Exploring the determinants of usage continuance willingness for location-based apps: A case study of bicycle-based exercise apps

This paper investigates how mobile app design and social media can be used to influence the intention for continued use of location-based mobile apps. Uses and gratification theory and information systems success model are used to explore the key factors of continued usage intention. Three hundred and fifty-six valid questionnaires were collected to test the research model. The results showed that perceived usefulness, enjoyment, sense of belonging would significantly influence the usage habit and satisfaction of bicycle-based exercise app. In particular, the habit and satisfaction had strong impact on the intention for continued use. This study extended the findings of exercises with mobile apps and provided implications for the developers and operators of fitness and leisure-oriented apps.     

Impact of apps aesthetics on revisit intentions of food delivery apps: The mediating role of pleasure and arousal

Online food delivery (OFD) apps are changing the way we consume food. Despite increasing the popularity of OFD apps, limited studies have explored the reason behind popularity which contributes to the revisit intentions. This study investigates the drivers of revisit intentions by adopting stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory and pleasure arousal dominance (PAD) theory as a theoretical lens. A model is conceptualized by including aesthetic formality and aesthetic appeal of OFD apps as stimuli, pleasure, and arousal as the internal state of the organism, and revisit intentions and word of mouth (WOM) as a response. Data is collected from OFD app users through a survey questionnaire. Findings indicate that aesthetic appeal is associated with pleasure and arousal. Aesthetic formality is associated with pleasure, word of mouth, and revisit intentions. Further, pleasure influences arousal, word of mouth, and revisit intention. The findings also confirmed the mediating role of pleasure and arousal. The study contributes to the practice and theory in the context of online food delivery apps.     

Assessing customer passion,commitment, and word-of-mouth intentions in digital assistant usage: The moderating role of technology anxiety

Consumers develop a passion for the use of innovations, which is a critical determinant of their success. Research has largely examined drivers of initial acceptance of digital assistants (DAs) and has yet to fully understand the factors driving or deterring consumers’ passion towards DAs and the behavioural outcomes. Drawing on the stimulus-organism-response framework, this study examines a unique set of factors (usefulness, ease of use, privacy concern, and localisation) that act as stimuli to drive an organismic state of passion for DAs, and how this produces behavioural responses of word-of-mouth (WOM) intention and commitment to DA use. The study also examines how technology anxiety moderates passion’s impact on WOM intentions and commitment. The findings show that usefulness, ease of use, privacy concern, and localisation are significant explanatory variables of consumers’ passion towards DAs. Furthermore, passion towards DAs results in WOM intentions and commitment to its use. The findings further show that passion’s effect on DAs in explaining WOM intentions and commitment is weakened by technology anxiety. Lastly, passion is the mediating mechanism through which usefulness, ease of use, privacy concern, and localisation impact WOM intentions and commitment. The implications of these findings for theory and practice are highlighted.     

How to achieve consumer continuance intention toward branded apps—from the consumer–brand engagement perspective

Branded mobile applications (apps) serve as useful marketing tools to assist existing and potential customers and greatly motivate consumers to engage with brands. This paper aims to investigate how branded apps achieve consumer continuance intention from the perspective of consumer–brand engagement (CBE). Data are collected from 509 users of Chinese branded mobile applications and analyzed using a structural equation model. Results showed three dimensions of CBE that have unique interrelationships that promote continuance intention. Perceived informational usefulness serve as a utilitarian motivation, while perceived entertainment and social presence as hedonic motivations, all contributing to CBE in different ways.     

The role of utilitarian and hedonic aspects in the continuance intention to use social mobile apps

The purpose of this research is to understand the main factors that determine users’ continuance intention to use social mobile Apps, considering two utilitarian (i.e., perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use) variables and a hedonic (i.e., perceived enjoyment) variable. As social mobile Apps may be utilitarian or hedonic, we aim to evaluate possible differences in the significance of the aforementioned antecedent factors in utilitarian Apps (i.e., TripAdvisor) and hedonic Apps (i.e., Instagram). The data were collected from an international sample of users; the Partial Least Squares method was applied to analyze the research model, using SMARTPLS 3.0. To analyze the moderating effects, a multi-group PLS analysis was carried out to compare the differences between the path relationships in the two Apps. The results show that continuance intention to use is explained by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, satisfaction and user experience (control variable), and the impact of utilitarian variables is generally greater for utilitarian Apps, whereas the impact of perceived enjoyment is higher for hedonic Apps. This study contributes to the general body of knowledge about mobile Apps by providing a comprehensive theoretical foundation and practical implications that illuminate the continuance use of social mobile Apps.     

