Exploring the drivers of experiential outcome intentions among driverless bus passengers

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationships among the dimensions of bus-riding flow experience, relationship quality, and experiential outcome intentions. The data used in this study were acquired from a convenience sample of 535 passengers riding on driverless buses in Hengli Metro Station Bus Terminal of Guangzhou in China. The empirical results display that the dimensions of bus-riding flow experience (goal clarity, curiosity, positive affection, immersion, utility, and sensory challenge) and trust positively influence psychological ownership. Moreover, both trust and psychological ownership positively affect satisfaction. In addition, trust, satisfaction, and psychological ownership positively influence commitment, which in turn leads to the dimensions of experiential outcome intentions (experiential loyalty intention, experiential word-of-mouth intention, experiential riding intention, and willingness to ride on driverless buses). Finally, theoretical and practical implications based on study findings were outlined and recommendations for future research were made.