2.4.

3 Perceived Behavioural Control:

Perceived behavioural control (PBC) is an “individual’s perception of internal and external

constraints on behaviour” (Taylor & Todd, 1995, p. 149), describing the perceived ease or
difficulty of performing a certain behaviour. PBC is determined by control beliefs that are
important to be present and the lack of resources and opportunities which are necessary to
perform a certain behaviour in a specific situation (Ajzen, 1991). These control beliefs are often
based on the experiences which people have faced before about the behavior and also include the
other factors that affect the perceived difficulty of performing a specific behavior in positive or
negative ay (Ajzen, 1991). Ajzen (1991) states “the more resources and opportunities individuals
believe they produce, and the fewer difficulties or restriction they expect, the greater should be
their perceived behavioural control over the behaviour” (p. 196).

Important factors like money, time, personal skills, and dependence on others are the control
beliefs as well as perceived power of the control factor under consideration (Ajzen, 1985). In
various studies, PBC has shown to vary between situations and actions (Ajzen, 1991). The
present view of PBC is most compatible with Banduras' (1977; 1982) concept of perceived self-
efficacy which says that how in prospective situations one can act well to deal with it” (Bandura,
1982, p.122). These investigations have shown that the ability to perform in a certain way is
strongly influenced by the confidence of an individual’ behavior (cf. 2.4.3). Under certain
conditions,PBC can Theoretical Frame of Reference 15 be used as a direct predictor for actual
behavioural control (Ajzen, 1991). This may only be realistic with the sufficient information
about the behaviour, the required resources, no change in circumstances, and no other new
elements enter the situation (Ajzen, 1991). If one of these factors changes, PBC will not be a
promising predictor for actual behaviour.

In the case of Uber, the availability of the Uber services as well as the resources which are
required in the form of a smartphone, a credit card with a sufficient amount of credit, or the skills
to use the mobile application, can influence the PBC. A person that does not have the
opportunity to use the Uber services, nor creates the resources, is expected to have a negative
intention to use the services.

Perceived Usefulness:
Perceived usefulness defines to what degree individuals believe that their performance is
enhanced by the usage of a specific technology; Davis' research focuses specifically on job
performance (Davis, 1989). In the case of Uber, perceived usefulness could include job
performance, since Uber can serve as a mode of transport, both to and within work, but the
construct could also be related to performance outside the general scheme of work, for example,
general performance in life. Examples for increased performance via the Uber services could be
that individuals are more relaxed after a pleasant ride with a Uber driver whom they know
through the application because of the data they have about the driver rather then a local taxi
ride, there is increased flexibility, as well as more accurate planning that can enhance the
personal performance. Furthermore, the Uber services offers an individuals to work in the car
during their ride, which enhances the overall performance of passengers. The fact that a customer
saves money by using Uber strengthens their financial performance.

Perceived Ease of Use :

Perceived ease of use describes to what degree a person believes that how effortless using a
particular technology would be for them. According to (Davis, 1989), this construct can lead
consumers to prefer a specific technology over another, all other factors being equal. Studies
supported a positive relationship between perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness,
(Erasmus et al., 2015) where a technology that is effortless will also be perceived as more useful.
In the case of Uber, perceived ease of use relates to both, the use of the Uber mobile application
as well as the Uber services in general. Perceived ease of use might be a positive factor for
individuals who have good knowledge about the technology rather than the people with little or
no knowledge about the usage of mobile application.