Determinants of switching intention from web-based stores to retail apps: Habit as a moderator

Online retailers seek to motivate their customers to switch from web-based stores to retail apps as using the latter as a shopping channel has many benefits for retailers compared to web-based stores. This study aims to examine the drivers of customers' intention to switch from web-based stores to retail apps by applying the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S–O-R) model. The moderating role of habit was investigated. Data were collected from 389 Malaysian individuals through an online survey and analysed using the partial least squares technique. The results indicated that performance expectancy has a significant influence on switching intention and is driven by mobile characteristics. Furthermore, effort expectancy has a positive effect on both performance expectancy and switching intention and is triggered by visual complexity and aesthetic quality. The moderating effects of habit on the associations between performance expectancy, effort expectancy and switching intention were not supported. The findings extend the literature on retail apps by exploring the switching intention drivers and testing the moderating effect of culture, which have received less attention. The results enable retail apps' developers and marketers to strategise retail apps development and marketing activities in a way that encourages current web-based stores’ customers to use retail apps as a better alternative.     

Will they pitch or will they switch? Comparing Chinese and American consumers

This study compares the conditions for consumer satisfaction and word of mouth (WOM) between Chinese and American consumers. The authors utilize a between‐subjects factorial design experiment to investigate the effect of service experience (positive or negative) and consumption context (hedonic vs. utilitarian) across these two cultures. Results indicate that consumers perceive higher levels of satisfaction and switching costs, and provide higher WOM intention for positive than for negative service experiences. The relationship between service experience and perceived switching costs is further moderated by consumption context and culture. Of importance is the critical mediating role of consumer satisfaction in driving perceived switching costs and WOM intention. The comparison of Chinese and American consumers also reveals the distinct switching behaviors between the two groups of consumers, which can be explained from a cultural perspective. The study findings provide insights into provider‐switching and WOM‐spreading behaviors by Chinese and American consumers, under hedonic versus utilitarian consumption contexts.     

Examining consumers' continuous usage of multichannel retailers' mobile applications

This paper examines the variables influencing a consumer's satisfaction and continuous use of a multichannel retailer's mobile application. Drawing upon the Expectation Confirmation Model for Information Technologies, post-adoption literature, and consumer behavior literature, we assess pertinent factors on the continuous usage of multichannel retailers' mobile apps. Through a sample of 1009 consumers who retained a retailer's mobile app for more than 6 months and conducting Structural Equation Modelling, the findings illustrate that utilitarian variables (perceived usefulness, ease of use, and personalization), hedonic variables (perceived enjoyment), and a brand-related variable (consumer loyalty intention toward the retailer's brand), play a significant role in influencing continuous usage of multichannel retailers' mobile apps. In contrast to e-commerce research, the study outlines that escapism plays a negative role in both consumer satisfaction and intention to continue to use a multichannel retailer's mobile app. Previous research points to the fact that consumers' retention of retailers' apps is low. This paper contributes to the emerging literature on consumers' continuous use of retailers' mobile apps through enhancing our understanding of technology and non-technology-related variables.     

Impact of online convenience on mobile banking adoption intention: A moderated mediation approach

The purpose of this study to investigate the effect of online convenience dimensions on mobile banking (m-banking) adoption intention using a comprehensive moderated mediation framework. A total of 446 responses from Indian banking users were received using systematic sampling. The covariance-based structural equation modelling and PROCESS macro were used to examine the hypotheses. The results indicated that access convenience, transaction convenience, benefit convenience, and post-benefit convenience have a crucial impact on m-banking adoption intention. The perceived hedonic values and perceived utilitarian values mediate the effects of convenience dimensions on m-banking adoption intention. The study's findings will help banks to identify which dimension/s of online convenience they should focus on over m-banking platforms to enhance adoption intention. As, “Convenience” plays a crucial role in mobile commerce adoption intention. This study attempts to examine how convenience dimensions affect m-banking adoption intention.     

“Yes,we do. Why not use augmented reality?” customer responses to experiential presentations of AR-based applications

Augmented reality (AR) is regarded as a visually transformative technology that enables consumers to gain immersive and enjoyable information about experience products/services during the purchasing process. Based on the stimulus-organism-response (S–O-R) paradigm, this study investigates how experiential AR applications (apps) influence customers' experiential value, in turn enhancing continued usage intention. Furthermore, perceived customer support plays an even more important role in enhancing customers’ continued usage intention. This study obtained data through an online survey of 437 customers of the YouCam Makeup app in Taiwan. We used SmartPLS software to analyze the data and test the hypotheses. The findings suggest that the features of an experiential AR app have a greater positive impact on hedonic value than utilitarian value; in turn, only hedonic value has a positive impact on continued usage intention. The results further demonstrate that the effect of hedonic value on continued usage intention is positively moderated by perceived customer support.     

