The influence of platform incentives on actual carriers’ continuous participation intention of non-vehicle operating carrier platform

Abstract

Purpose Non-vehicle operating carrier platform is a typical crowdsourcing logistics platform that has achieved rapid development in China in recent years, and the sustainable development of non-vehicle operating carrier platform is underpinned by a large and stable professional user group. The purpose of this paper is to understand what platform incentives are available and to explore the influence mechanism of these incentives on actual carriers’ continuous intention to participate in non-vehicle operating carrier platform. Design/methodology/approach Based on organizational institution theory and behavioral motivation theory, the paper established the influence mechanism model of platform incentives on actual carriers’ continuous participation intention of non-vehicle operating carrier platform. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed by Road Transportation Management Bureau of Zhejiang Province and a third-party questionnaire survey platform, and 176 valid questionnaires were collected. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method based on PLS estimation was used to analyze the data. Findings The results revealed that the platform incentives have a significant influence on actual carriers’ continuous participation intention. The influence of the reputation incentive is the most profound, ranking first. The influence of the resource incentive is second to that of reputation incentive, ranking second. The influence of the bonus incentive ranks third. The operating cost perception, social value perception and functional value perception have significantly mediating effect. Furthermore, the mediating effect of social value perception and functional value perception is significantly higher than that of operating cost perception. Originality/value This study revealed the influence mechanism of platform incentives on actual carriers’ continuous participation intention of non-vehicle operating carrier platform. The relevant research results provided references for the establishment of platform incentive mechanism.