A study on determining the intention of consumers using internet of things technologies to participate in the sharing economy

Emerging in 2008 due to the global economic crisis (Great Recession) that started in the USA, the sharing economy is considered an alternative model to the traditional commercial economy. It puts access to products at its center instead of owning them. The sharing economy refers to a system in which some individuals make their various assets such as products, goods or spaces, which are usually idle, available for short-term use by others for a certain fee. In this system, all relations and transactions between the provider and the user are carried out through online platforms. Airbnb, Uber, BlaBlaCar, MartıTAG, Sahibinden, Armut and Zipcar are examples of these platforms. The Internet, mobile devices and especially smart and connected technologies called the Internet of Things (IoT) have played a major role in the use and spread of the sharing economy. The Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the network where devices and objects used in daily life can connect and communicate with each other through technologies such as bluetooth, GPS and NFC, especially the Internet. Thanks to this network, many devices can be managed remotely, so many products and items, especially those used daily, become smart. In this context, this study aims to measure the effect of IoT usage on the intention to participate in the sharing economy. Howevera direct relationship between these two factors is not foreseen, and it is thought that the relationship will emerge through various mediating variables. These mediating variables are IoT capability in the sharing economy, change in the understanding of ownership, trust in the sharing economy and perceived benefits. The results supported the related assumptions. Structural equation modeling (AMOS 23) and mediation analysis (95% bias-corrected confidence interval method) were used to analyze the data. As a result of the analyses, it was concluded that the use of IoT positively affects the intention to participate in the sharing economy through the variables of IoT capability, change in understanding of ownership, trust and perceived benefit. In addition, it was found that personal innovativeness as a moderating variable increases the positive effect of IoT capability on the intention to participate in the sharing economy. Finally, independent sample t-test and one-way ANOVA were used to examine the difference tests related to the intention to participate in the sharing economy. When the relevant results are analyzed, it is observed that males have higher intention to participate in the sharing economy than females, those with lower education levels have higher intention to participate in the sharing economy than those with higher education level, those with higher income group have higher intention to participate in the sharing economy than those with lower income group and those with more smart products have higher intention to participate in the sharing economy than those with less smart products. It is thought that these results will contribute to the literature and pave the way for the emergence of various ideas and innovations for companies, researchers, and other stakeholders.