Determining factors and impacts of the intention to adopt mobile banking app in Cameroon: Case of SARA by afriland First Bank

This study aims to know what are the factors determining the adoption of M-Banking app among customers in Cameroon. In other words, what are the factors that influence users in their decisions to adopt and use a system or technology such as the MBanking app, and indirectly, what is the impact of this use on both the customers and financial inclusion? The research model developed relying on a combination of Technology Acceptance Model (TAM ), Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology ( UTAUT2 ), Information System Success Model ( ISSM ), and Protection Motivation Theory ( PMT ) and other constructs; it was then tested with a sample of 223 users of the “ SARA” M-Banking app of the financial institution called “ Afriland First Bank” . Findings revealed that: (1) utilitarian expectation, hedonic motivation, and status gain, habit, and perceived privacy concern have a significant influence on the intention to adopt M-Banking apps; and (2) the exploitative/explorative use of this technology has an impact on user’s loyalty and satisfaction but also contributes strongly to fostering financial inclusion in Cameroon. Also, the Multi-group analysis was performed on the sample using 2 gender-based groups (males, n=121; females, n=102).     

Empirical Generalizations in Search Engine Advertising

This article compares prices per click and search engine advertising (SEA) effectiveness across six countries and 15 industries over four years. We find that prices per click are highest in the United States and United Kingdom, as well as in the financial and Internet services industries, but are lower in retail than in services industries. In highly competitive markets, increases in SEA expenditures may increase prices per click that do not necessarily lead to higher advertising effectiveness, here measured as a higher number of clicks. To analyze and compare advertising effectiveness across industries, we decompose the effect of increases in SEA expenditures on prices per click (price effect) and number of clicks (quantity effect). A cross-country, cross-industry study shows that 44 percent of the increase in SEA expenditures is associated with more clicks and 56 percent with higher prices.     

Modeling Consumers’ Adoption Intentions of Remote Mobile Payments in the United Kingdom: Extending UTAUT with Innovativeness,Risk, and Trust

Mobile payments (MPs) are predicted to be one of the future's most successful mobile services but have achieved limited acceptance in developed countries to date. PCs are still the preferred technology for online shopping in the United Kingdom but the continued growth of mobile commerce (MC) is highly correlated with the success of remote MPs (RMPs). Currently MP research has largely ignored the variations between different MP solutions, and existing MP adoption studies have predominantly utilized Davis’ (1989) Technology Acceptance Model, which has been criticized for having a deterministic approach without much consideration for users’ individual characteristics. Therefore, this study applied the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), extended with more consumer‐related constructs, to explore the factors affecting nonusers’ intentions to adopt RMP in the United Kingdom. Quantitative data were collected (n = 268) and structural equation modeling was undertaken. The findings revealed that performance expectancy, social influence, innovativeness, and perceived risk significantly influenced nonusers’ intentions to adopt RMP, whereas effort expectancy did not. Inclusion of MP knowledge as a moderating variable revealed that there was a significant difference in the effect of trust on behavioral intention for those who knew about MP than for those who did not. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications, particularly for the development and marketing of RMP, which will support the long‐term success of MC.     

搜索引擎对网络购买意愿的影响研究

根据消费者网络购买决策理论,人们在线购买行为要从搜索产品信息开始。本文从消费者的视角切入,采用结构方程模型方法研究搜索引擎对网络购买意愿的影响。研究表明,搜索引擎排名和搜索成本对在线消费者的购买意愿存在影响,并根据消费者专业能力的不同,对搜索引擎排名与态度之间存在调节关系。     

中小企业实施搜索引擎营销策略分析

搜索引擎是中小企业的一种有效网络营销手段。目前比较吸引企业的搜索引擎营销模式主要有搜索引擎竞价排名、关键词广告、搜索引擎优化等。中小企业搜索引擎营销策略包括基于搜索引擎的网站优化策略、基于搜索引擎的网站推广策略、基于搜索引擎的广告投放策略、基于搜索引擎的信息收集策略．以及这些策略综合形成的组合。随着搜索引擎市场规模不断扩大并稳步发展,我国搜索引擎用户数量快速增长,用户对搜索引擎高度认可并广泛使用,搜索引擎营销的前景广阔。     

Why Do Consumers Go Internet Shopping Again? Understanding the Antecedents of Repurchase Intention

