Essays On On-Demand Transportation Services: Innovative Technologies And New Business Models

Abstract

Technological advances in data communication, portable devices, and electronic payment have led innovative businesses to rapid growth in on-demand transportation services enabled by digital platforms. Platforms create value by facilitating communication and matching between supply (vehicles and drivers) and demand (customers). The operation of on-demand transportation services raises unique challenges, including the spatial mismatch between demand and supply and the reliance on independent drivers who act strategically. Breakthroughs in technology (automation and artificial intelligence, among others) and carefully-designed operating policies hold the promise of increasing the productivity and improving the efficiency of these services. In this dissertation, we aim to understand the impact of innovative technologies and new business models in the context of this application on multiple stakeholders, including customers, strategic drivers, and platforms.