Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2021 Strategies Uber Drivers Use to Enhance Competitive Advantage for Increased Profits and Incomes Richard Atemie Samuel Hart Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Business Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Management and Technology This is to certify that the doctoral study by Richard Atemie Samuel Hart has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Lisa Cave, Committee Chairperson, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty Dr. Douglas Gilbert, Committee Member, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty Dr. Gregory Uche, University Reviewer, Doctor of Business Administration Faculty Chief Academic Officer and Provost Sue Subocz, Ph.D. Walden University 2021 Abstract Strategies Uber Drivers Use to Enhance Competitive Advantage for Increased Profits and Incomes by Richard Atemie Samuel Hart MBA, University of Benin, 1998 PGD, University of Benin, 1990 BEng, University of Port Harcourt, 1986 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University June 2021 Abstract Uber drivers are usually from economically disadvantaged groups, with most drivers reporting lower incomes than typical workers. Uber drivers who fail to improve their profits and incomes lower their families’ standard of living. Grounded in transaction cost theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore the strategies that Uber drivers use to enhance competitive advantage for increasing their profits and incomes. The participants were six Uber drivers in Lagos, Nigeria who successfully used strategies to enhance competitive advantage and increase their profits and incomes. Data were collected from semistructured interviews, financial transactions with Uber, transactions from car rental companies, and transactions from offline trips with customers. Thematic analysis of the data revealed four themes: technologies, surge pricing and profitable trips, flexible work hours, and customer service and relationships. A key recommendation for Uber drivers is to familiarize themselves with the available technologies and engage in surge pricing. The implications for positive social change include the potential for Uber drivers to achieve long-term sustainable growth, generate employment, reduce poverty, and enhance local communities’ economic well-being. Strategies Uber Drivers Use to Enhance Competitive Advantage for Increased Profits and Incomes by Richard Atemie Samuel Hart MBA, University of Benin, 1998 PGD, University of Benin, 1990 BEng, University of Port Harcourt, 1986 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Business Administration Walden University June 2021 Dedication I dedicate this dissertation to my deceased grandparents, especially Mr. and Mrs. Irojiegbe, who strived and were known for their business entrepreneurship in a palm plantation, clay products manufacturing, and marketing businesses. My late parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tamunoigoni Samuel Moses Hart; wife, Dame Fortune Keyibi Atemie Hart; aunty, Mrs. Oruene Rose Mark Kalio; and brother-in-law, Chief Ngogo Omoni-Alete. They shaped my existence, my combined perception of academic, scholarly, and business interests. I would also like to dedicate this dissertation to my loving children—three sons and two daughters, Kingsley Tamunoala, Kelvin Adonye, Kelsey Kalanne, Kenny Adango, and Kevia Tamunomiebi—for their support, patience, and understanding during my studies. My gratitude to my sister, Mrs. Gloria Ngogo Omoni-Alete; my in-laws, Elder and Mrs. Lawrence Fubara Jumbo; my cousin, Chief Reginald Abbey-Hart; my step brother, Elder Gibson Ogolo; and my friend, Venerable and Dr. (Mrs.) Arinze Asuzu, for their support, prayers, and encouragement. Acknowledgments I am indebted to my doctoral study chair, Dr. Lisa Cave, for the openness, support, and frequent communication throughout the study period. I appreciate the thorough reviews by the second committee member, Dr. Douglas John Gilbert, the university research reviewer, Dr. Greg N. Uche, and the DBA program director, Dr. Susan Davis. I am grateful to my friends, especially Mr. Olu Ogundana, and my colleagues at Walden University who worked tirelessly to support me during the DBA journey. My sincere thanks to the study participants, who contributed immensely to this study’s success, for their commitment to and enthusiasm for data collection and analysis. Table of Contents List of Tables ......................................................................................................... iv List of Figures ..........................................................................................................v Section 1: Foundation of the Study ..........................................................................1 Background of the Problem ...............................................................................1 Problem Statement .............................................................................................2 Purpose Statement ..............................................................................................3 Nature of the Study ............................................................................................3 Research Question .............................................................................................5 Interview Questions ...........................................................................................5 Conceptual Framework ......................................................................................6 Operational Definitions ......................................................................................7 Assumptions, Limitations, and Delimitations ....................................................8 Assumptions .................................................................................................8 Limitations ...................................................................................................9 Delimitations ................................................................................................9 Significance of the Study .................................................................................10 Contribution to Business Practice ..............................................................10 Implications for Social Change ..................................................................11 A Review of the Professional and Academic Literature ..................................11 Transaction Cost Theory ............................................................................14 Alternative Theories...................................................................................21 i Concepts of Collaborative Consumption and Sharing Platform Marketplace....................................................................................26 Uber Drivers’Business Competitive Advantage Strategies .......................32 Overview of the Taxi Industry ...................................................................40 Lagos City ..................................................................................................43 Transition .........................................................................................................45 Section 2: The Project ............................................................................................46 Purpose Statement ............................................................................................46 Role of the Researcher .....................................................................................46 Participants .......................................................................................................48 Research Method and Design ..........................................................................51 Research Method .......................................................................................51 Research Design.........................................................................................53 Population and Sampling .................................................................................56 Ethical Research...............................................................................................58 Data Collection Instruments ............................................................................62 Data Collection Technique ..............................................................................63 Data Organization Technique ..........................................................................67 Data Analysis ...................................................................................................68 Reliability and Validity ....................................................................................73 Reliability ...................................................................................................73