Determinants of Efficiency of SMEs Transport Operations in Tanzania: A Case of Mkuranga District
Abstrak
Transport costs remain a heavy burden for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in peri-urban Tanzania, where weak infrastructure and poor coordination limit operational efficiency. Guided by the Technology Acceptance Model, this study examined the effects of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and intention to use digital mobility platforms on transport operation efficiency among SMEs in Mkuranga District, Pwani Region. A cross-sectional survey design with a quantitative approach was adopted. Structured questionnaires were administered to SME operators selected by simple random sampling, and 153 usable responses were obtained (73.2%). Reliability, descriptive, correlation and multiple regression analyses were performed. The regression model was significant, and explained 72.6% of the variance in transport operation efficiency. Intention to use had the strongest effect, followed by perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. The study concludes that digital mobility platforms can improve the transport efficiency of peri-urban SMEs. It recommends that operators deepen their use of the platforms and that policymakers and platform providers strengthen digital infrastructure, digital skills and platform reliability.
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