Trust transfer and the intention to use app-enabled carpooling service

Abstract

PurposeIn China, with the rapid dissemination of mobile communications technology along with congested traffic and increasingly expensive transportation costs, consumers are turning to smartphone-enabled, ride-sharing services. Sharing economy requires trust in strangers. Based on trust transfer theory and a dyadic conceptualization of trust from cognitive to affective, the purpose of this study is to examine trust building through the use of Didi, a third-party, ride-sharing platform that mediates exchanges among strangers.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modeling (SEM) results based on 242 observations indicate that the platform functions as an important enabler of trust, which influences a consumer's behavioral intention.FindingsSpecifically, Didi's reputation and security assurance have a positive influence on passengers' cognitive trust in drivers. There is also evidence that the interaction as mediated by the app between passengers and drivers helps the formation of affective trust, while the results do not support a relationship between cognitive and affective trust.Originality/valueThe research findings address trust transference between participants in the sharing economy and its effects, which have significant theoretical and practical implications and offer opportunities for future research in other sectors of the sharing economy.

Carpooling in times of crisis: Organizational identification as a safety belt

“…Our results support previous research and confirm that carpooling is strongly determined by individuals’ trust level ( Wu and Neill, 2020 ). Indeed, our results, in line with Tsai et al (2021) highlight a direct effect from trust on the intention to carpool.…”

Exploring non-users' intention to adopt ride-sharing services: Taking into account increased risks due to the COVID-19 pandemic among other factors

“… Shao et al (2020) indicated that government support and platform reputation are the main factors that affect consumers’ intention to continue to use ride-sharing services. Wu and Neill (2021) verified that platforms affect consumers’ trust and then affect their intention to adopt ride-sharing services. Lee and Cha (2022) confirmed that anti-consumption affects the formation of consumers’ trust in the ride-sharing service.…”

Carpooling Platforms as Smart City Projects: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Literature Review

“…On the other side, lack of trust is a major barrier for carpooling, especially for women. People are more likely to carpool either within closed carpooling schemes, such as within organizations [34], or within platforms with a reputation-based scheme that help increase trust [38,39].…”