The influence of national culture on the attitude towards mobile recommender systems

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2013 Elsevier B.V.This study aimed to identify factors that influence user attitudes towards mobile recommender systems and to examine how these factors interact with cultural values to affect attitudes towards this technology. Based on the theory of reasoned action, belief factors for mobile recommender systems are identified in three dimensions: functional, contextual, and social. Hypotheses explaining different impacts of cultural values on the factors affecting attitudes were also proposed. The research model was tested based on data collected in China, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Findings indicate that functional and social factors have significant impacts on user attitudes towards mobile recommender systems. The relationships between belief factors and attitudes are moderated by two cultural values: collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. The theoretical and practical implications of applying theory of reasoned action and innovation diffusion theory to explain the adoption of new technologies in societies with different cultures are also discussed.National Research Foundation of Korea Grant funded by the Korean governmen

Exploring user behaviours on mobile technologies combined with payment functions during the COVID-19 pandemic

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Information Management, specialization in Information TechnologiesWith the extensive spread of smart mobile devices, mobile technologies and services have revolutionised and pervaded significantly in most aspects of human life, such as social communication, commerce, entertainment, etc. Various industries have integrated services and products with mobile financial transaction technologies, facilitating the payment services combined with various mobile applications. The wide adoption of mobile transactions has increased the efficiency of transaction processes, met the expectations of customers and the requirements of enterprises, and supported the social-economic development in different scenarios, especially under the pandemic situation. Understanding mobile device users’ perceptions and behaviours on mobile technologies combining payment functions under the COVID-19 pandemic situation has reinforced the need to embark on a deeper investigation of customer behaviours during the pandemic. For these reasons, this study contributes to the advancement of knowledge and implementation methods for a better understanding of the determinants of customers’ behavioural intentions of using mobile technologies combined with payment functions in a total of seven separate studies. The investigation begins with a systematic literature review on mobile payment studies presented in chapter two. This research is augmented by investigating users’ continuance usage intention of mobile payments under the COVID-19 pandemic in chapter three. The fourth chapter analyses the determinants of continuance usage intention of food delivery apps during the pandemic. Chapters five and six present two theoretical development studies about the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and UTAUT2, respectively. The seventh chapter investigates customers’ psychological shopping processes via live-streaming shopping apps during the pandemic lockdown period. In epistemological terms, this study involved conjoint positivist and interpretivist research in behavioural information systems research. A qualitative research method was applied in chapters two, five and six, and a quantitative research method was implemented in the third, fourth and seventh chapters. The main theoretical foundations applied and validated in three empirical studies were UTAUT and UTAUT2. Specifically, chapter three integrates UTAUT with Mental Accounting Theory, the fourth chapter combines UTAUT with the Expectancy Confirmation Model, and chapter seven integrates UTAUT2 with the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework and Flow theory. This study found that performance expectancy, social influence, and trust significantly affect users’ behavioural intentions in all three empirical studies. Customers’ mental cognitions, such as perceived benefits, satisfaction, flow and perceived value, positively formulate users’ behavioural intention in the three studies, respectively. Hedonic motivation and flow significantly influence users' behavioural intention when mobile technologies contain payment and entertainment features. Moreover, this study contributes several theoretical and practical implications. This study facilitates the advancement of knowledge of mobile technologies adoption through three verified theoretical frameworks and two proposed developed theoretical models and appropriate measurement methods. Meanwhile, this study supports relevant stakeholders in mobile technologies, enterprises, policymakers, service providers, and marketing departments with valuable findings and discussions for comprehensively understanding the determinants of customers’ behaviours on mobile technologies combined payment function

The driving factors of continuance online shopping: Gender differences in behaviour the case of Saudi Arabia

This study proposes a revised technology acceptance model that integrates expectation confirmation theory to measure gender differences with regard to continuance online shopping intentions in Saudi Arabia. The 465-respondent sample consists of 68.8% women and 31.4% men. A structural equation model confirms model fit. Perceived usefulness, enjoyment, and subjective norms are determinants of online shopping continuance in Saudi Arabia. Both male and female groups are equivalent. The structural weights are also largely equivalent, but the regression paths from perceived usefulness to subjective norms and to continuous intention are not invariant between men and women. The model was operationally generalized across the whole of Saudi Arabia. This research moves beyond online shopping intentions and includes factors affecting online shopping continuance. The research model explains 65% of the intention to continue shopping online. This research suggests that online strategies cannot ignore either the direct and indirect gender differences on continuance intentions in Saudi Arabia. The model can be generalized across Saudi Arabia

The Role of Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease-of-Use toward Satisfaction and Trust which Influence Computer Consumers’ Loyalty in China

This study was commenced in order to examine the impact that both perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use had toward consumers’ loyalty within the computer industry in China, either directly or indirectly through satisfaction and trust. This current study utilized the survey method; questionnaires were selected as the instrument which would be used to collect all of the data from the respondents. All of the questionnaires were electronically distributed through an online survey site to a total of 400 respondents, who originated from, or were living in, five cities in China. After gathering and assessing all of the collected data, a total of 346 items of data were deemed usable, thus enabling these sets of data to be further analyzed by this study. All of these data were further analyzed using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) method using SmartPLS 3.3.2 software. Based on the results obtained through the data’s analyses, the authors would like to conclude that both perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use had a positive and significant impact on customer satisfaction, trust and customer loyalty within China’s computer industry. Furthermore, in this study, both customer satisfaction and trust have been found to positively mediate the impact of perceived usefulness and perceived ease-of-use toward customer loyalty; trust serves as a better mediator compared to satisfaction. Meanwhile, this study contributed to the expansion and the enrichment of the literature in the field of marketing by thoroughly examining the implementation of the technology acceptance model (TAM) in predicting customer loyalty within China’s computer industry

