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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol. 10, No. 6.2

Publication Date: June 25, 2023

DOI:10.14738/assrj.106.2.15008.

Cheng, S. O. & Azhar, N. A. Z. M. (2023). The Sharing Economy: Personal Norm and Awareness to Participate in Collaborative

Consumption. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(6.2). 320-329.

Services for Science and Education – United Kingdom

The Sharing Economy: Personal Norm and Awareness to

Participate in Collaborative Consumption

Chuah Soo Cheng

Department of Economics and Financial Studies,

Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi

MARA, Puncak Alam Campus 42300 Selangor, Malaysia

Nur Azirah Zahida Mohamad Azhar

Corresponding Author

azirahazhar@uitm.edu.my

Department of Economics and Financial Studies,

Faculty of Business and Management, Universiti Teknologi

MARA, Puncak Alam Campus 42300 Selangor, Malaysia

ABSTRACT

The emergence of sharing economy give rise to the popularity of collaborative

consumption, which is known as events in which people consume items or services

in joint activities with others. It being said that personal norms act as a major

component in examining consumer intentions. The personal norms are based on

individual values and motivation to protect them with appropriate behaviour. On

the other hand, awareness of collaborative consumption found to have an impact

on personal norm, thus influence the collaborative consumption. This study

conducted a self-administrated survey to collect data from respondents in Klang

Valley through purposive and convenience sampling methods. A total of 825

respondents were collected through the internet. Analysis method of Structural

equation modelling-partial least squares estimation was applied to analyse the data

in the study using SmartPLS version 3.3.9 software. The analysis of SEM-PLS

comprises the measurement model on convergent validity analysis including factor

loadings, average variance extracted (AVE), and composite reliability (CR). The

findings revealed that awareness and responsibility of collaborative consumption

have significant effect on personal norm. This indicates that consumers’ cognitive

appraisal of potential consequences and accountability has significant influence on

their pro-environmental behaviour. Furthermore, the findings showed a positive

significant of personal norm and awareness of CC on collaborative consumption

participation, indicating that collaborative consumption participation intention is

due to a perceived obligation towards the societal and ecological surroundings.

Keywords: Collaborative Consumption, Personal Norm, SEM-PLS

INTRODUCTION

Collaborative consumption is a rising consumption pattern with the emergence of information

technology and social networks and a concept that started to gain popularity with the

emergence of sharing economy. It is a new consumption pattern that people exchange access

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Cheng, S. O. & Azhar, N. A. Z. M. (2023). The Sharing Economy: Personal Norm and Awareness to Participate in Collaborative Consumption. Advances

in Social Sciences Research Journal, 10(6.2). 320-329.

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.106.2.15008

to products and services through a technological platform in the sharing economy [17].

Collaborative consumption also known as events in which people consume items or services in

joint activities with others, such as renting, lending, and sharing, ultimately fostering the

community, which the situation is through commercial implications [7].

Thus, collaborative consumption has led to a shift in business and economic systems towards a

new model that emphasizes shared access over individual ownership. This approach is based

on a triadic framework that involves three key actors: sellers or service providers, buyers, and

platform owners. Collaborative consumption is defined as a kind of consumption pattern that

consumers access, give, and share the right to use the same units of goods or services by

sharing, exchanging, bartering, trading, and leasing using the Internet and mobile Internet

platform to obtain monetary income or other compensation [18].

The development of collaborative consumption is known to foster a sense of community by

increasing interpersonal interactions, thereby providing social value [4] [5]. The practice of

collaborative consumption is known to promote resource conservation by motivating

individuals to share and repurpose their surplus or underutilized possessions [2]. This

approach aligns with the growing demand for sustainable living, which emphasizes the

importance of resource efficiency and collaborative consumption [16]. Thus, consumers pro- social behaviour paly important in affecting consumers participation in collaborative

consumption activities. The industry scale and market size of collaborative consumption are

developing so rapidly that it can no longer be ignored.

According to [1], personal norm refers to a person’s moral obligation, feeling of responsibility,

or degree of personal responsibility toward a certain behaviour. The personal norms are said

as a major component in examining consumer intentions. Those feelings could be developed

based on how consistent an individual’s behavior is with his/her personal norms. This

supported by argument made by [25] who stated that personal norms are based on individual

values and motivation to protect them with appropriate behaviour. Besides that, [14], [10] and

[27] stated that awareness of collaborative consumption found to have an impact on personal

norm, thus influence the collaborative consumption.

LITERATURE REVIEW

The implementation of extended theory of planned behaviour has been suggested by [22] to

examine the relative influence of consumers’ personal norms. In order to influence consumer’s

personal norms to collaborative consumption, practitioners should focus on consumers’

concern on others. On the other hand, [3] relate the Norm Activation Theory (NAT) and Value

Belief-Norm network (VBN) to the influencing personal norms on collaborative consumption.

According to [25], NAT established between the individual values and beliefs activating the pro- social and environmental norms, meanwhile the VBN theory is the extension of NAT. The VBN

theory mentioned that behaviours are mainly based on personal values nurturing the beliefs

that activate personal norms [15]. In other words, the set of personal values helps establish the

beliefs that initiate the norms promoting behaviours [19]. This is supported by [11] who stated

that values are essential interpreters of the individual personality directing personal norms and

behaviours.