Individuals’ interactions in non-profit sharing economies: A social exchange theory approach

The rise of online platforms and sharing economy in the last decade has opened up new opportunities for both locals and tourists’ needs to be better addressed within the context of tourism. Yet little is known about the diverse range of resources being exchanged in tourism-related activities, as well as the overall pre- and post-trip experiences. To address this gap, the current research aims to identify the expectations, actual resources exchanged and final experiences from hosts, guests and non-profits (NPOs) that function as a sharing economy platform. Social exchange theory is utilised to investigate the expectations and actual resources exchanged that drive or impede positive experiences between these three key actors. The data collection will use a Netnography approach and follow-up interviews. The practical contribution of this research will assist NPOs to better design social responsible marketing communication and activities, to avoid discrepancies between expectations and actual resources exchanged.