Consumer intention of reusing online websites for shopping is a major consequence for an electronic commerce company's profitability. Therefore, understanding the factors that influence online customers' repurchase intentions is of great importance to the EC companies. Drawing on specific dimensions of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), Information Systems continuance model, Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), and empirical findings from prior studies as antecedents, the related factors were adapted and integrated within the context of Internet shopping repurchase intentions and were tested in a field study. Empirical data for hypotheses testing were collected from the online virtual store of 7-ELEVEN in Taiwan, yielding 444 valid samples. The results show that online consumer repurchase intention is determined by satisfaction, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and Internet shopping self-efficacy. Satisfaction is influenced by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, confirmation, and positive Internet shopping experience. Perceived usefulness, in turn, is influenced by behavior modeling, positive Internet shopping experience, Internet shopping self-efficacy, and confirmation. Confirmation is affected by positive Internet shopping experience and behavior modeling. In addition, confirmation has significant effects on perceived ease of use. Finally, positive Internet shopping experience appeared to have a significant impact on Internet shopping self-efficacy. From the empirical data, meaningful findings and conclusions are derived, and suggestions for future research are also discussed.     

The antecedents of complaint behaviour for Brazilian and French consumers of services

Using a cross‐cultural approach, this study investigates customer satisfaction after a service failure and recovery experience, considering (i) the influence of perceived justice on satisfaction; (ii) the impact of satisfaction on consumer repurchasing and complaint intentions; (iii) the moderating role of the customer cultural orientation; and (iv) the relevance of contextual variables. Based on a survey of 298 consumers from Brazil and France, the results indicated that (i) distributive and interactional justice influenced satisfaction; (ii) satisfaction was a significant predictor of repurchase intentions; (iii) satisfaction influenced third‐party, private and voice responses; and (iv) the level of the customer relationship, the severity of the failure and the responsiveness of the firm were significant contextual variables. Moreover, the individual‐level analysis suggested that only power distance cultural orientation was a significant moderator.     

Determinants of consumers’ intentions to use smartphones apps for flight ticket bookings

This study examines customers’ adoption and acceptance of smartphone apps to book their flight tickets. By integrating customers’ innovativeness, involvement and perceived trust as additional variables, this study extends the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and proposes a theoretical model that includes seven explanatory variables of the customers’ behavioural intentions: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, customers’ innovativeness, customers’ involvement and perceived trust. Data were collected from 369 customers who had booked their flight tickets via smartphone apps and was further analysed by employing partial least squares (PLS). Findings suggest that performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, customer innovativeness and perceived trust are positive and significant determinants of customers’ intentions to book their flight tickets on smartphone apps. Accordingly, several important implications for academics and industry decision makers are formulated.     

Enjoyment and social influence: predicting mobile payment adoption

Models of technology adoption, notably the Technology Acceptance Model and the Unified Theories of Acceptance and Use of Technology, provide good theoretical foundations for understanding mobile payment adoption. This study extends these frameworks by incorporating perceived enjoyment, social influence, knowledge and perceived risk. Replications of established theories are tested in a new context of young people's adoption of mobile payment. Subsequent hypotheses test an extended theoretical framework using an online survey (N?=?316). The extended model improves previous models by explaining 62% of variation in intention to use. Against expectations, perceived ease of use had no significant effect on perceived usefulness and intention to use. The study contributes to advancing understanding of perceived enjoyment which had no direct effect on adoption intention but a significant effect on perceived ease of use and usefulness. Social influence reduces perceived risk, and further contribution is made by noting that perceived enjoyment lowers perceived risk.     

Consumers’ technology-facilitated brand engagement and wellbeing: Positivist TAM/PERMA- vs. Consumer Culture Theory perspectives

In recent years, growing attention has been devoted to consumer engagement with brands through emerging technological (e.g., social media/artificial intelligence-based) platforms. However, despite important advances, much remains unknown regarding the effect of consumers’ technology-facilitated brand engagement (CTFBE) on their wellbeing, thus posing an important research gap. To explore this gap, we first define CTFBE as a consumer’s boundedly volitional resource investment in technology-mediated brand interactions. We next outline two approaches to CTFBE and its effect on wellbeing. First, adopting a positivist approach, we propose a framework that incorporates the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)-informed CTFBE antecedents of consumer-perceived technology usefulness and -ease-of-use, in addition to goal salience and network position. In turn, we contend that CTFBE affects the PERMA-based consumer wellbeing facets of Positive Emotions, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishments. Second, in adopting Consumer Culture Theory (CCT), we address CTFBE-related wellbeing from sociological, anthropological, and cultural perspectives. We outline CCT’s importance for CTFBE¹ in the following areas: (i) brand/consumption communities, (ii) consumption myths, rituals, and practices, and (iii) consumption and identity issues. Finally, we introduce the papers contained in this Section and offer an agenda for further research.     

