Discrimination in the sharing economy: evidence from a Hungarian field experiment

Abstract

This paper describes small-scale experimental research (total N=160) implemented in Hungary in summer 2017 by TÁRKI, the Hungarian Social Research Centre. The research was based on a controlled field experimental design and examined the chances of ethnically different testers being offered rides on the most well-known international ridesharing platform. The creation of eight experimental profiles enabled us to test the interaction between two experimental stimuli: ethnic/racial background and gender. The present paper provides evidence of ethnic/racial disproportionality in offers of rides to the different testers by multiethnic drivers. A large-size effect was detected in the case of the Arabic male tester and medium size effect in the case of the Chinese male tester. In the cases of a Russian male profile and female testers of all nationalities no evidence of racial or ethnic discrimination was detected compared to our Dutch benchmark profile. Although the pattern is not clear, an interaction effect was present between gender and nationality; as a consequence of this interaction, the Arabic male tester had far less chance of being offered a ride compared to any other combination of gender and nationality.