Page 188 - Proceeding of Atrans Young Researcher's Forum 2019_Neat

“Transportation for A Better Life:
Smart Mobility for Now and Then”

23 August 2019, Bangkok, Thailand

carpooling has two forms of exchange between attitude toward carpooling. Aknin et al. found that
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carpoolers: 1) a driver can give a service in exchange people felt more happiness if they spent their
for some monetary compensation (i.e. so called personal resources with the ones whom they have
“exchange a service”); and 2) a driver can give a seat intimate relationships. In the context of carpooling,
for free as if he/she is “donating” a space in his/her carpoolers have to offer the seats in their cars (only
car to riders (p. 5). These forms are similar to the for drivers) and spend their personal time (both
concept of sharing as defined by Belk 38-39 . They drivers and passengers) with other participants.
stated that there are two forms of exchange between Thus, carpoolers who have stronger ties among each
carpoolers. Casual carpool is an example of true other should report more happiness that those who
sharing which has “no compensation involved” (p. weaker ties. Two hypotheses can be derived as
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1597) . However, collaborative consumption, follows:
“people coordinating the acquisition and distribution
of a resource for a fee or other compensation” H6: Carpoolers with stronger social ties formed
without permanently transferring of ownership or among each other show higher level of
assets, has “a middle ground between true sharing happiness than carpoolers with weaker social
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and marketplace exchange” (p.1597) . These ties as well as non-carpoolers;
definitions are thus consistent with “donating” and H7: Carpoolers with stronger social ties among
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“exchange a service” provided by Standing et al. . each other show higher positive attitude
Table 3 summaries the similarity of the definitions towards carpooling than carpoolers with
provided by the two different fields. Furthermore, weaker social ties as well as non-carpoolers.
research on motivation to carpool indicated that
instead of receiving monetary outcomes, carpoolers An operationalisation of the level of social ties
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received psychological outcomes such as empathy, is needed. Chan and Shaheen suggested that there
socialization and enjoyment 10,40 . Thus, it can be are three types of relationships among carpoolers.
concluded that the positive outcomes of carpooling The acquaintance-based carpool is carpools formed
include monetary and non-monetary compensations among families, friends and coworkers. The
as well as other psychological outcomes. organisation-based carpool is carpools formed
through memberships of organisations. The ad-hoc
Table 3 Forms of exchanges between carpoolers carpool or casual carpool is carpools formed among
participants who have little relationship between
each other. However, the definition of acquaintance
varied dependent on the level of interaction and
intimacy among people . These authors suggested
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that social ties can be explained in terms of their
strength. Granovetter identified social ties in terms
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of strong and weak ties. This suggests that the
relationships among carpoolers should be classified
as being “strong ties”, “weak ties” and “ad-hoc”.
Aknin et al. suggested that the strong ties should
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Source: adapted from Standing et al. and Belk 38-39 consist of good friends, close family members and
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romantic partners while the weak ties should consist
of acquaintances, coworkers, classmates and friends
2.7 Social Ties of friends. Joy proposed three tiers of social ties
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Social ties have an influence on and defined these based on the level of emotional
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carpooling . Participants who have higher levels of expectations. The first tier (close friends) and the
trust and strong social ties are easy to be formed such second tier (good friends) have medium to high
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as immigrants who have strong ethnic ties and emotional expectations while the third tier (hi/bye
family members who attached with their family ties . friends and just friends) has lower emotional
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This suggests that the higher the level of intimate expectations. From these instances, Table 4
relationships among carpoolers the more likelihood illustrates examples of relationships among
of success in forming carpool. carpoolers according to the level of social ties. It can
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Happiness is an affect whereas affects or be stated that the strong ties consist of good friends,
dispositions can influence attitude toward the close friends and romantic others while the weak ties
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behaviour . Thus, happiness can influence the

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