Le Dieu Tran ________________________________ Trust in an online hospitality network: An interpretive study of The CouchSurfing Project Supervisor: Raivo Ruusalepp Master thesis International Master in Digital Library Learning 2009 DECLARATION “I certify that all material in this dissertation which is not my own work has been identified and that no material is included for which a degree has previously been conferred upon me” ...............................(signature of candidate) ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my supervisor, Raivo Ruusalepp. Your knack for looking at the “big picture” has been immensely helpful in guiding the process of writing this thesis. I appreciate the time you have taken out of your busy schedule to offer your astute advice, knowledge and encouragement. Tänan väga. To the individuals who I’ve interviewed for this thesis, thank you for your keen participation and sharing your thoughts with me. To the CouchSurfers, I admire your magnanimity and faith in the unknown. To Katherine Howard, Sirje Virkus, Christina Hough and Jacqueline Lee, thank you for reading through my drafts and for your insightful comments. To my professors and lecturers at Oslo University College, Parma University and Tallinn University as well as the DILL scholars and visiting professors, I thank you for imparting your expertise and enthusiasm for the profession with us. Special thanks to Sirje Virkus and Aira Lepik at Tallinn University, your dedication to fostering student excellence both academically and professionally are evident and greatly appreciated. To my fellow DILLers, you have made these past two years a memorable experience. The laughter, challenges and camaraderie, I will certainly remember. I have learned a lot from each of you and hope that our paths will cross at some point in the future. Lastly, to my family, your encouragement and infallible support have carried me through my studies abroad these past two years, I am truly grateful. iii ABSTRACT The aim of this interpretive study is to acquire a deeper understanding of the concept of interpersonal trust in an online community, namely, The CouchSurfing Project. CouchSurfing is an online hospitality network whose purpose is to connect travellers and local hosts offering free accommodations and more importantly, a chance for cultural exchange. CouchSurfers complete online profiles that allow other members to search for and make requests for accommodations based on information on these profiles. In the discombobulated virtual environment, online personas might not reflect reality. Issues of trust and the perceived risks associated with CouchSurfing were explored. The concepts of trust and risk share a close relationship; in order to build trust, it is necessary to minimise the perceived risks. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 6 CouchSurfing members and 6 non- members. Non-members were included in this study in order to obtain a perspective that would be different from those who already prescribe to the CouchSurfing philosophy that is based on the concept of “paying it forward.” Both members and non-members acknowledged that there are risks to participating in CouchSurfing. However, strategies such as control, comparison between risks, possession of self-confidence and scapegoating seem to help mitigate perceived risks. Moreover, this study suggests that the community’s social network acts as an informal method of social control to help foster and sustain trust amongst its members. Thus, it is the human relationships, rather than technologies that are important in nurturing trust. Keywords: trust, risk, online hospitality network, CouchSurfing, social network, online trust iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures........................................................................................................................... vii List of Tables............................................................................................................................ vii List of Abbreviations................................................................................................................ vii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION................................................................................................2 1.1 Motivations .....................................................................................................................................2 1.2 The CouchSurfing Project...............................................................................................................4 1.2.1 CouchSurfing Profiles .............................................................................................................5 1.2.2 Trust in the CouchSurfing Community ...................................................................................8 1.2.3 Rationale for Studying CouchSurfing .....................................................................................9 1.3 Statement of the Problem..............................................................................................................10 1.4 Research Questions.......................................................................................................................11 1.5 Methodology.................................................................................................................................11 1.6 Limitations ....................................................................................................................................12 1.7 Significance...................................................................................................................................12 1.8 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................13 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW...................................................................................15 2.1 Definitions of Trust.......................................................................................................................16 2.1.1 The Stages of Trust................................................................................................................18 2.2 Trust in the Online Environment ..................................................................................................19 2.2.1 Formation of Interpersonal Trust (offline and online) ..........................................................20 2.2.2 Obstacles to Online Trust Formation ....................................................................................22 2.2.3 Mechanisms to Help Establish Online Trust .........................................................................26 2.3 Perceived Risks.............................................................................................................................30 2.4.1 Risk Management Strategies .................................................................................................31 2.4 Existing Research on Trust and Online Hospitality Networks .....................................................32 2.5 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................35 CHAPTER 3: RESEARCH DESIGN .......................................................................................37 3.1 Methodology.................................................................................................................................37 3.2 Sampling .......................................................................................................................................39 3.2.1 Sampling Techniques ............................................................................................................40 3.3 Method of Data Collection............................................................................................................41 3.3.1 Online Synchronous Interviews ............................................................................................41 3.3.2 Member and Non-Member Interview Procedures.................................................................43 3.4 Interview Questions ......................................................................................................................43 3.5 Ethical Considerations ..................................................................................................................45 3.6 Data Analysis................................................................................................................................46 3.6.1 Data Reduction ......................................................................................................................47 v 3.6.2 Data Display ..........................................................................................................................50 3.6.3 Conclusions: drawing/verifying ............................................................................................50 3.7 Reflections on Research Design ...................................................................................................51 3.8 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................52 CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ..................................................55 4.1 Demographic Information of Respondents...................................................................................56