Sharing Economy: The new economic institution

Economía Colaborativa: La nueva institución económica

Abstract

Sharing Economy is a new economic institution. This conclusion was reached from a thorough analysis of institutional theory and Schumpeter's proposal on consumption and technological revolutions. This is not a minor issue given its current importance and users’ trend, due to its institutionalization, towards the use of digital platforms for obtaining products and services. These platforms, called peer to peer or p2p, reduce uncertainty and build trust between the parties, while providing decision elements and analysis information. The platforms one of the key elements of this institution. The text deals with the main authors on collaborative consumption, their institutional status and their existence as a mechanism that allows addressing the social optimum, the super decisive agent of Harsanyi and the forms of consumption.

Keywords:
collaborative consumption; Sharing Economy; institutions; fifth technological revolution; Schumpeter; Veblen