Social impact measurement in the sharing economy

Various business models of Sharing Economy Organizations (SEO) promise to contribute to economic, social and ecological goals in different ways. However, a systematic comparison of different business models, a comparative analysis of the positive and negative effects with regard to these goals and an assessment of the current and future contribution of these models to society as a whole are still lacking. The aim of the i-share research network is therefore to determine this contribution and estimate the ecological, economic and social effects of the sharing economy. To this end, an analytical approach was developed to answer the following sub-questions:

1. Which sharing economy organizations exist in Germany? To date, there is no generally recognized definition of the sharing economy. Instead, a large number of very heterogeneous offers and services in a wide variety of sectors are grouped together under the term, whereby the affiliation does not follow any clearly recognizable criteria: While Airbnb, for example, is used almost as a synonym for the sharing economy, traditional private pensions are usually not included. While TaskRabbit is usually considered part of the sharing economy, Mechanical Turk is usually not. A definition of the sharing economy is the basis for identifying SEOs in Germany and subsequently estimating their contribution.
2. Which business models can be identified in the sharing economy? There is also great diversity in the sharing economy in terms of how transactions work: Both monetary and non-monetary transactions are included. Some transactions involve a change of ownership, others do not. Some motivate users through economic incentives, others through social incentives. Many are supported by internet platforms, some transactions only take place online (e.g. sharing music). We want to understand and systematically record which social, formal and technical mechanisms are used to coordinate and control sharing economy organizations. 
3.  How can the contribution of different business models be measured and compared? While there is a sophisticated and recognized set of instruments for measuring the economic impact of organizations, very different approaches for measuring the non-economic contributions of organizations are discussed in science, practice and society. The problem with the development of approaches for measuring non-economic contributions is that, on the one hand, uniform indicators would be desirable across organizations, but on the other hand, it has not yet been resolved to what extent different ecological and social impacts can be captured with uniform indicators and how these should be weighted if necessary. We want to develop such a system of indicators and use it to record the contribution of different business models.
4. How can the expansion of positive business models be supported? Business models can spread in at least three ways: A single organization can expand across more and more regions or across more and more areas of application (e.g. ride-sharing companies). This scaling in the narrower sense is linked to the success of the individual organization and its business model. Other business models diffuse because they are copied by many imitators and local organizations emerge (e.g. local bike sharing approaches). More complex concepts can expand through the cooperation and networking of different organizations in which the individual organizations retain their local or specialist specialization (e.g. DeinBus.de takes over the coordination of local bus companies). 

The research network will answer these questions scientifically and practically with the involvement of SEOs, other research institutions, local authorities and associations.
First, existing SEOs and their business models will be recorded and systematized. In the second step, indicators for the effectiveness of individual business models will be developed with the involvement of SEOs. In the third step, these indicators are recorded in a large-scale survey and statistically evaluated so that the contributions of individual models and the overall contribution to society can be estimated. In the fourth step, recommendations for action for the economic and technical management of SEOs and for the creation of a regulatory framework to increase their effectiveness will be developed. Through the close involvement of SEOs in all phases, a rapid transfer of knowledge is achieved so that the dissemination of sustainable models is supported.
The i-share research project was launched in May 2015 and is scheduled to run for three years. Current information, events and results of the project are published on the ISHARE project website. You can also register for the research network's newsletter there: www.i-share-economy.org.

i-share is part of the “Sustainable Economy” funding measure. With this funding measure, the BMBF supports 30 research alliances that identify development perspectives for an economy that takes sustainability into account in all its dimensions. This includes firmly linking long-term economic success with the protection of the environment and social justice (www.fona.de).