Use Of Ridesharing Platforms In A Developing Country: A Boundary Object Theory Perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to understand the use of ridesharing platforms in a developing country. Ridesharing platforms have attracted many studies. A review of the studies suggests knowledge gaps which warrant research attention. First, the literature on ridesharing platform overlooks explaining the goals of actors on the platforms. Second, previous research also tends to be silent on explaining how the platforms enable or constrain the realisation of actors’ goals. This research gap can be addressed through a theoretical lens which exclusively accommodates both the social and technical aspects of ridesharing platforms. However, theoretical applications predominantly focus more on other phenomena such as agency theory for shared use of resources and platform theory for entry of ridesharing platform with less research attention on actors’ actions, interactions, and transactions across boundary objects (platforms). Thus, there is a need to use boundary object theory to understand actors’ activities across boundaries. Finally, extant research is silent on how contextual factors such as business climate and government regulations potentially influence ridesharing platforms use. Such knowledge is critical to a developing country context, as ridesharing platforms has received mixed reactions. To address the research gaps, this study, therefore, uses three questions, (1) Why do actors (drivers and riders) use ridesharing platforms? (2) How do ridesharing platforms enable or constrain the realisation of actors’ goals? (3) What contextual factors influence actors’ use of ridesharing platforms and the achievement of their goals? Responding to the research questions, this study employed the interpretivist research paradigm, the qualitative methodology, the case study method, and the boundary object theory to understand the use of ridesharing platforms in Ghana, a developing country in sub-Saharan Africa. Thus, the study seeks to explore the phenomenon for developing countries using Uber and Dropping ridesharing platform companies as case studies from Ghana. The cases were selected via theoretical sampling. The participants were also selected through snowballing and purposive sampling. The findings show that drivers use ridesharing platforms because of the following goals: linkage, flexibility, traffic update, unrestrictedness, and security. Riders also use ridesharing platforms because of the following goals: mobility, legitimacy, accountability, security, and convenience. The findings also show that drivers and riders have personal goals for using ridesharing platforms. Some drivers pursue personal goals to maximise revenue illegally such as accepting riders outside the platform. Some riders also pursue personal goals such as endangering drivers. Comparably the personal goals of riders tend to be more undesirable since drivers are endangered and violent crime is sometimes committed. Addressing these are critical especially in the context of developing countries where public transportation still remains a challenge and thus, ridesharing platforms are necessary for both employment and public mobility. This may require a combined effort of law enforcement agencies (e.g., the Ghana Police) and other authorities (e.g., driver unions). In terms of process, the findings show that ridesharing platforms enable drivers and riders to perform: 1) user-boundary actions – platform entry, platform utilisation, user identification, user set-up, and user rating; 2) user-boundary interactions – platform connection, users’ update, pick-up interactions, and end trip interactions; and 3) user-boundary transactions – booking transaction, trip transaction, and service transaction. The platforms, on the other hand, constrain drivers and riders from achieving their goals, namely, registration, information and reversal, location, and complaint constraints. The findings also show contextual factors that prevent drivers and riders from using ridesharing platforms in developing countries. The factors are internet outages, poor digital address system, lack of public phone charging systems and services, working condition, and car model. The study’s findings also show that innovations are coming up from drivers and riders due to the contextual factors. The innovations include drivers' and riders' interactions outside the boundary objects via text message and/or phone call for location identification, use of power bank to charge mobile phone battery rundown, and multiple users across different ridesharing platforms. Also, cars used by drivers have become part of the boundary object with tracking system and camera that can be stopped remotely when snatched by thieves. The thesis contributes to knowledge in terms of theory, research, practice, and policy. For theory, the study advances knowledge on the use of boundary object theory for studying a phenomenon involving a divergent group of users’ actions, interactions, and transactions across boundaries. The study also adds one concept to the theory called user-boundary transactions. Furthermore, this study introduces ridesharing platforms as boundary objects. For research, the study contributes to ridesharing platform literature. First, ridesharing has been introduced into a context which has a tradition of how cars are accessed and used from a public perspective and traditional riding is a social and physical infrastructure phenomenon. Second, however, ridesharing is a digital-enabled service which needs physical infrastructure. But in developing countries that physical and digital infrastructures are under-developed. Hence, for these to work efficiently, adaptations are occurring on the perspective of digital, physical, and social infrastructure. For practice, the study provides new insight into the use of ridesharing platforms, such as how drivers’ and riders’ profiles can assist security agencies to investigate post-trip activities in case of taxi fraud. For policy, the study provides lessons and guidelines for policy formulations in developing countries to guide ridesharing platforms in the sharing economy. The findings are limited to one developing country and the choice of interpretive research paradigm. These contributions from the study have been published in one book chapter and three conference papers. Furthermore, this study is the first to use the boundary object theory to understand users’ actions, interactions, and transactions across multiple organisations.