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Autonomous delivery vehicles to fight the spread of Covid-19 – How do men and women differ in their acceptance?

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  • Kapser, Sebastian
  • Abdelrahman, Mahmoud
  • Bernecker, Tobias

Abstract

Covid-19 seriously impacts and endangers lives of millions worldwide. To fight the spread of the virus, governments have taken various restricting measures including stay at home orders. Ultimately, the home delivery volume increased significantly, which still bears the risk of human–human infection during the final delivery. From a logisticians perspective, autonomous delivery vehicles (ADVs), which are a contactless delivery solution, have the potential to radically change the way groceries are delivered to customer homes and help to stop the spread of the virus. However, to date, research on user acceptance of ADVs is rare. This paper theoretically extends the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) including gender as a moderator. The study is based on quantitative data collected in Germany through an online questionnaire (n = 501). Data were analysed using structural equation modelling. The results indicate that trust in technology, price sensitivity, innovativeness, performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, social influence, and perceived risk determine behavioural intention. However, some constructs are only significant for women. The findings of this paper have theoretical, managerial and policy contributions and implications within the areas of last-mile delivery and technology acceptance.

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  • Kapser, Sebastian & Abdelrahman, Mahmoud & Bernecker, Tobias, 2021. "Autonomous delivery vehicles to fight the spread of Covid-19 – How do men and women differ in their acceptance?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 183-198.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:148:y:2021:i:c:p:183-198
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2021.02.020
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    4. Jiang, Yi & Lai, Po-Lin & Yang, Ching-Chiao & Wang, Xinchen, 2023. "Exploring the factors that drive consumers to use contactless delivery services in the context of the continued COVID-19 pandemic," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    5. Maher Said & Emma R. Zajdela & Amanda Stathopoulos, 2021. "Accelerating the Adoption of Disruptive Technologies: The Impact of COVID-19 on Intentions to Use Autonomous Vehicles," Papers 2108.01615, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2021.
    6. Shengzhao Wang & Meitang Li & Bo Yu & Shan Bao & Yuren Chen, 2022. "Investigating the Impacting Factors on the Public’s Attitudes towards Autonomous Vehicles Using Sentiment Analysis from Social Media Data," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
    7. Ahmed Karam & Abdelrahman E. E. Eltoukhy & Ibrahim Abdelfadeel Shaban & El-Awady Attia, 2022. "A Review of COVID-19-Related Literature on Freight Transport: Impacts, Mitigation Strategies, Recovery Measures, and Future Research Directions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-27, September.
    8. Łukasz Sułkowski & Katarzyna Kolasińska-Morawska & Marta Brzozowska & Paweł Morawski & Tomasz Schroeder, 2022. "Last Mile Logistics Innovations in the Courier-Express-Parcel Sector Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-25, July.
    9. Agrawal, Shubham & Schuster, Amy M. & Britt, Noah & Mack, Elizabeth A. & Tidwell, Michael L. & Cotten, Shelia R., 2023. "Building on the past to help prepare the workforce for the future with automated vehicles: A systematic review of automated passenger vehicle deployment timelines," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    10. Monika Pröbster & Nicola Marsden, 2023. "The Social Perception of Autonomous Delivery Vehicles Based on the Stereotype Content Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-28, March.
    11. Mishra, Sabyasachee & Sharma, Ishant & Pani, Agnivesh, 2023. "Analyzing autonomous delivery acceptance in food deserts based on shopping travel patterns," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    12. Chong Li & Yingqi Li, 2023. "Factors Influencing Public Risk Perception of Emerging Technologies: A Meta-Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-37, February.
    13. Srinivas, Sharan & Ramachandiran, Surya & Rajendran, Suchithra, 2022. "Autonomous robot-driven deliveries: A review of recent developments and future directions," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    14. Li, Dun & Huang, Youlin & Qian, Lixian, 2022. "Potential adoption of robotaxi service: The roles of perceived benefits to multiple stakeholders and environmental awareness," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 120-135.
    15. AlKheder, Sharaf & Bash, Amina & Al Baghli, Zahra & Al Hubaini, Rahaf & Al Kader, Abedallah, 2023. "Customer perception and acceptance of autonomous delivery vehicles in the State of Kuwait during COVID-19," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).

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