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.
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 build! 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.
This course includes four parts. The first part offers an introduction to the key features of the collaborative economy, including definitions, figures and typologies to account for its rapid growth. In the second part, 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 third part describes and analyses a number of new business strategies and models related to collaborative platforms. We also discuss how such platforms may be used for social innovation. Finally, the last part of the course examines the legal issues of collaborative economy, including the protection of consumers, the assurance of fair competition and fiscal treatment.
1. Key features of the collaborative economy
1.1. Definition of the collaborative economy
1.2. Types of collaborative initiatives
1.3. Importance of the collaborative economy
1.4. How the system works (platforms and market places)
2. Collaborative consumers and consumption
2.1. Definition of collaborative consumption
2.2. A typology of collaborative practices
2.3. How collaboration changes consumer behavior
2.4. Making collaborative consumers satisfied and loyal
3. Digital economy and the emergence of new business models
3.1. How the collaborative economy is disrupting businesses
3.2. Social innovation
3.3. Business strategies
3.4. Business models
4. Legal issues of collaborative economy
4.1. Legal definition of stakeholders
4.2. Rights and obligations of stakeholders
A faculty member and invited practitioners share teaching this course. As a consequence, both theoretical lectures and business cases intertwine. A balance is sought between ex-cathedra training, which aims at the systematic acquisition of paradigms, concepts and theories, on the one hand, and interactions between students and the instructor, on the other hand, in order to enhance understanding through confrontation with everyday life cases and students’ personal experiences, as well as critical thinking. Case studies and readings related to specific applications of the business world and scientific research will be used to document each part of the course.
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.
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.
Decrop, A. (2017). La consommation collaborative: Enjeux et défis de la nouvelle société du partage. De Boeck Supérieur.
OECD (2014), "The digital economy, new business models and key features", in Addressing the Tax Challenges of the Digital Economy, OECD Publishing, Paris, https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264218789-7-en.
| Formation | Programme d’études | Bloc | Crédits | Obligatoire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | 0 | 3 | ||
| Standard | 0 | 3 | ||
| Standard | 1 | 3 | ||
| Standard | 1 | 3 |