Continuous participation intention in on-demand logistics: interactive effects of order assignment and delivery-related information disclosure strategies
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-12-2021-0747 |
| Published date | 23 August 2022 |
| Date | 23 August 2022 |
| Pages | 2417-2439 |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management,Information systems,Data management systems,Knowledge management,Knowledge sharing,Management science & operations,Supply chain management,Supply chain information systems,Logistics,Quality management/systems |
| Author | Quanwu Zhao,Jiamin Yuan,Yuqing Liu,Jiaqin Yang |
Continuous participation intention
in on-demand logistics: interactive
effects of order assignment and
delivery-related information
disclosure strategies
Quanwu Zhao, Jiamin Yuan and Yuqing Liu
Chongqing University, Chongqing, China, and
Jiaqin Yang
Georgia College and State University, Milledgeville, Georgia, USA
Abstract
Purpose –Couriers are in an unequal relationship with on-demand logistic platforms with regards to order
assignment and delivery-related information acquisition, which leads to high courier turnover rates. Based on
social cognitive theory and justice theory, this research investigates the impact of order assignment and
delivery-related information disclosure strategy on couriers’perceived justice and continuous participation
intention and presents managerial suggestions to on-demand logistic platforms to lower the courier
turnover rate.
Design/methodology/approach –Taking Chinese couriers as experimental subjects, this study conducts
experiments by constructing an order receiving scene of order assignment strategy (performance-priority vs
distance-priority) and delivery-re lated information disclosure strate gy (detailed-information vs brief-
information) and analyzes the results of 452 valid respondents.
Findings –The results indicate that the interaction between order assignment and delivery-related
information disclosure strategy in on-demand logistics significantly affects couriers’continuous participation
intention, specifically under performance-priority order assignment and detailed-information (vs brief-
information) disclosure strategy. Informational justice and distribution justice play mediating roles, and work
experience and proactive personality moderate the relationship interactions.
Practical/Social implications –The research helps us to understand the order-receiving justice demand
and delivery-related information demand of couriers in on-demand logistics platforms and sheds light on
cutting down turnover rates through different strategies designs and justice environment construction.
Originality/value –This research integrates social cognitive theory into on-demand logistics and combines
with justice theory to fill platform strategies, couriers’justice perception and characteristics, as well as behavior
into “triadic reciprocal causation.”Meanwhile, it investigates different impacts and interactive relationships of
order assignment and delivery-related information disclosure strategy, expands strategies from the impact of
operationalefficiency to the impact of couriers’participation and extendsthe literature of justice perception and
individual characteristics in on-demand logistics.
Keywords On-demandlogistics, Order assignment strategy, Delivery-related information disclosure strategy,
Justice perception, Continuous participation intention
Paper type Research paper
1. Introduction
Crowdsourcing logistics is considered a “revolutionary change of urban distribution”(Punel
and Stathopoulos, 2017) and is defined as outsourcing delivery tasks to individuals outside
Participation
intention in
on-demand
logistics
2417
Funding: This research was supported by the Humanities and Social Sciences Foundation Program of
the Ministry of Education (Project No. 19YJA630122), the Technological Innovation and Application
Program of Chongqing (Project No. cstc2019jscx-mbdxX0008) and the National Social Science Fund of
China (21BGL246).
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at:
https://www.emerald.com/insight/0263-5577.htm
Received 9 December 2021
Revised 22 March 2022
11 June 2022
Accepted 29 June 2022
Industrial Management & Data
Systems
Vol. 122 No. 11, 2022
pp. 2417-2439
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0263-5577
DOI 10.1108/IMDS-12-2021-0747
organizations (Chiu et al., 2014). The on-demand logistics as a new business mode of
crowdsourcing logistics has been popular in China since 2008, and the representative
platforms include Meituan, Eleme, DADA and Hemaxiansheng (Chinese online delivery
platforms). The on-demand logistics ecology in China is shown in Figure 1. According to
Chinese Industrial Information statistical data, the Chinese on-demand logistics order was
about 24.4 billion in 2020 with year-on-year growth of 31.9%.
On-demand logistics platforms differ from traditional e-business platforms because their
operations depend on couriers in conjunction with customers, sellers (solvers) and the
platform. However, couriers are in an unequal relationship with platforms, especially in terms
of order assignment strategy and delivery-related information acquisition, and they lack
strategy explanation and delivery-related information acquisition which leads to orders
being difficult to complete and uncertain revenue. As a result, courier mobility is high, and the
courier annual turnover rate of Meituan exceeds 70%, for example, with the average working
time of registered couriers at China’s Chongqing service station only three months. To
alleviate this conflict, the Chinese State Administration for Market Regulation published
Instructions for Implementing the Responsibilities of Online Catering Platforms and Protecting
the Rights and Interests of Food Delivery Couriers (hereinafter referred to as Instructions). In
response to Instructions, platforms now provide flexible time-windows and time-
compensation for couriers but have yet to optimize related strategic information
disclosure. To meet Instructions requirements and cut courier turnover rates in on-demand
logistics platforms, courier demands should be investigated from the perspective of order
assignment and delivery-related information disclosure strategy.
Platforms satisfy participants’demand and achieve operational objectives through
various strategies, including price strategy represented by incentive strategy (Zhou et al.,
2021) and non-price strategy represented by information strategy, orders strategy and game
strategy among others (Xu et al., 2021;Sun et al., 2020;Yang et al., 2021). Current research on
platform strategy has focused on technical improvements of matching efficiency, as well as
seller (solver) and costumer acquisition and retention. Xu et al. (2021) studied the impact of
information disclosure strategy on customers trust and purchase intention in
accommodation-sharing platforms, while Yang et al. (2021) explored the influence of
evaluation and feedback strategy on solvers participation in competitive crowdsourcing
Figure 1.
On-demand logistics
ecology in China
IMDS
122,11
2418
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