Ride on Conveniently!: Passengers' Adoption of Uber App in an Emerging Economy

This study investigates the passengers' adoption of a ride-sharing service app (UBER) in Bangladesh. This study employed the most widely used and cited IT adoption model, The Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology-2 (UTAUT2), as the theoretical framework to examine the passengers' adoption of the popular sharing economy tools ride-sharing service applications (i.e., Uber). This study adds a new construct, safety, in the UTAUT2 model. Data were obtained from 206 participants which were analyzed using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicated that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, hedonic motivation, and facilitating conditions are the most significant determinant factors of behavioral intention to use the Uber app. In contrast, behavioral intention to use the Uber app is not significantly influenced by price value and safety. Additionally, the theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed, which elicits the importance for business managers, marketers, and policymakers on sharing economy platforms.