Gender roles in sustainable mobility: Exploring E-scooter adoption intentions in a developing country through an integrated TPB-UTAUT framework

While the knowledge on demographic determinants such as age and income on micro-mobility adoption trends has been growing in the last few years, there are still literature gap in regard to the role of gender. Therefore, this study aims to examine a set of determinants potentially influencing the behavioral intention to adopt electric scooter (e-scooter) sharing systems among current non-users emphasizing on gender differences. For this purpose, we conducted an e-survey, with 449 complete responses from Babol’s residents in Iran. Once the data was gathered, an integrated theoretical framework was developed by synthesizing constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). The data were analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA). Results show that perceived behavioral control, subjective norms (pertaining to peers and media influences), perceived value, and environmental concerns have a positive influence on the self-reported intention to engaging in e-scooter usage. Conversely, perceived risk had a significant and negative influence on intention, that was consistent across genders. Notably, the sharing tendency did not emerge as a significant predictor of the intention to use e-scooters. These insights inform strategies to promote this eco-friendly transportation mode, enhancing social inclusion by tailoring interventions to diverse gender-specific needs, a pivotal contribution of this work. Moreover, it provides critical insights into determinants of e-scooter sharing adoption, advancing social inclusion by informing gender-tailored strategies to promote this sustainable mode, a key contribution that supports effective, inclusive interventions for diverse user segments.