Chinese Consumers’ Attitudes toward and Intentions to Continue Using Skill-Sharing Service Platforms

Abstract

The sharing economy has rapidly transformed traditional consumption patterns worldwide. The emergence of skill-sharing services—which allow individuals to share their skills, abilities, and time through online platforms—has recently garnered attention. In China, the demand for skill-sharing services continues to grow, as these services effectively meet consumer needs. To understand this growing demand, this study aims to explore users’ attitudes and intentions toward the use of skill-sharing service platforms in the Chinese market. A survey was conducted that incorporated 500 Chinese users who had used skill-sharing service platforms over the previous three months. A total of 409 datasets were analyzed, using structural equation modeling and multiple group analysis, in AMOS 24.0. The results showed that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and self-efficacy positively influenced users’ attitudes toward skill-sharing services, while privacy, functionality, and safety risks negatively affected these attitudes. Users’ attitudes toward skill-sharing services significantly enhanced their intentions to continue using them, with the level of trust playing a crucial moderating role between attitude and the intention to continue using these services. These findings provide a significant theoretical and practical foundation for the further development of skill-sharing service platforms, the optimization of marketing strategies, and future research.

Keywords

• sharing economy
• skill-sharing service platform
• UTAUT model
• attitude
• intention to continue using