The service quality imperative: Sustaining ridesharing adoption in the developing world

Abstract

This study aims to assess user perceived quality and its impact on sustaining the adoption of app-based ridesharing services in the context of a developing country. Adopting the E-S-QUAL model as a theoretical framework, data have been collected from 250 ride-sharing app users in Bangladesh. Utilizing the PLS-SEM method, the structural model confirms that service quality is a hierarchical second order model which extensively impacts customer satisfaction and positively affects service loyalty. Specifically, fulfillment, security & privacy, system availability, and efficiency factors of e-service quality emerged as significant determinants of user loyalty and satisfaction. In addition, customer satisfaction fully mediates the relationship between service quality and intention to continue using the ridesharing services. The findings highlight the role of delivering high-quality digital services in fostering customer loyalty, commitment, and retention in the ride-sharing domain, particularly in developing economies. In addition, this study highlights that Bangladeshi perspectives on the sharing economy emphasize the need for better infrastructure, improved safety and privacy for women, and affordable, reliable service, insights that are also relevant for other emerging economies. Theoretically, this study extends the research of ridesharing services by applying the well-established E-S-QUAL framework while assessing the mediating role of customer satisfaction in ensuring service viability. Practically, it provides implications for ride-sharing platforms to enhance service attributes such as responsiveness, timeliness, and system reliability, thereby improving user experience and encouraging continued usage.