The Effects of Gratification, Trust, and Platform Quality on the Continuance Use of Ride-Sharing Services in a Developing Country

Abstract

The advent of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has enabled the rise of ride-sharing services allowing individuals to access and request rides at a reasonably lower fee and their convenience thereby disrupting the delivery of traditional taxi services. Despite the promise of this sector, Information Systems (IS) research indicates a dearth of research examining the post-adoption behaviour of individuals in this sector. Furthermore, the concentration of studies in the developed world where the ride-sharing economy is more advanced has created an aperture of studies in the developing world. Relying on data from 133 respondents of ride-sharing services in Ghana and the Uses and Gratification (U&G) theory, we develop and analyze a model using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to understand the effects of gratification, trust, and platform quality on the continuance use of ride-sharing services. Our findings revealed that enjoyment, integrative benefits, trust, and platform quality significantly influence satisfaction. Furthermore, satisfaction was found to positively influence the continuance use intention of ride-sharing services. The moderating effects of education and user experience showed support for some relationships. Our findings, provide valuable insights into the post-adoption behaviour of users in the ride-sharing economy and offer some implications and future research directions.