Effects of trust and customer perceived value on the acceptance of urban air mobility as public transportation

Abstract

Urban air mobility (UAM) is expected to become an innovative mode of public transportation. Although multiple factors may facilitate the adoption of UAM, its implementation may be difficult owing to the lack of customer acceptance and usage intentions. This study proposes a research model to explore the effects of trust and customer perceived value on the acceptance of UAM as public transportation. In this study, empirical data from 573 respondents were collected via an online survey. Additionally, thirteen hypotheses on trust and customer-perceived value were presented, and a relationship model was conceptualized and analyzed using structural equation modeling based on the partial least squares method. The results indicated that all thirteen hypotheses proposed in this study were statistically supported and trust in technology and customer perceived value was found to positively influence the intention to use UAM as public transport. Notably, functional, emotional, and social values were found to considerably affect trust in technology and customer-perceived value; specifically, functional value had the greatest impact in this context. The results of this study validate the importance of trust and customer-perceived value, which should be prioritized in the adoption of UAM as a public transportation service.