Learning outcomes

Regarding learning outcomes for students, the course mainly aims at the acquisition of knowledge, the application of a scientific approach and the reasoning as a socially responsible stakeholder. To a lesser extent, it also aims to enhance students’ communication skills as well as their personal and professional self-development. 

Goals

The “sharing” or collaborative economy is based on the exchange, sale or donation of goods / services between individuals. Mutualizing the resources of each, the stakeholders of this new economy become both consumers and producers, using in most cases a digital platform that acts as an intermediary. Born less than ten years ago, companies such as Airbnb or Uber now weigh more heavily on the stock market than empires such as Hilton or American Airlines, which took almost one century to grow! Carpooling (Blablacar), delivery of meals at home (Deliveroo), free accommodation of travelers (Couchsurfing) or the community of sharing gardens (Hyperlocavore) are other examples of a shift of our economy towards new forms of consumption and shared business.

The aim of this course is to introduce students to the features and challenges of the collaborative economy, which is developing at a fast speed since a decade. According to a study by the PwC Bureau, its worldwide turnover could rise from 24 billion euros in 2016 to 570 billion euros in 2025. The United States, France and Spain are currently the most advanced countries in terms of collaborative practices, but this trend is found in all developed countries. In the same way, even though accommodation and transportation are the most affected, the collaborative economy concerns more and more different sectors, based on new market or non-market business models. This course aims at analyzing why and how this "disruptive" force is generating profound economic, managerial and societal transformations.

Content

This course includes three parts. The first part offers an introduction to the key concepts of the collaborative and platform economy, including definitions, figures and typologies to account for its rapid growth. The focus is on collaborative consumers and consumption practices: what motivates consumers to participate in collaborative schemes? How do they behave on platforms? Are they satisfied and loyal? The second part describes the major principles of the platform economy and analyses a number of new business strategies and models related to collaborative platforms. Finally, the third part of the course examines a number of challenges of the collaborative economy, including sustainability issues, the impact for conventional companies and how such platforms may be used for social innovation, and legal issues (i.e., protection of consumers, the assurance of fair competition and fiscal treatment).

Table of contents

PART 1. Concepts and market definition
1. Key features of the collaborative (platform) economy
2. Collaborative consumers and consumption
3. Making collaborative consumers satisfied and loyal
 
PART 2. Economics and business models 
4. Business models and strategies
5. Economic aspects of the platform economy
6. Business case
7. Success and failure factors of collaborative platforms
 
PART 3. Challenges of the collaborative economy
8. Legal issues of collaborative economy
9. Is the collaborative economy sustainable? How should we react to the collaborative economy?

Assessment method

The evaluation of students will be made by means of a written examination covering all the topics and papers discussed in the classroom. Questions are developed to assess the two following aspects: (1) Students’ understanding of concepts and processes; (2) Students’ ability to apply those concepts and processes to real (business) life situations.

Sources, references and any support material

Course pack (slides) is available before the course on the webcampus platform.

The major reference readings for this course are:

·      Belk, R. W., Eckhardt, G. M., & Bardhi, F. (Eds.). (2019). Handbook of the Sharing Economy. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing (HSE). 

·      Belleflamme, P., & Peitz, M. (2021). The Economics of Platforms. Cambridge University Press (BP).

·      Benavent, C. (2016). Plateformes. Sites collaboratifs, marketplaces, réseaux sociaux… Comment ils influencent nos choix. FYP editions.

·      Decrop, A. (2017). La consommation collaborative: Enjeux et défis de la nouvelle société du partage. De Boeck Supérieur (CC).

·      Reillier, L. C., & Reillier, B. (2017). Platform strategy: How to unlock the power of communities and networks to grow your business. Routledge 5PS). Is also available in French (PS).

Language of instruction

Français