Application of the extended value-belief-norm (VBN) theory to understand consumers' intention to use autonomous delivery vehicles (ADVs)

Ju Chunhua; Wang Shuo; Hu Zhirong; Lin Li-Wei; Yu Jing

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20244

Application of the extended value-belief-norm (VBN) theory to understand consumers' intention to use autonomous delivery vehicles (ADVs)

Heliyon. 2023 Sep 17;9(9):e20244. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20244. eCollection 2023 Sep.

Authors

Ju Chunhua¹, Wang Shuo², Hu Zhirong³, Lin Li-Wei⁴, Yu Jing⁵

Affiliations

¹ Zhejiang Gongshang University Modern Business Research Center, E-commerce and New Consumption Research Institute, Zhejiang Financial College, Hangzhou, China.
² School of Business Administration, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou, China.
³ Electronic Commerce and Business Big Data Engineering Laboratory, Zhejiang Gongshang University. Hangzhou, China.
⁴ College of Business Administration, Fujian Jiangxia University, Fuzhou, China.
⁵ Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Macau University of Science and Technology. Macau, China.

Abstract

Emissions from transportation fuel vehicles are polluting the environment more than ever before. Currently, autonomous delivery vehicles (ADVs) are welcomed by logistics service providers and lots of consumers in general for their significant contribution in reducing environmental pollution and increasing delivery efficiency. However, there is a lack of in-depth research on consumers' willingness to adopt ADVs, despite the fact that ADVs are innovative delivery method in the field of last-mile delivery. The purpose of the study is to expand the existing knowledge of consumers' adoption behaviors by developing and testing the extended Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) theory in autonomous delivery literature. In particular, the study adds subjective norms and COVID-19 risk into the original VBN model as a theoretical framework to gain a comprehensive understanding of the consumer decision-making processes with respect to their intentions to use ADVs. Structural equation modeling is conducted using data from a web-based survey of 561 consumers through an online sample platform. The results of the study demonstrated that both subjective norms and COVID-19 risk are all related with consumers' intention to use ADVs. The casual chain hypotheses of the extend VBN theory mentioned in our study are all supported. The results of the study make significant theoretical and managerial contributions to the field of last-mile delivery and the adoption behaviors of emerging technologies.

Keywords: Autonomous delivery; Autonomous delivery vehicles; Behavioral intention; COVID-19 risk; Subjective norm; The last-mile delivery; Value-belief-norm (VBN) theory.