Ownership or Access? : A study of mobility services in the access economy

Abstract: The access economy is a business model emphasizing temporary access and usage over permanent ownership, centered on the renting of products among individuals or organizations. Endorsed by the media, analysts, and researchers, access-based services, which allow customers to pay for the temporary use of a product without owning it, have gained popularity in various consumer and business-to-business industries, including mobility, fashion, and mechanical equipment. However, many providers of such services face difficulties attracting and retaining customers, scaling their businesses, and achieving profitability. Against this backdrop, the objectives of this research are, first, to understand how service providers in the access economy can create value for their customers to promote higher customer adoption and sustained retention rates, and second, to understand how collaboration within an ecosystem can facilitate value creation in the access economy. The thesis draws on consumer and business marketing literature to examine ownership and access dynamics. It uses the mobility service sector as a context to analyze the access economy. Four different types of access-based mobility are analyzed: carsharing, car subscriptions, e-scooter rental, and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS). The papers appended to the thesis use different methods, including a systematic review, two case studies, a survey, and a conceptual study to address the research purpose. The analysis is conducted from three different perspectives: customer, service provider, and ecosystem, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of value creation in the access economy. The thesis contributes to the literature on the access economy by identifying various business models within access-based mobility and emphasizing the role of collaboration among ecosystem actors. Furthermore, it provides practical implications for service providers to improve their offerings and attract more customers.