Paper Number

ICIS2025-2067

Paper Type

Complete

Abstract

Organizations seek to absorb external knowledge to enhance their innovation capabilities. However, knowledge transfer across organizations can be constrained by communication frictions arising from geographic distance. Existing research suggests that advancements in long-range transportation (e.g., flights) can enable knowledge flows between distant regions. However, it remains unclear whether ride-hailing services, which are more locally embedded, can also mitigate geographic barriers to local knowledge flows. We address this question by leveraging the staggered entry of Uber in different counties across the United States. We find that the introduction of Uber significantly improves inter-organizational knowledge flows (measured by patent citations). Further, our analysis shows that this effect is driven by the increased spatial proximity among organizations facilitated by ride-hailing services. These findings provide novel insights into the impact of ridesharing platforms and offer important practical implications for urban planners and policymakers in fostering regional innovation and economic development.

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Dec 14th, 12:00 AM

Connecting People and Spreading Ideas: Unravelling the Impact of Ride-Hailing on Local Knowledge Flows

Organizations seek to absorb external knowledge to enhance their innovation capabilities. However, knowledge transfer across organizations can be constrained by communication frictions arising from geographic distance. Existing research suggests that advancements in long-range transportation (e.g., flights) can enable knowledge flows between distant regions. However, it remains unclear whether ride-hailing services, which are more locally embedded, can also mitigate geographic barriers to local knowledge flows. We address this question by leveraging the staggered entry of Uber in different counties across the United States. We find that the introduction of Uber significantly improves inter-organizational knowledge flows (measured by patent citations). Further, our analysis shows that this effect is driven by the increased spatial proximity among organizations facilitated by ride-hailing services. These findings provide novel insights into the impact of ridesharing platforms and offer important practical implications for urban planners and policymakers in fostering regional innovation and economic development.

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