Crowdshipping delivery: a double perspective for a more sustainable last-mile

Crowdshipping has emerged as a platform-mediated alternative for last-mile delivery, relying on non-professional individuals who temporarily assume the role of carriers. The scalability of crowdshipping depends on the coordinated engagement of two actors whose decision processes have rarely been examined jointly: individuals willing to act as drivers and receivers willing to select crowdshipping as a delivery option. Existing research considers these actors in isolation, providing limited insight into how motivational stimuli operate across both sides of crowdshipping platforms. Drawing on perceived risk theory and attribution theory, this study adopts a dual-perspective approach to examine how motivational stimuli influence (1) individuals’ willingness to become crowdshipping drivers and (2) receivers’ willingness to choose crowdshipping delivery services. Using the scenario-based experimental methodology, we test the causal effects of different motivational stimuli on behavioral intentions across the two roles. From the potential drivers’ perspective, participation willingness is fostered by safety-related and environmental-related motivational stimuli. From the receivers’ perspective, willingness to choose crowdshipping is primarily driven by intrinsic motivational stimuli (i.e., monetary or safety). Across both perspectives, motivational stimuli operate indirectly through common underlying mechanisms, namely reduced perceived risk and increased trust. By explicitly distinguishing between supply- and demand-side decision processes, this study advances research on crowdshipping and last-mile logistics by demonstrating that while motivational stimuli are role-dependent, the mechanisms through which they operate are shared. The findings offer actionable managerial implications, highlighting the need to tailor 1 motivational structures and communication strategies to the distinct roles of drivers and consumers.