Collaborative Economy and business ethics

What is it about?

The company at the service of today's society is reinventing itself to satisfy people's needs in a more efficient and adapted way. Globalization and digitization promote increasing interaction and new forms of economic organization such as collaborative economy. However, can it be understood that this new business model, more than others, has as its raison d'être in the search for the “common good”? A first approach suggests the presence of values related to collaboration between equals aiming at a common good. However, the possible existence of a profit motive and the labor relations framework in which certain activities are carried out have created a debate on their ethical qualification. In this context, considering 278 companies in the collaborative economy sector, the relationship between the concept of “common good” and the collaborative economy is analyzed, while examining whether these new realities have an explicit ethical intention (of search for goods for people). According to the results, it is not possible to assert that these platforms have an ethical concern, but it is observed that they are in line with the common good and implicitly contribute to the service of society.

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Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The rapid development of digital technologies is transforming traditional models of economic and social organisation. Digital disruption is one of the most characteristic phenomena of today's society. In this digital ecosystem, new economic models are proliferating that call into question the traditional balances and forms of economic organisation. Within these emerging models, the collaborative economy stands out. In this context, the study of this new reality from the perspective of business ethics is emerging. This research addresses the contribution of the collaborative economy to the common good and examines the behaviour of these companies about their commitment to ethical behaviour.