Arun Sundararajan

Peer-to-Peer Rental Markets in the Sharing Economy

To investigate whether peer-to-peer rental markets for durable goods are welfare-improving, we develop a new dynamic model of such markets in which users with heterogeneous utilization rates may also trade in secondary markets. We calibrate our model with US automobile industry data and transaction-level data from Getaround, a large peer-to-peer car rental marketplace. Counterfactual analyses illustrate significant shifts away from asset ownership as marketplace access grows. Used-good prices fall and replacement rates rise, while gains in consumer surplus range from 0.8% to 6.6%. The changes in consumption mix and the surplus increases are significantly more pronounced for below-median income consumers.

How digital trust powers the sharing economy

Over the centuries, each significant economic expansion has been enabled by the accompanying creation of new trust systems -- from village-based trade and informal trader networks, through contracts, government standards and financial institutions, to todays corporate brands. Emerging digital platforms are catalyzing a new expansion that will reintegrate into our economic interactions the social aspects of commerce that were marginalized by 20th century capitalism, creating a new form of crowd-based capitalism powered by the digital trust grid. This article shares the findings of an ongoing research collaboration between New York University and BlaBlaCar. The authors identify the mechanics of online trust and the resulting level of trust created. They show that, with the right digital tools, many of which are encapsulated in their D.R.E.A.M.S. framework, individuals can achieve high levels of trust without ever having met in person. This signals a radical move toward a friendlier, more personal, more connected, more empowered world of trust.