---
_id: '7518'
abstract:
- lang: eng
text: The sharing economy provides short-term access to products without the risks
associated with ownership. While extant research primarily examined it in the
context of affluent consumer segments, the sharing economy may offer opportunities
for consumers at the base of the economic pyramid, where ownership risks prevent
access to products that could create societal benefits. Drawing from risk perception
theory, we examine how access-based services, as an alternative to ownership,
can mitigate perceived risk dimensions. An experimental study reveals that, in
contrast to consumers with higher income, low-income consumers perceive access-based
services to entail less financial risk, resulting in a greater inclination to
access a good than to own it. In a second study, we explore these differences
by comparing access with a risk mitigation strategy. We find that at the base
of the pyramid, access is perceived to entail less financial risk than both ownership
and ownership with a warranty. The results indicate the importance of the sharing
economy for addressing the limited availability of resources for alleviating poverty.
Based on our findings, we derive implications for consumers and service providers
at the base of the pyramid, and discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic may be detrimental
to the identified opportunities.
article_type: original
author:
- first_name: Tobias
full_name: Schäfers, Tobias
id: '77945'
last_name: Schäfers
orcid: 0000-0002-2533-335X
- first_name: Gopalakrishnan
full_name: Narayanamurthy, Gopalakrishnan
last_name: Narayanamurthy
- first_name: Roger
full_name: Moser, Roger
last_name: Moser
- first_name: Marina
full_name: Leban, Marina
last_name: Leban
citation:
ama: 'Schäfers T, Narayanamurthy G, Moser R, Leban M. The sharing economy at the
base of the economic pyramid: How access‐based services can help overcome ownership
risks. Psychology & Marketing. 2021;38(11):2073-2088. doi:10.1002/mar.21541'
apa: 'Schäfers, T., Narayanamurthy, G., Moser, R., & Leban, M. (2021). The sharing
economy at the base of the economic pyramid: How access‐based services can help
overcome ownership risks. Psychology & Marketing, 38(11), 2073–2088.
https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21541'
bjps: 'Schäfers T et al. (2021) The Sharing Economy at the Base of
the Economic Pyramid: How Access‐based Services Can Help Overcome Ownership Risks.
Psychology & Marketing 38, 2073–2088.'
chicago: 'Schäfers, Tobias, Gopalakrishnan Narayanamurthy, Roger Moser, and Marina
Leban. “The Sharing Economy at the Base of the Economic Pyramid: How Access‐based
Services Can Help Overcome Ownership Risks.” Psychology & Marketing
38, no. 11 (2021): 2073–88. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21541.'
chicago-de: 'Schäfers, Tobias, Gopalakrishnan Narayanamurthy, Roger Moser und Marina
Leban. 2021. The sharing economy at the base of the economic pyramid: How access‐based
services can help overcome ownership risks. Psychology & Marketing
38, Nr. 11: 2073–2088. doi:10.1002/mar.21541,
.'
din1505-2-1: 'Schäfers, Tobias ; Narayanamurthy, Gopalakrishnan ; Moser, Roger ; Leban,
Marina: The sharing economy at the base of the economic pyramid: How access‐based
services can help overcome ownership risks. In: Psychology & Marketing
Bd. 38. New York, NY, Wiley (2021), Nr. 11, S. 2073–2088'
havard: 'T. Schäfers, G. Narayanamurthy, R. Moser, M. Leban, The sharing economy
at the base of the economic pyramid: How access‐based services can help overcome
ownership risks, Psychology & Marketing. 38 (2021) 2073–2088.'
ieee: 'T. Schäfers, G. Narayanamurthy, R. Moser, and M. Leban, “The sharing economy
at the base of the economic pyramid: How access‐based services can help overcome
ownership risks,” Psychology & Marketing, vol. 38, no. 11, pp. 2073–2088,
2021, doi: 10.1002/mar.21541.'
mla: 'Schäfers, Tobias, et al. “The Sharing Economy at the Base of the Economic
Pyramid: How Access‐based Services Can Help Overcome Ownership Risks.” Psychology
& Marketing, vol. 38, no. 11, 2021, pp. 2073–88, https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.21541.'
short: T. Schäfers, G. Narayanamurthy, R. Moser, M. Leban, Psychology & Marketing
38 (2021) 2073–2088.
ufg: 'Schäfers, Tobias u. a.: The sharing economy at the base of the economic
pyramid: How access‐based services can help overcome ownership risks, in: Psychology
& Marketing 38 (2021), H. 11, S. 2073–2088.'
van: 'Schäfers T, Narayanamurthy G, Moser R, Leban M. The sharing economy at the
base of the economic pyramid: How access‐based services can help overcome ownership
risks. Psychology & Marketing. 2021;38(11):2073–88.'
date_created: 2022-04-13T10:45:02Z
date_updated: 2025-06-26T13:23:58Z
department:
- _id: DEP1521
doi: 10.1002/mar.21541
external_id:
isi:
- '000672550800001'
intvolume: ' 38'
isi: '1'
issue: '11'
keyword:
- access-based services
- base of the pyramid
- risk perception theory
- sharing economy
language:
- iso: eng
page: 2073-2088
place: New York, NY
publication: Psychology & Marketing
publication_identifier:
eissn:
- 1520-6793
issn:
- 0742-6046
publication_status: published
publisher: Wiley
quality_controlled: '1'
status: public
title: 'The sharing economy at the base of the economic pyramid: How access‐based
services can help overcome ownership risks'
type: scientific_journal_article
user_id: '83781'
volume: 38
year: '2021'
...