“Your ride has arrived” – Exploring the nexus between subjective well-being, socio-cultural beliefs, COVID-19, and the sharing economy

Abstract This study aimed to identify and explain different facets of the sharing economy and to differentiate between micro- and macro-mobility services. We also aimed to examine the correlation between the sharing economy and subjective well-being, cultural beliefs, and COVID-19. An exploratory research technique with face-to-face semi-structured interviews was used to collect data from a sample of 22 rideshare app users in a developing country between January and May 2020 and in July 2020. The data were analyzed using the NVivo 12 application. The major findings suggest that, considering their scope and use, sharing economy technology and services can be divided into four major domains: (1) hospitality and dining, (2) retail and consumer goods, (3) media and entertainment, and (4) automotive and transportation. In ridesharing services, the well-being of users is influenced (and suppressed) by eight factors. In addition, socio-cultural beliefs are prevalent in developing markets, and the impact of COVID-19 on the sharing economy is evident. However, the pandemic has promoted the use of micro-mobility services. This study, which contributes to the existing knowledge on the theory of subjective well-being and cultural beliefs, has major theoretical and managerial implications and offers a rich future research agenda.