Factors and mechanisms influencing the resilience of peer-to-peer accommodation hosts during the COVID-19 crisis: insights from a qualitative study
by Junjing Wang; Maomao Chi; Rui Huang; Wenjing Li
International Journal of Mobile Communications (IJMC), Vol. 26, No. 2, 2025

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation sector and significantly affected P2P accommodation hosts. The substantial disruption of this sector calls for academic exploration of the mechanisms leading to resilience of P2P accommodation hosts during crises. This qualitative study involved interviews with 19 hosts who successfully navigated the challenges presented by the pandemic. Utilising coping theory and the concept of platform governance, we identified key determinants of host resilience, including threat appraisal, capability appraisal, problem-focused coping strategies, emotion-focused coping strategies, incentive, formal control, and informal control. Our findings revealed that host resilience stemmed from a complex interplay between internal mechanisms and external environment, a dynamic we described as the hosts' coping process. Furthermore, the governance mechanisms of P2P accommodation platform were found to potentially synergise with these coping processes and co-influence resilience outcomes. This study not only extends the application of coping theory to the resilience of micro-entrepreneurs but also provides practical insights for P2P platforms and their hosts to effectively manage and overcome the challenges induced by crises.

Online publication date: Wed, 13-Aug-2025

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