Lånecykelsystemet Styr & Ställ - En fallstudie om dess roll i att främja den lokala delningsekonomin i Göteborg

Abstract

Background and problem discussion Sharing economy is a concept that has emerged the recent years and that has gained momentum around the world. The concept is hard to define, but the original purpose is access over ownership to increase resource efficiency, reduce climate impact and contribute to create social relationships between users. The positive associations of the concept have led to more people wanting to attribute their initiatives as sharing economy, which has resulted in a decoupling from the original purpose. Gothenburgs bike sharing system Styr & Ställ is described by the municipality as a sharing initiative that can promote the development of sharing economy in the city. However, the system is not marketed as a sharing initiative and currently it has a relatively low utilization, which may question the initiative’s ability to contribute to the sharing economy in the Gothenburg. Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify different definitions of sharing economy and to investigate how they differ. The purpose is also to explore Styr & Ställ's possible connection to the sharing economy in Gothenburg and how the system contributes to it. Method The essay is written with a qualitative method and an abductive approach. A case study has been executed on the bike sharing scheme Styr & Ställ in Gothenburg. Primary data has been gathered from seven interviews of persons that are employed within the local sharing economy, Styr & Ställ, the City of Gothenburg and sustainable mobility. Secondary data has been collected through a literature study. Results and conclusion The results reveals that there are diverse definitions of the concept of sharing economy in concerned organizations. Some of the definitions can be connected to other proximate definitions. It is considered that Styr & Ställ has potential to contribute to the local sharing economy in Gothenburg. Concluding, by marketing the bike sharing scheme as a sharing initiative, this contribution can become greater.