The Sharing Economy and Disruptive Innovations unit (HGA602)

Introduction

Digital disruptions such as the sharing economy have caused major disruptions for the tourism industry – both positive and negative. Platforms such as Airbnb and Uber, plus Airtasker, UberEats and HomeAway, have transformed the way tourists travel, the way that purchases are made, the way in which employees are hired, the way in which the industry is regulated and ultimately the way in which tourism as an industry is regarded by communities. Further disruptions such as big data have challenged norms of research, the ethics of collecting data and have ultimately challenged our understanding of how the tourism industry works. In this unit, you will tackle these issues by exploring the reasons for the rise of disruptive innovations such as the sharing economy. You will assess positive and negative impacts, from a diverse range of perspectives including those of consumers, tourism operators, the tourism industry and policy makers.

Summary

Unit name	The Sharing Economy and Disruptive Innovations
Unit code	HGA602
Credit points	12.5
College/School	Arts and Society Humanities and Social Sciences
Discipline	Sociology and Criminology
Coordinator	Professor Anne Hardy
Delivered By	University of Tasmania
Level	Postgraduate

Availability

Specific information on 2027 unit availability will be available in August

Learning Outcomes

• Reflect upon and synthesise the complex forces behind the rise of the sharing economy and disruptive innovations
• Critically evaluate the range of products that have emerged as a result of the sharing economy and disruptive innovation
• Critically assess the positive and negative impacts of disruptive innovations on the tourism and cultural heritage industries
• Analyse the impact that the sharing economy and disruptive Innovations has had upon consumer behaviour

Fee Information

2027 fee information will be available in August.

Teaching

Teaching Pattern	On campus: Weekly online modules (3 hours) and fortnightly workshops (2 hours) Online: Weekly online modules (3 hours) and fortnightly online workshops (2 hours)
Assessment	Podcast on the ethics of tracking tourists’ movement. (25%)|Social Media Assessment (30%)|A critical review of the worth of the Sharing Economy in Tasmania (45%)
Timetable	View the lecture timetable | View the full unit timetable

Textbooks

Required	Readings are available via MyLO.

The University reserves the right to amend or remove courses and unit availabilities, as appropriate.