Conflicts among the Participants of the Sharing Economy Platforms in the US: A Comparison of Uber and Airbnb

This paper examines the conflicts among the participants of the sharing economy platforms such as transportation-sharing platform Uber and accommodation-sharing platform Airbnb. Uber unilaterally won the conflict with taxi service providers because it increased user convenience by applying new technologies in contrast to people’s high complaints about taxi services. Airbnb has reached a compromise with the hotel industry by limiting the length of time hosts could rent through the platform. In the conflict between Uber and their drivers, an agreement was reached that the platform should compensate above the legal minimum wage and guarantee worker’s safety, but compensation above the level needs further social consensus. Contrary to the arguments of advocates of the sharing economy, it could have a negative impact on the environment, if the demand for owning goods does not shrink while the usage of idle goods increases through sharing economy platforms.