Motivating Factors And Customer Choice Of Choosing Sharing Economy Accommodation:- Nsofor Chidinma C

ABSTRACT

The study examined the motivating factors of choosing sharing economy; which were {o ascertain the influence of price on customers' choice of sharing economy accommodation, examine the effect of home benefits on customers' choice of sharing economy accommodation evaluate the influence of social interaction on customers' choice of sharing economy accommodation, ascertain the influence of novelty on customers' choice of sharing economy accommodation and to examine the effect of authenticity on customers' choice of sharing economy accommodation. Five research questions guided the study. The study covers both the independent and dependent variables. The independent variable were the motivating factors and measured with price, home benefits, social interaction, novelty, and authenticity. The dependent variable was the customer's choice of sharing economy accommodation while the unit of analysis consists of customers of AirBnB that book accommodation using the platform. The specific objectives of the study were tested and the key findings showed that; price has a significant relationship with customer choice of sharing economy accommodation in Owerri and Enugu with a correlation coefficient of (r = 0.822) and a significant value of 0.000 (p< 0.01), home benefit has a significant relationship with customer choice of sharing economy accommodation in Owerri and Enugu with a correlation coefficient of (r = 0.812) and a significant value of 0.000 (p< 0.01), social interaction has a significant relationship with customer choice of sharing economy accommodation in Owerri and Enugu with a correlation coefficient of (r = 0.722) and a significant value of 0.000 (p< 0.0 I). the study also showed that novelty has a significant relationship with customer choice of sharing economy accommodation in Owerri and Enugu with a correlation coefficient of (r = 0. 756) and a significant value of 0.000 (p< 0.01) and that authenticity has a significant relationship with customer choice of sharing economy accommodation in Owerri and Enugu with a correlation coefficient of (r =0.801) and a significant value of 0.000 (p< 0.0 l ). Based on the findings, the study recommends that hosts should do more in maintaining moderate pricing strategy in order to attract more customers to their apartments, hosts should do more in increasing the home benefit features of sharing economy accommodation in order to keep attracting actual and potential customers to the apartments and that hosts should be more friendly to the guests and open to interact with them on culture, places to visit etc.