Pecking Order Theory versus Trade-Off Theory: are service SMEs�� capital structure decisions different?

This paper seeks to analyse if the capital structure decisions of service small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are different from those of other types of firm. To do so, we consider four research samples: (i) 610 service SMEs; (ii) 126 service large firms; (iii) 679 manufacturing and construction SMEs; and (iv) 132 manufacturing and construction large firms. Using the two-step estimation method, the empirical evidence obtained in this study shows that the capital structure decisions of service SMEs are different from those of other types of firm. Service SMEs’ capital structure decisions are closer to the assumptions of Pecking Order Theory and further removed from those of Trade-Off Theory compared with the case of other types of firm.     

On the optimal number of advertising slots in a generalized second-price auction

In search advertising, a search engine uses a generalized second-price auction to sell advertising slots adjacent to search results on its webpage. In this paper, we study an interesting question related to the design of the generalized second-price auction: how should a search engine strategically decide on the number of advertising slots? To answer this question, we analyze the implication of varying the number of slots in a base model in which the click-through rates are assumed to be independent of the number of slots. When deciding the number of slots, we find that a search engine’s profit is based on two counteracting factors: the incremental clicks from an extra slot and the influence of the extra slot on advertisers’ payments per click. Our analysis characterizes the conditions for optimality of the number of slots and the implications of different distributions for advertiser valuations. We also extend the base model to allow for attraction and cannibalization of clicks from existing slots by new ad slots and show how such effects affect the optimal number of slots. Our overall results show that search engines need to optimize the number of ad slots offered for auction in order to maximize profit.     

Determinants of Small Business EDI Adoption: An Empirical Investigation

Given the importance of widespread adoption for the success of electronic data interchange (EDI) and the "much-slower-than-anticipated" growth of EDI adoption in small businesses, in this study we aimed to identify the key determinants of small business EDI adoption. Based on prior research on IT/EDI adoption in large/small organizations, a model that incorporates 7 factors that are hypothesized to have influence on the EDI adoption decision was developed and empirically tested against data collected from 627 small businesses, with 38% of them having already adopted the technology. The findings suggest that in the eyes of small businesses, EDI still is not considered as something that enables a business to gain major strategic benefits or competitive advantages. Although perceived costs are found to be major impediments to adoption, small businesses tend to have an "unbalanced" treatment between direct and indirect benefits, focusing more on those that are immediate and direct rather than on long-term, indirect benefits. Furthermore, prior EDI experience and perceived level of support from the vendor are also important determinants of EDI adoption in small businesses. Implications to Internet-based EDI systems are also discussed.     

Ewom and 2.0 Opinion Leaders in the Food Context: A Study with a Sample of Spanish Food-Related Weblogs

There is no doubt that the arrival of the internet has modified dramatically the way and rhythm of our lives which it reflects directly on our consumption patterns and the way in which individuals interact and search for information. Online platforms, generally known as web 2.0, are usual websites where consumers read reviews from other consumers before making a final decision. In turn, opinion leaders emerge preponderantly within this context exerting an unequal amount of influence on the decision of others. The food sector is not apart from this scenario. This study dives into web 2.0 and ewom with reference to food topics in the Spanish arena. For that purpose, a group of opinion leaders in regard to food aspects is selected. Afterwards, the content of the ewom they emit is determined by means of a cluster analysis. This information is of great importance for businesses and professionals in marketing. Discussion and further lines of research are also included in order to guide interesting future studies.     

Investigating Antecedents of Behavioral Intentions in Mobile Commerce

ABSTRACT

Despite the importance of mobile commerce (m-commerce) as an emerging channel of communication, marketing, and sales in business, few studies address how consumers decide to use m-commerce. In this study, we develop a conceptual framework for investigating the role of the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and perceived enjoyment in determining consumers' intention to use m-commerce. We also investigate the importance of social influence in determining intention to use m-commerce. We draw on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to develop our theoretical model. The empirical examination of our research model indicates that extrinsic and intrinsic motivations positively impact intention to use m-commerce. The current research model and its results could provide a rigorous basis for understanding consumers' behavior in wireless contexts.     

