International Journal of Internet and Enterprise Management, 9(3), 214-247.

Anja Herrmann-Fankhaenel
Innovation Research and Technology Management,
Chemnitz University of Technology,
Thueringer Weg 7, 09126 Chemnitz, Germany
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Abstract: The sharing economy is of international interest. It is said to be an
international phenomenon – however, is there one ‘sharing economy’ or are
there differences between countries? By means of a content analysis of texts
available on online sharing economy platforms, this study contributes to an
understanding of the sharing economy as an embedded component of the
economy and of society. Two countries, Germany and Vietnam, are considered,
and an international collection of 280 evaluated online platforms serves as the
dataset. Asking which of these international online platforms are available in
these two countries and, in a second instance, comparing their features with one
another provides an idea of their similarities and differences. On the basis of
this, assumptions are made in order to conduct further research on the
international aspect of the sharing economy. In a broader perspective, it points
to how the sharing economy and the frame of a country-specific system,
including its economy and culture, shape it. This is relevant for all actors such
as individuals, enterprises, institutions, and academics who are part of the
sharing economy.
Keywords: sharing economy; Vietnam; Germany; online platforms; sharing
concepts; qualitative content analysis; field research.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Herrmann-Fankhaenel, A.
(xxxx) ‘The sharing economy in Germany and Vietnam – is it internationally
uniform?’, Int. J. Internet and Enterprise Management, Vol. X, No. Y,
pp.xxx–xxx.
Biographical notes: Anja Herrmann-Fankhaenel is a Research Associate at the
Chair Innovation Research and Technology Management at the Chemnitz
University of Technology. She obtained her Master’s in Management and
Organisation Studies. Her main research interest is the international sharing
economy. From this starting point, she investigates in related innovation,
business models, and international differences and challenges as well as social
entrepreneurship, sustainable development, and solidarity in economy.

1 Introduction
As a new, international phenomenon the sharing economy is increasingly a focus of
practitioners and academia because it is linked to every part of everyone’s everyday life.
The sharing economy online platforms are based on concepts such as collaborative
consumption, crowdsourcing, and co-owning in every conceivable form and sector. Some