Customer Misbehavior in the Peer-to-Peer Sharing Economy: The Mixed Role of Face-to-Face Interactions
(A2023-114150)

AUTHORS

Edna Ozuna, University of Rostock; Lena Steinhoff, Paderborn University

ABSTRACT

Customer misbehavior, usually manifested as property damage, imposes financial burdens on platforms and hosts in peer-to-peer accommodation services. Particularly, if misbehaving guests deliberately conceal or avoid reporting damages they caused, to avoid liability. Such misbehaviors might be facilitated by the lack of host–guest face-to-face interactions. This research addresses the effects of host–guest interaction modes (face-to-face, online-only) and frequency on guests’ intentions to misbehave and conceal their actions. Social identification and irritation emerge as positive and negative mediators, respectively. Guests who interact face-to-face (vs. online-only) exhibit a reduced intention to conceal their misbehavior, due to increased social identification. Platforms can also elicit social identification by engaging guests in virtual communities. However, excessive face-to-face interactions elicit irritation, which enhances guests’ intention to conceal their misbehavior.