Читать книгу Sharing Economy and Big Data Analytics - Soraya Sedkaoui - Страница 44

The Internet provides knowledge, information and opportunities worldwide. How can more people benefit from these digital dividends?

 – 250 million people in Europe and Central Asia are on the wrong side of the digital divide.

 – In Europe and Central Asia, the number of Internet users is higher than the number of bank account holders, but not everyone has equal access to digital dividends from the Internet.

 – The European Union has almost universal access to the Internet, so where are the European Google and Facebook?

 – In Central Asia, 60% of people do not have access to the Internet.

 – In South Caucasus, 40% of people do not have access to the Internet.

Opinions regarding the reliability of the sharing economy as an economic model that can meet the social objectives of sustainable development, particularly those that expect the decrease in poverty and inequality in the world, as stated above, are somewhat harsh. We cannot be categorical about a possible need to increase social inequalities, on the one hand, because the sharing and collaborative economy is a recent concept under construction. On the other hand, the implications of using trading platforms has to be analyzed with greater optimism.

Indeed, in the context of trading platforms, pilot projects, which have a purpose of reducing inequalities, have helped to strengthen social cohesion. Projects such as Soli-Food and Welfood, for example, reflect this desire by providing a vulnerable population with access to food under the aegis of the fight against waste (King Baudouin Foundation 2016).

The change brought about by the collaborative economy does not affect the nature of the goods consumed, but rather the behavior of consumers, in other words, their way of consuming, either through the B2C or B2B formula. Previous exchanges are now complemented by the emerging C2C formula, but also by other transactional methods that contribute to a more efficient flow of goods in the market.

Table 2.1. Configuration of new trade methods (Ertz 2017)

System of aggregated marketing	Companies	Consumers	Government
Companies	B2B Example: financial leasing of chemicals Scheme	B2C Example: bike system managed by the marketer	B2G Example: official car fleet management
Consumers	C2B Example: recovery program	C2C Example: classified ads/auction sites	C2G Example: exchange programs for used cars sponsored by the government
Government	G2B Example: high-tech equipment rental	G2C Example: public auction blocks	G2G Example: forestry equipment rental

Although a number of these exchanges involve new goods (B2B, B2C, B2G, G2B, G2C or G2G), others are only associated with second-hand goods (C2B, C2C, C2G). It is worth noting that C2C exchange schemes can be found in each exchange configuration, making it a dominant factor.

In fact, taking marketing into account inevitably implies taking C2C systems into account, because they fill the blind spots that marketers generally pay little or no attention to (C2B, C2C, C2G) (Ertz 2017).

In the context of the collaborative economy, there is an overlap between production and consumption functions, in such a way that roles between individuals have reversed. “Exchanges between individuals are brought to the forefront, while organizations act as intermediaries” (Ertz 2017).

As a result, the consumer is no longer a mere spectator, but rather an essential player in the business-consumer relationship. He can even do without the company by producing and marketing goods and services.