Three country study: impact of support on employee attitudes

This study examined the mediating effects of perceived organizational support and affective commitment in the relationships among perceived supervisor support, organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) (individual and organizational), and turnover intentions. The proposed relationships were tested by conducting the same study involving restaurant employees in three different countries – India, USA, and South Korea. The mediating effects of perceived organizational support and affective commitment between perceived supervisor support and turnover intentions were found to be consistent across the three countries. However, the relationships among OCBs differed. While affective commitment was significantly related to both OCBs in the South Korean sample, affective commitment was significantly related only to OCBs towards organization in the US sample, and neither relationship was found to be significant in the Indian sample. This study helps to explain how contextual factors influence responses to each study variable and the proposed relationships.     

Health and cosmetics: Investigating consumers’ values for buying organic personal care products

In investigating consumers’ intentions to re-purchase organic personal care products (PCP), this study extends the theory of planned behaviour by including perceived value dimensions as the antecedents of attitude in the model. The findings revealed that most of the hypothesised relationships linking the consumer perceived value constructs (namely, health, safety, hedonic and environmental) with attitude towards the rebuying of organic PCP, were supported. Also, better product knowledge about organic PCP would lead to more positive attitudes towards re-purchasing the product. In contrast, social value was not important in predicting attitude. Similarly, the influence of subjective norm on rebuying intention was not supported. In terms of ranking of importance with regards to prediction of re-purchasing intention, attitude was the most important predictor followed by perceived behavioural control, product knowledge, hedonic value, environmental value and safety value.     

Incorporating consumers' motivations into the theory of reasoned action

Consumers are motivated to engage in activities for many varied reasons. The present study broadens the theory of reasoned action model to include three variables reflecting motivations: hedonic involvement, self‐expressive involvement, and self‐concept congruity. It is suggested that eagerness to engage in a behavior encapsulates emotional commitment, and including this affective variable would further broaden the cognitive approach taken to model a consumer's intention to engage in a behavior. A model that links hedonic involvement, self‐expressive involvement, self‐concept congruity, subjective norm, and attitude toward the behavior to both intentions and eagerness is proposed. In addition, eagerness is posited as a mediator linking these three new variables to intentions. The models are tested with the use of data from 717 adults. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The role of perceived enjoyment and perceived informativeness in assessing the acceptance of AR wearables

Augmented reality smart glasses are a major trend in retailing. However, little is known about the factors that drive customers’ acceptance of these wearables as a channel in stores. Especially, the roles of perceived enjoyment and perceived informativeness for usage intentions of such novel and immersive technologies are unclear. Thus, the authors propose an extended technology acceptance model as an instrument to predict future adoption. The results indicate that perceived enjoyment largely mediates the influence of perceived informativeness and other variables on attitude and usage intention. Further, perceived enjoyment functions as a direct predictor for attitude and in strength even exceeds perceived usefulness. Hence, retailers should consider focusing on joy-related aspects when aiming at the introduction of broadly accepted AR applications in stores.     

手机依赖和信任对消费者移动口碑接收的影响研究

本研究从移动口碑信息接收者的视角,在理性行为理论、媒介依赖理论和信任理论基础上,构建消费者移动口碑接收意愿的影响模型。研究结果发现,信任对消费者移动口碑接收意愿具有显著的正向影响,并通过情感态度对消费者移动口碑接收意愿产生间接影响。手机依赖对消费者移动口碑接收意愿没有显著影响,但通过情感态度对消费者移动口碑接收意愿产生间接影响。     

Conceptualising consumers’ word-of-mouth behaviour intention: evidence from a university education services in Malaysia

The aim of this study is to propose a theoretical model to examine consumer word-of-mouth (WOM) behavioural intention in Malaysian education services. The results from a survey of 247 respondents indicate that servicescape, service recovery, service quality and satisfaction significantly affect consumers’ intention to engage in WOM behaviour. The results support majority of the hypothesized relationships, suggesting that servicescape and service recovery function as antecedents, directly affecting consumer perceptions of education service quality. The analytical results also demonstrate that perceived service quality positively affects satisfaction, which subsequently induces consumers’ behavioural intentions. Consistent with previous empirical studies, our findings suggest that satisfaction is a super-ordinate construct with a positive relation to behavioural intention, and significantly mediates the effect of service quality on the intention to engage in WOM behaviour. The insignificant direct effect from service quality to WOM further suggests the role of satisfaction as a complete mediator in the university education service setting. Implications for future research are discussed and limitations noted.     

