Positive marketing: A new theoretical prototype of sharing in an online community

Positive marketing champions exchange that benefits individuals, firms, and society at large. One method increasingly used to exchange goods is sharing. Sharing describes the non-monetary transfer of goods between actors. Scholars have called for greater understanding regarding an online community's ability to perpetuate sharing. This study uses empirical research to explain the structural elements that facilitate sharing within the Freecycle community. Fifty-seven in-depth interviews are conducted with participants and analyzed using grounded theory. The authors introduce a new theoretical prototype of sharing, provide insight on how modern consumers engage in a sharing activity, and describe the structural characteristics that facilitate sharing within an on-line community.