Impact of environmental triggers on students’ behavior to use ride-sharing services: the moderating role of perceived risk

Ride-sharing services are a sustainable form of the transportation system that needs to be popularized among students by examining the crucial factors that determine the students’ behavior to use the innovative service. Therefore, this paper attempts to explore students’ behavior regarding the use of ride-sharing services by extending the “Technology Acceptance Model.” The expanded model includes the current TAM structures and integrates contextual stimuli that may or may not affect the ride-sharing service’s behavior. Moreover, the study focuses on determining the moderating role of perceived risk between the proposed relationships. The paper uses PLS-SEM to analyze the research model and determine the results of the hypotheses. The findings of this research are useful for ride-sharing service providers and policymakers who can promote the services among students by reducing the perceived risks and promoting the environmental benefits of ride-sharing. Furthermore, the limitations of this paper pose future research directions.