Zone of Optimal Distinctiveness: Provider Asset Personalization and the Psychological Ownership of Shared Accommodation

Anita Bhappu, Sabrina Helm

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

In this paper, we conceptually explore how value co-creation in peer-to-peer lodging services is constrained by a fundamental tension between a provider’s personalization and psychological ownership of a shared accommodation and customers’ psychological ownership of it. Our conceptual framework contributes to theory development about the unique nature of service in the sharing economy. Drawing on literature about service-dominant logic, service interactions, the theory of extended self, the experience economy, psychological ownership, and strategic management, we contend that there is a zone of optimal distinctiveness wherein both a provider’s and a customer’s psychological ownership of shared accommodation, as well as the provider’s personalization of this asset, are optimized. It is beneficial for providers of peer-to-peer lodging services to stay within this zone of optimal distinctiveness when personalizing their leveraged assets in the sharing economy. Optimizing the psychological ownership of shared accommodation is desirable because it helps to satisfy the basic human needs of both a customer and a provider involved in a peer-to-peer lodging service, thereby increasing value co-creation in their service relationship. Also, a customer with high psychological ownership of shared accommodation will take better care of this asset, thereby reducing a provider’s risk for property damage.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAdvances in Service Science - Proceedings of the 2018 INFORMS International Conference on Service Science
EditorsHui Yang, Robin Qiu
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media B.V.
Pages73-81
Number of pages9
ISBN (Print)9783030047252
DOIs
StatePublished - 2019
EventINFORMS International Conference on Service Science, ICSS 2018 - Phoenix, United States
Duration: Nov 3 2018Nov 3 2018

Publication series

NameSpringer Proceedings in Business and Economics
ISSN (Print)2198-7246
ISSN (Electronic)2198-7254

Conference

ConferenceINFORMS International Conference on Service Science, ICSS 2018
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityPhoenix
Period11/3/1811/3/18

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Business, Management and Accounting(all)
  • Economics, Econometrics and Finance(all)

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