PLATFORM CULTURE IN THE SHARING ECONOMY: A RENTAL GOALKEEPERS CASE STUDY

Abstract

The influence of digital platforms can assembly and intermediate connections, relations, and interactions in the sharing economy (SE). However, there is an opportunity to explain the role and agency of digital platforms in consumption and service relations in Brazilian empirical studies. Therefore, this study was designed to analyze how an assemblage of relationships of exchanges happens between consumers and service providers when mediated by digital platforms in SE. Actor-network theory (ANT) was used as a methodology through interviews, observations, and follow-ups of social networks. The results showed that: (1) SE happens to construct through a heterogeneous network between individuals and digital artifacts; (2) the relationships are assembled happen between consumers and service providers through visible and invisible heterogeneous associations, mediated by digital platforms and their features, tools, and algorithms, and, (3) This actor-network promotes and disseminates a new digital culture whose main goal is valorization of digital business assemblage.

Keywords

• Sharing Economy. Platform Culture. Mediation. Actor-Network Theory.