Do ride-hailing drivers' psychological behaviors influence operational performance?

PurposeThe proliferation of ride-hailing businesses brings significant considerations for improving the driver's operational performance. Informed by the literature on sharing economy, general deterrence theory and protection motivation theory this research investigates the behavioral factors impacting ride-hailing drivers' operational performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors empirically test the antecedents impacting a ride-hailing driver's operational performance using an online survey dataset comprising 513 ride-hailing drivers working for Uber and Lyft in the United States.FindingsRide-hailing drivers' intention to comply with the ride-hailing company guidelines results in better operational performance for the driver. Moreover, drivers believe that ride-hailing companies have effective penalties to deter drivers from violating company guidelines. However, drivers also believe that the chances of being caught while ignoring the company guidelines are low.Practical implicationsThe results of this research support the decision-making processes of ride-hailing company managers and offer insights on how managers can enhance the operational performance of their drivers.Originality/valueThis study provides unique contributions to emerging research at the intersection of peer-to-peer asset sharing, behavioral studies and technology management. This research is one of the first to explore the role of behavioral factors such as coping mechanisms on the operational performance of sharing economy workers.