Showing papers on "Sharing economy published in 1999"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors compare profitability under the assumption that information goods are used only by their direct purchasers, with the more realistic assumption that goods are sometimes shared within small social communities.
Abstract: Once purchased, information goods are often shared among groups of consumers. Computer software, for example, can be duplicated and passed from one user to the next. Journal articles can be copied. Music can be dubbed. In this paper, we ask whether these various forms of sharing undermine seller profit. We compare profitability under the assumption that information goods are used only by their direct purchasers, with profitability under the more realistic assumption that information goods are sometimes shared within small social communities. We reach several surprising conclusions. We find, for example, that under certain circumstances sharing will markedly increase profit even if sharing is inefficient in the sense that it is more expensive for consumers to distribute the good via sharing than it would be for the producer to simply produce additional units. Conversely, we find that sharing can markedly decrease profit even where sharing reduces net distribution costs. These results contrast with much of the prior literature on small-scale sharing, but are consistent with results obtained in related work on the topic of commodity bundling.
366 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider the impact of different remuneration systems on aggregate employment and show that the switch from a fixed wage economy to a share economy results in lower aggregate unemployment.
Abstract: This paper reconsiders the impact of different remuneration systems on aggregate employment. Contrary to common wisdom on this topic, we show that the switch from a fixed wage economy to a share economy results in lower aggregate unemployment. An additional innovation of this paper is the endogeneity of the capital stock decision of the firm, which enables us to assess and reject the common “disincentive-to-invest” criticism of a share economy.
40 citations
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TL;DR: The social cohesion that helped to build the sharing economy through the 1960s and early 1970s has been seriously weakened by the economic crisis of 2008-2009 as discussed by the authors, leading to less trust in the institutions of government.
Abstract: The author has been concerned about the capacities of the Canadian economy to restore itself after an adverse economic shock. There is less trust in the institutions of government. The social cohesion that helped to build the sharing economy through the 1960s and early 1970s has been seriously weakened.
1 citations