The driving factors of continuance online shopping: Gender differences in behaviour among students in Saudi Arabia

This study proposes a revised technology acceptance model that integrates expectation confirmation theory to measure student gender differences with regard to continuance online shopping intentions in Saudi Arabia. The 234-respondent sample consists of 61.5% women and 38.5% men. A structural equation model confirms model fit. Perceived usefulness, enjoyment, and subjective norms are determinants of online shopping continuance in Saudi Arabia. Both male and female groups are equivalent. The structural weights are also largely equivalent, but the regression paths from subjective norms to enjoyment and subjective norms to continuance intention (in the men sample) and perceived usefulness to continuous intention (in the women sample) are not supported. The model was operationally generalized across the whole of Saudi Arabia. This research moves beyond online shopping intentions and includes factors affecting online shopping continuance. The research model explains 71% of the intention to continue shopping online. This research suggests that online strategies cannot ignore either the direct or indirect gender differences on continuance intentions in Saudi Arabia. The model can be generalized across Saudi Arabia

Understanding Consumer Churning Behaviors in Mobile Telecommunication Service Industry : Cross-national Comparison between Korea and China

It is crucial for telecom operators to shift from a subsidy-centered to a service-centered marketing strategy. As the market reaches its saturation point, the effectiveness of customer acquisition through the traditional subsidy decreases and offering differentiated services for existing customer retention is critical. This study aims at finding out factors affecting consumer churning intention based on PPM (Push-Pull-Mooring) theory in order to exactly understand consumer behaviors in the mobile telecommunication service industry (MTSI). This study also analyzes the difference between Korea (saturation market) and China (growth market) in terms of the causality between the intention to switch and the affecting factors. The research findings will encourage telecom operators to establish the effective service strategy that corresponds to their level of market maturity

Factors Influencing People’s Intention to Adopt E-Banking: An Empirical Study of Consumers in Shandong Province, China

E-Banking is growing at an unprecedented rate and has become a truly worldwide phenomenon, offering convenience, flexibility and interactivity for those that can, and know how to access it. This is clearly evidence in China. However, despite such growth and popularity, some users still have reservations about using Information and communication technology (ICT) in their daily banking activities, perhaps due to deep routed cultural factors that cause consumers to question the efficacy of such changes. Through the application of a technology acceptance framework, and empirical evidence from 52 E-Banking user questionnaires and four key market segment interviews, the research explores the factors that influence consumers’ intention to adopt E-Banking in Shandong Province of China. The findings highlight that perceived usefulness and perceived credibility are significant factors which have a positive influence on consumers’ intention to utilise E-Banking, while perceived ease of use and perceived cost are less significant. Unpacking the reasons for resistance to the use of E-Banking highlighted that “difficult to operate”, “unnecessary to use it” and “worry about the security” are key drivers and therefore challenges for the service providers. Based on the results, recommendations are drawn for banks, involving focusing on the significant factors, avoiding weaknesses and optimising strengths of E-Banking and ultimately developing more accurate market positioning strategies to align and manage consumer expectations and maximise potential acceptance

Measuring E-Readiness among Non-Users of Internet Banking in Pakistan: By TAM with CRM as External Factor

In the recent technological era, ignorance by financial institutes is observed while considering customer focus policies and business offers. In the meanwhile, technological innovation has changed the business nature, where internal customers of financial institutes are engaging with heavy technological trainings, to put it in the core of actions. The triangulated quantitative and qualitative approach is adopted. Specifically, the quantitative survey analyzed to measure path analysis, model fitness and highlight relationships after validating the scales and methodology. In qualitative aspect, 3 interviews with bank's managerial staff to understand the stance of bank clients about the Internet banking adoption. The findings conclude that the non-users of internet banking service have attractive ‘Perceived Usefulness' and ‘Perceived Ease of Use', however the ‘push' from the bank by the effective communication is not been observed. The customers still can have the essence of trial-ability and adoption if the intelligent CRM based strategy is developed. To make it possible and successful adoption of internet banking, the current research suggests to promote Customer Relationship Management, as a tool to boost the morale of end-users. CRM can eliminate the negative impact of social influencing factors which are not current supporting internet banking adoption in Pakistan i.e. subjective norms, peer influence and reputation. Interestingly, only very few research studies highlighted the use of CRM and e-CRM to increase internet adoption globally. Moreover, it is the first initiative of its kind, to address Internet banking adoption while increasing relationship with customers in the focused region. Keywords: Internet banking, Technology Adoption Model (TAM), Pakistan, Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Perceived Ease of Use (EASE), Perceived Usefulness (PU)

A Study of the Relationship between Customer Satisfaction and Customer Loyalty toward an Economy Hotel Chain in Guangzhou, China

This research aims to examine the main factors affecting customer loyalty and investigate the relationships between customer satisfaction on service quality and price and customer loyalty toward an economy hotel chain in city of Guangzhou, in the Guangdong province, China. Self-administered questionnaires were collected from 402 customers who have stayed in 7 Days hotels and the Pearson correlation employed for data analysis. The results of this study confirmed that service quality dimensions and perceived price are the main drivers of customer satisfaction in terms of affecting customer loyalty. Surprisingly, the findings also show that perceived price has a stronger impact on customer loyalty than any other service quality dimensions