Environmental knowledge, attitudes, weather, and motivation as determinants of usage intention for shared micro-mobility services (SMSs): A Norwegian perspective

Abstract

The decarbonization efforts within the transportation industry are growing rapidly and micro-mobility has emerged as a sustainable transportation option that is viable for short distance travelling. More importantly, the collective use of transportation tools can further enhance the effort towards decarbonization, as resources are being shared and utilized more frequently. There is a steady increase in the use of shared micro-mobility services (SMSs) in Norway. However, psychological factors that might influence Norwegians’ intention to use SMSs were scantly examined by previous literature. To contribute towards the gap in research, a survey-based study was conducted, and the data were analyzed using the Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. 208 valid respondents were gathered, with 131 users and 77 non-users respectively. Results revealed that unexpectedly, environmental attitude insignificantly impacts behavioral intention to use SMSs, and environmental knowledge itself is insufficient to positively influence behavioral intention to use SMSs. However, intrinsic motivation is effective in mediating the relationship between environmental knowledge and behavioral intention to use SMSs. This indicates that knowledge alone is insufficient, instead promoting user communities through targeted educational initiatives and localized campaigns may foster intrinsic motivation toward SMS adoption. Furthermore, weather conditions portrayed the ability to directly influence behavioral intention to use SMSs. The findings have presented a possibility for stakeholders to focus on avenues to intrinsically motivate Norwegians to use SMSs. Moreover, a robust micro-mobility infrastructure, such as shielded and heated micro-mobility pathways, is essential as weather conditions have proven to impact the usage intention of SMSs.