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Article

Understanding Value Propositions and Perceptions of Sharing Economy Platforms Between South Korea and the United States: A Content Analysis and Topic Modeling Approach

Dongguk Business School, Dongguk University, Seoul 04620, Republic of Korea
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Sustainability 2025, 17(15), 7028; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157028 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 30 May 2025 / Revised: 24 July 2025 / Accepted: 29 July 2025 / Published: 2 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability)

Abstract

The sharing economy (SE) has rapidly expanded to become a key component of the global economy. However, as SE platforms evolve, a growing disconnect may exist between the value propositions companies emphasize and the values consumers actually perceive. Do the value frames communicated by SE companies align with those perceived as important by consumers, and how does this alignment differ across cultural contexts such as South Korea and the U.S.? Drawing on two complementary studies, we examine value alignment between SE companies and consumers in South Korea and the U.S. Study 1 employs content analysis of marketing messages from 246 SE platforms across five sectors, identifying the core value propositions emphasized. Study 2 applied structural topic modeling (STM) to consumer reviews from major SE platforms in both countries, focusing on three sectors: accommodation, service exchanges, and second-hand transactions. The findings reveal that SE companies in both countries primarily emphasize functional and economic values, with U.S. companies placing greater additional emphasis on emotional and social values than their South Korean counterparts. Similarly, consumers in both countries value functional, emotional, and economic aspects, showing general alignment with company marketing communications. However, South Korean consumers tended to emphasize functional and economic values more, while U.S. consumers were relatively more oriented toward emotional and social values. Notably, sustainability, widely regarded as a core principle of the SE, was not strongly emphasized by either companies or consumers. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of value dynamics in the SE and offer practical implications for developing culturally informed and value-driven marketing strategies.
Keywords: sharing economy (SE); value proposition; value perceptions; cross-cultural comparison (South Korea & U.S.); content analysis; structural topic modelling (STM) sharing economy (SE); value proposition; value perceptions; cross-cultural comparison (South Korea & U.S.); content analysis; structural topic modelling (STM)

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MDPI and ACS Style

Gu, J.; Kim, D.Y.; Chun, S.; Lee, J.S. Understanding Value Propositions and Perceptions of Sharing Economy Platforms Between South Korea and the United States: A Content Analysis and Topic Modeling Approach. Sustainability 2025, 17, 7028. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157028

AMA Style

Gu J, Kim DY, Chun S, Lee JS. Understanding Value Propositions and Perceptions of Sharing Economy Platforms Between South Korea and the United States: A Content Analysis and Topic Modeling Approach. Sustainability. 2025; 17(15):7028. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157028

Chicago/Turabian Style

Gu, Jing, Da Yeon Kim, Seungwoo Chun, and Jin Suk Lee. 2025. "Understanding Value Propositions and Perceptions of Sharing Economy Platforms Between South Korea and the United States: A Content Analysis and Topic Modeling Approach" Sustainability 17, no. 15: 7028. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157028

APA Style

Gu, J., Kim, D. Y., Chun, S., & Lee, J. S. (2025). Understanding Value Propositions and Perceptions of Sharing Economy Platforms Between South Korea and the United States: A Content Analysis and Topic Modeling Approach. Sustainability, 17(15), 7028. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17157028

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