Generational cohorts’ social media acceptance as a delivery tool in sub-Sahara Africa motorcycle industry: The role of cohort technical know-how in technology acceptance

Abstract

Scholars have explored the applicability of social media technology in diverse fields. However, its significance as a delivery tool in the sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) motorcycle industry lacks literature. Motorcycles for product delivery are one of SSA's largest informal employments to generational cohorts. Motorcycles are crucial for product mobility and passenger conveyance in SSA, and it is currently the most outsourced logistics that drive the SSA online commerce ecosystem. With the financial challenges of the SSA motorcycle industry, generational cohorts of this economic sector have adopted social media technology for delivery purposes. Even though this phenomenon is realized among the predominated Generation (Gen) X, Y, and Z, no research has explored the area. However, motorcycle studies are based on actors, organizations, politics, forms of service regulation, safety, health, environmental impacts, and spatial patterns, creating a significant gap in social media adoption, usage, and importance. Therefore, the study aims to assess the effects of the factors influencing the recent adoption of social media technology for delivery operations and the difference in social media acceptance and application between Gen X, Y, and Z in the SSA motorcycle industry using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The novel findings show the theoretical extension of the adopted theories by introducing cohorts' technical know-how (TKH), which positively influences cohorts' social media adoption and application. It also confirms the differences in generational cohorts' technology intelligence and acceptance. Generally, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitude influence generational cohorts to adopt social media for delivery purposes. Cohorts' perceived risk was insignificant, and the predictors of the TAM and TPB model partially mediate the positive relationship between TKH and intention to use social media as a delivery tool. The study's findings have theoretical and business implications, which are discussed in detail in the conclusion. But generally, the findings will service as a guide for logistics companies to integrate a cost-effective technology into their system. It will help policymakers of the various African states to revise the ban on motorcycle usage for commercial purposes.