For Indian online shoppers,have saying and doing parted ways?

Grounded in the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and based on both perceptual as well as behavioral data, the study explores e‐service quality (e‐SQ) dimensions’ influence on merchandise value perception (MVP) and how these value perceptions, in turn, impact shopper loyalty intention, finally leading to word‐of‐mouth (WOM) and store patronization behavior. The model was tested for measurement and structural validity, mediation by MVP, and moderation by gender. Findings suggest that: (1) e‐SQ dimensions of efficiency and fulfillment have direct effect on MVP; (2) MVP is a key mediating variable facilitating “indirect‐only” mediation between e‐SQ dimensions and online shoppers’ loyalty intentions; (3) mediation by MVP is not moderated by gender; (4) strong association between shoppers’ loyalty intention and intention to spread positive WOM; and (5) “saying” and “doing” are incompatible because online shoppers’ loyalty intentions or WOM do not translate into store patronization behavior.     

Extrinsic and intrinsic motivators for usage continuance of hedonic mobile apps

This study explores intrinsic (i.e., perceived enjoyment, perceived involvement) and extrinsic motivator (i.e., perceived usefulness, convenience, perceived ease of use) for usage continuance of hedonic mobile applications (apps). Satisfaction serves as an important link between motivators and continued willingness to use, therefore its effect was analysed through mediation. Data was collected through an online survey and a total of 720 valid responses were received. Results showed that intrinsic motivators had a significant effect on continued willingness to use (CWU) and extrinsic motivators on satisfaction for hedonic mobile apps. Extrinsic motivators strongly mediate the relationship between intrinsic motivators and satisfaction. Factors related to viewing patterns (i.e., viewing frequency, viewing time) and demographic factors (i.e., age, education) moderated relationships in the model. This study provides significant theoretical and practical implications for researchers in the domain of mobile applications. The study introduces convenience as a determinant of satisfaction and validates the existence of duality for dimensions of motivators.     

Social media adoption behaviour: Consumer innovativeness and participation intention

With the emergence of social media, the trends of selfies have become common across various social networking platforms as a distinctive way of self-presentation. It has aroused the interest of various scholars to comprehend the consumer adoption behaviour for social media. Thus, built on the innovation diffusion theory (IDT) and theory of planned behaviour (TPB) perspective, this paper developed a model to empirically test whether and how critical factors of consumer selfie-posting behavioural intention on social media affect behavioural intention and word-of-mouth to consequently enhancing their adoption behaviour towards social media to post selfies. The data were gathered from 353 young consumers who post their selfies clicked via smartphone on their social media accounts. The results revealed that consumer innovativeness and participation intention directly and indirectly affect consumer adoption behaviour for social media to post their selfies. Additionally, the study identified that among all critical factors, participation intention and perceived behaviour control have strongest influence on behavioural intention to post selfies followed by consumer innovativeness, attitude towards selfie-posting and subjective norms. The study contributes to the extension of TPB by adding participation intention and positive WOM, adoption of social media. This research validated the significant roles of consumer innovativeness, participation intention, positive WOM and intention to post selfies in predicting the adoption behaviour. Practitioners and marketers of social media sites can improve the usability and effectiveness of positive WOM and intention to post selfies to attract more young consumers.     

Bridging the online offline gap: Assessing the impact of brands’ social network content quality on brand awareness and purchase intention

Social media is shaping the way companies and brands engage and interact with consumers, particularly Millennials. In light of this growing trend, this study aims to understand the influence of content quality and brand interactivity within social media on consumers' brand awareness and purchase intentions by proposing an empirical model which is tested using structural equation modeling. The study also explores whether the relation between social media stimuli and offline purchase intention is mediated by hedonic motivation, consumer engagement and brand awareness. Results reveal that the quality of content provided by brands on social media and company-users' interactivity are of major importance to Millennials. They increase the hedonic motive derived by these users from social media, strengthen their online engagement and intensify their brand awareness. This heightened online consumer engagement coupled with an increased online consumer brand awareness leads to an increase in the purchase intention of these brands offline. Consequently, companies are encouraged to invest in producing high-quality content on their social media pages, deploy all possible strategies to enhance brand users’ interactivity given the important role these variables play in entertaining, engaging users online, building brand awareness and influencing their offline purchase intentions.