Abstract
Dynamic ridesharing is a derivative of regular carpooling, which enables the formation of carpools on an as-needed basis, usually on very short notice the shared travel purpose also extends to a broad range of activities, beyond work or school. In this paper we propose a model to monitor the adoption of a dynamic ridesharing service, intended here as a mobile service that needs to achieve a critical mass to survive. Our theoretical model is inspired from the SIR model used in epidemiology to control the spread of an infectious virus. We test our model using real-data from two firms offering dynamic ridesharing services. Our model complements the view that innovative services evolve following an S-shaped curve, and it has practical relevance for managers and investors, who want to monitor and compare the evolution of competing firms in the field.
Recommended Citation
Bonazzi, Riccardo and Daolio, Fabio, "Spread like a virus. A model to assess the diffusion of dynamic ridesharing services" (2014). BLED 2014 Proceedings. 5.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/bled2014/5