Neoinstitutional approaches to common-pool resources: Revisiting Elinor Ostrom’s framework

Motivation: Revisiting the neoinstitutional approach to common-pool resources in light of the increasingly popular concept of the sharing economy.Aim: This article aims to explain the evolution and characterization of common-pool resources, with particular attention to the approach presented by Elinor Ostrom.Materials and methods: The article employs the method of critical analysis of literature, including works by G. Hardin, M. Olson, and E. Ostrom.Results: The review shows that despite the long history of shaping the concept of common-pool resources (CPR), reaching back to Aristotle’s time, researchers still have not unequivocally defined the optimal way to use them. Elinor Ostrom’s research reveals fundamental importance in this regard, in which she makes the functioning of CPRs dependent on accompanying institutions, especially those of a bottom-up nature.