2019 Theses Master's

Putting Sharing Economy into Perspectives: An Assessment of Sharing Economy in Mainland China

Zhang, Shulin

Advances in information technology science prompt the creation of new economic models, and one of them in urban life is Sharing Economy. This new economic model has received high attention and has been applied to fields like transportation, hospitality, and other customer-based services in recent years. With the accelerating rhythm of people's life, shared economy flourished unprecedentedly and plays a significant role in business market. However, the overall impact of sharing economy on a country has been little considered. Therefore, the thesis develops an assessment of sharing economy’s impacts in mainland China from varied perspectives. Based on the review of existing scholarly articles, databases, and industrial reports, the thesis discusses what are the impacts introduced by sharing economy to the national economy and relevant industries. While for public perceptions, it employs observations and interviews, with additional help from existing resources, to identify how individuals are being effected. The thesis demonstrates how sharing economy has challenged traditional industries with modified supply-demand relationship. It also illustrates the differences in people’s daily choices in commuting, traveling, lodging, working, and minor behaviors, and public optimistic appreciation towards sharing economy. Yet, the thesis recognized the existence of issues like legality, safety, security, and sustainability, which require democratizing the ownership and governance of the platforms, with an effective and systematic design for long-term regulation and development.