Exploring Under-Researched Operational Barriers Affecting Willingness to Work as Last-Mile Crowdshippers: Evidence From Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine

Abstract

Last-mile crowdshipping, where individuals voluntarily transport parcels, offers solutions for urban logistics but struggles to recruit enough participants—termed ‘critical mass’—to serve as willing to work (WTW) crowdshippers. While previous studies have primarily focused on sociodemographic factors influencing WTW in Western and Southern Europe, there is a significant knowledge gap regarding operational barriers that have received limited research attention, such as privacy, safety, and regulatory challenges in Eastern and Central European countries. This study aims to fill this gap by identifying and evaluating the significance of these rarely examined content-specific barriers that affect WTW. We conducted a comparative analysis in Slovenia, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine to better understand how cultural, economic, and regulatory differences influence these barriers. To achieve this, we employed a mixed-method approach that included surveys, factor analysis, and fuzzy logic to assess the impact of these barriers on two key groups: students and employees. Our study showed strong support for crowdshipping in all three countries. The delivery efficiency and convenience factor (DECF) group ranked highest among Slovenian and Czech participants and second highest among Ukrainian respondents. Both students and employees consistently prioritised this group. In contrast, the privacy and trust-related factor (PTRF) group was the least significant in Slovenia and the Czech Republic and the second least significant in Ukraine. Notably, more barriers were significant for employees than for students, and Ukrainian participants showed the greatest alignment between the two groups. These insights have important implications for crowdshipping providers and policymakers, highlighting the need to address specific operational challenges to enhance participation. This study not only contributes to practical applications but also advances theoretical understanding by providing new insights into underexplored operational barriers and by expanding crowdshipping research into Eastern and Central Europe through comparative analysis.