Utilitarian and altruistic motivations in using car sharing: The moderating role of perceived power

Abstract

While the environmental benefits of car sharing have been highlighted, the motivations for people deciding whether or not to use a car-sharing service remain unclear. This study aims to fill the research gap by proposing and testing a comprehensive model that includes utilitarian (economic benefits and individual reputation) and altruistic (environmental concerns and community belonging) motivations. In addition, this research considers the direct and moderating effects of perceived power, which refers to a perceived psychological ownership leading to a “can-do” state, which has not been examined by previous research. A survey was conducted among 372 individuals who had or had not used car sharing, and data were analyzed using logistic regression. The suggested model had high predictive power for respondents’ reported use or non-use of car-sharing services. Economic benefits, environmental concerns and the interaction between perceived power and economic benefits emerged as significant predictors of the use of car-sharing services. The implications for managers of car-sharing platforms, managers of traditional automobile businesses and public policymakers are discussed.