AN INTEGRATED CONCEPTUAL MODEL OF THE IMPACT OF E-HAILING ON DRIVERS' QUALITY-OF-LIFE: INSIGHTS FROM A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

The past decade has brought with it numerous strenuous calamities on the global economy, among others, these include pandemics, trade wars, geopolitical tensions. This has subsequently impacted some individuals’ quality-of-life due to heightened levels of anxiety, job losses, increased poverty and inequality, to mention a few. However, extent literature argues that the growth of sharing economy platforms such as e-hailing services present socioeconomic opportunities that can potentially enhance e-hailing drivers’ quality-of-life, subsequently contributing towards several Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. A caveat, however, is that the correlation between e-hailing platforms and their effect on drivers’ quality-of-life is an under explored area. This in turn, presents an ambiguous judgement on the role of these platforms towards enhancing ehailing drivers’ welfare. Leveraging the methodological rigor of a systematic literature review, this study interrogates the impact of e-hailing on e-hailing drivers’ quality-of-life. Results reveal that although these platforms indeed offer employment opportunities, flexible working conditions, and prospects to supplement one’s income, studies have emerged detailing the negative impact posed by e-hailing platforms on drivers’ well-being, such as income instability, safety issues, lack of employment benefits, and lengthy working hours. The value of this study lies in its proposition of a multi-dimensional conceptual model that can be utilized to interrogate e-hailing drivers’ subjective perception of these platforms on their well-being and quality-of-life. This conceptual study further provides approaches for testing the proposed theoretical framework.