Continuous participation intention in on-demand logistics: interactive effects of order assignment and delivery-related information disclosure strategies

Purpose Couriers are in an unequal relationship with on-demand logistic platforms with regards to order assignment and delivery-related information acquisition, which leads to high courier turnover rates. Based on social cognitive theory and justice theory, this research investigates the impact of order assignment and delivery-related information disclosure strategy on couriers' perceived justice and continuous participation intention and presents managerial suggestions to on-demand logistic platforms to lower the courier turnover rate. Design/methodology/approach Taking Chinese couriers as experimental subjects, this study conducts experiments by constructing an order receiving scene of order assignment strategy (performance-priority vs distance-priority) and delivery-related information disclosure strategy (detailed-information vs brief-information) and analyzes the results of 452 valid respondents. Findings The results indicate that the interaction between order assignment and delivery-related information disclosure strategy in on-demand logistics significantly affects couriers’ continuous participation intention, specifically under performance-priority order assignment and detailed-information (vs brief-information) disclosure strategy. Informational justice and distribution justice play mediating roles, and work experience and proactive personality moderate the relationship interactions. Practical/Social implications The research helps us to understand the order-receiving justice demand and delivery-related information demand of couriers in on-demand logistics platforms and sheds light on cutting down turnover rates through different strategies designs and justice environment construction. Originality/value This research integrates social cognitive theory into on-demand logistics and combines with justice theory to fill platform strategies, couriers’ justice perception and characteristics, as well as behavior into “triadic reciprocal causation.” Meanwhile, it investigates different impacts and interactive relationships of order assignment and delivery-related information disclosure strategy, expands strategies from the impact of operational efficiency to the impact of couriers’ participation and extends the literature of justice perception and individual characteristics in on-demand logistics.