Risk perception and intention to discontinue use of ride-hailing services in China: Taking the example of DiDi Chuxing

摘要

The rise of ride-hailing services has been phenomenal in China. However, few studies have explored the links between users' perceptions of risk and their intention to discontinue using a ride-hailing services. Here we report on the development of an integrated model to investigate how perceptions of risk play into a person's decision to stop using a particular ride-hailing service taking the Chinese company, DiDi Chuxing as a working example. An online survey of 443 users was conducted and the results were subjected to data analysis. The highlights are: (1) users' perception of physical risk is the most important factor negatively affecting users' trust in drivers; (2) users' trust in drivers has a positive effect on users' trust in the ride service platform and their attitude towards the platform; users' trust in the platform positively affects their attitude towards the platform; (3) users' trust in the platform and attitude towards it negatively affects their intention to discontinue using the service; (4) sex, age, and income differences have significant effects on users' risk perception, trust and intention to discontinue use. The theoretical and practical implications of our results are also discussed. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.