An elaboration likelihood model of perceived safety risk in ride-sharing continuance: Platform quality cues as antecedents and gender as moderator

Abstract

Understanding the platform-related factors affecting consumers’ perceived safety risk to maintain their continuance intention is crucial for the survival and growth of ride-sharing platforms and for promoting ride-sharing. Drawing on the elaboration likelihood model, this study develops a theoretical framework to examine how platform quality cues influence perceived safety risk and continuance intention. In this, platform service quality (PSQ) and platform information quality (PIQ) are identified as central cues, while platform system quality (PSysQ) and platform reputation (PR) are considered peripheral cues. Additionally, the study explores gender’s moderating role in the relationships between platform quality cues and perceived safety risk, as well as the relationship between perceived safety risk and continuance intention. Using data from an online survey of users of China’s ride-sharing platforms, our results show that PSQ, PIQ, PSysQ, and PR significantly reduce perceived safety risk. We also find that females rely more on the central cue of PSQ, whereas males emphasize the peripheral cues of PSysQ and PR when assessing safety risk. Further, the perceived safety risk is proven to have a stronger impact on continuance intention for females than for males. The study contributes to a better understanding of how platform quality cues as key contextual cues affect perceived safety risk and the boundary condition of the effects. Managerial suggestions for ride-sharing platforms are also discussed.