‘Tweet dreams are made of this,who are we to disagree?’ Adventures in a #Brave New World of #tweets, #Twitter, #student engagement and #excitement with #learning

ABSTRACT

The paper contributes to the current debate for the need to develop creative assessment strategies designed to enhance greater collaboration and levels of engagement amongst diverse student groups lending itself to deeper learning in postgraduate marketing courses. Through an innovative use of social media (Twitter), students are encouraged to engage and comment on communication and advertising in their lived world. The paper provides a qualitative analysis of student reflections on a Twitter-based assessment activity. Reflective accounts are analysed on the basis of the Technology Acceptance Model by addressing students’ perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness of Twitter as an effective tool in creating learning and engagement opportunities as well as debate and discussion within formal and informal learning environments.     

Search Engine Optimization and Pay-per-Click Marketing Strategies

Any e-commerce venture using a website as the main shop front should invest in marketing its website. In this study, the relationship between website owners having invested in search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC), respectively, is investigated. The design used in this research involves an empirical field experimental approach in which implementation of both SEO and PPC are considered, with subsequent comparison of results. Data were gathered from Google search results after performing both Fat Head and Long Tail key-phrase searches based in various categories. Websites that were listed among the top 10 in the sponsored section of search results were recorded. These websites were then checked to see if they also had an SEO ranking within the top 100 for both the Fat Head and Long Tail key-phrases. It is found that website owners seldom invest in SEO as part of a search engine marketing (SEM) campaign. This seems to confirm some of the findings by other authors. This research has important implications for SEO and PPC practitioners, and for website owners. It should influence the way budgets on search engine marketing are applied. Finally, it could be used by marketing managers in better utilizing their limited SEM dollars. No evidence could be found that this kind of empirical research has been done, hence the results are considered to be unique.     

SMS-based surveys: strategies to improve participation

The advertising industry is increasingly using mobile technology to communicate and research. This paper examines the use of the short messaging service (SMS) on mobile phones to recruit samples for probability web and telephone surveys. The influence of topic salience, sponsor identity and repeated contacts on decision to participate in the survey is tested through an experimental design. Results indicated that sponsor identity and repeated contacts have an effect on decision to participate, but topic salience did not. The majority of respondents preferred the web survey alternative over telephone survey mode, and the main advantage of using SMS is the high speed of response. However, the method appears to elicit higher levels of participation from male and younger members of the population.     

Paid search: The innovation that changed the Web

Search engines are key to the operation of the World Wide Web. This centrality, however, presents challenges: search engine providers face the problem of revenue generation when users expect free content, while advertisers need to attract the interest of searchers. The innovation that effectively addresses these challenges is the use of text advertisements based upon search topic, known as paid search. The method entails advertisers competing for top listing position through bidding in ongoing auctions and then paying when users click on their advertisements, making paid search a flexible and accountable form of advertising. Since its introduction in 1998, paid search has become the dominant form of online advertising and led to Google's $140 billion market capitalization in 2006. This article analyzes the emergence of paid search and the mechanics of its operation, and offers managers guidance on its effective usage.     

Search,purchase, and satisfaction in a multiple-channel environment: How have mobile devices changed consumer behaviors?

The rapid adoption of smartphones and increasing reliance on the mobile Internet is influencing consumers’ shopping behavior with traditional Internet devices (e.g., desktop and laptop computers) and in stores. This research examines the effects of consumer perceptions of channels (i.e., mobile devices, computers, and offline stores) on their choices of search channels, purchase channel, and satisfaction level with the purchase channel. Using survey data from a sample of U.S. consumers, we find supplemental effects of mobile devices on computers do not alter the traditional substitution relationship between computers and stores during the search. The cross-channel effects indicate that perceived purchase benefits and costs of stores affect the purchase channel selection of mobile devices and computers, respectively. Satisfaction levels were highest when purchases were made on mobile devices. The insights from this study can help managers increase the effectiveness of advertising in different media and target distinct segments of consumers who rely on multiple channels for search and purchase.