Managing service providers in the sharing economy: Insights from Airbnb’s host management

Abstract Platforms in the sharing economy match service providers and consumers. The service providers control most of the customer experience. Nevertheless, platforms have to provide a distinctive customer experience to differentiate their brands in the marketplace. This study examines the tactics platform leaders can use to align the services the providers offer with the desired customer experience. Our inductive qualitative analysis of Airbnb’s efforts to shape the Airbnb experience revealed nine tactics that are associated with three strategies, namely, orienting, enabling, and incentivizing and controlling. Our findings contribute to the literature on the management of service providers in the sharing economy.