assistant professor of Marketing in School of Information Technology & Management of University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, China. She received her PhD from University of International Business and Economics, China. Her research focuses on online marketing and co-creation. She has published in Journal of Marketing, Journal of Business Ethics, Information and Management, and International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management.

Yonggui Wang

Yonggui Wang is an associate president, and a professor of tourism, marketing & strategy of Capital University of Economics and Business, Beijing, China. He received his PhD of service marketing from the City University of Hong Kong. He has published more than 40 academic papers in journals such as Journal of Marketing, Journal of Operations Management, Journal of Management, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Journal of International Marketing, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management. His current research is on service management, customer innovations and international business.