Altruism and social utility in consumer sharing behavior

Previous studies on consumer behavior in the sharing economy mainly focused on users' utilitarian benefits in market‐mediated exchange businesses and the social benefits of not‐for‐profit sharing practices. In particular, existing research on market‐mediated exchange indicates that the effect of personal utility outweighs altruistic and pro‐social values in consumers' sharing behavior; social utility factors, such as sustainability and benefits for the community, do not play significant roles in consumers' participation in for‐profit sharing businesses. Theoretically, this study complements previous studies on consumer behavior in the sharing economy with the social exchange theory (SET). It is important because it fills the research gap by proposing the effects of consumers' altruistic traits, interpersonal relationships, and pro‐social concerns on the commercial shared‐ride service. We conducted two empirical studies in the contexts of Uber in Taiwan and Didi in Mainland China. The results show a significant effect of altruism and social utility on consumers' sharing participation in market‐mediated exchange. Practically, this study highlights the significance of socio‐cultural contexts and psychological mechanisms to sharing‐platform operators. Efforts to promote consumers' altruism and concerns for sustainability and others' benefits will encourage the consumers' involvement. Our results also reveal the cultural differences between Taiwanese and Chinese consumers' sharing adoption.