Unequal time for unequal value: Design implications of differing motivations for participation in timebanking

Abstract

Timebanking is a service-based community currency, built on the principle that everyone’s time is valued equally. It has potential for community building and re-energizing neighborhoods, but it faces several adoption challenges. We report on an investigation of timebanking practices by analyzing a combination of service exchange records from the three largest hOurworld timebanks with over 3,500 members with 33,000 completed service exchanges, and a survey of 446 members of over 120 hOurworld timebanks. Our findings suggest that the ideal of equal time, equal value that is at the foundation of timebanking is a source of tension between members with instrumental versus idealistic and altruistic motivations. We describe a common design framework for community currencies researchers and system developers. It suggests that future peer-to-peer systems must incorporate different rewards and incentives in order to accommodate users with different motivations.