An Integrated Framework of Mobile Apps Usage Intention

Over the past decade, mobile devices such as cellular phones and tablet computers have become an essential part of our lives. Mobile devices outsold personal computers for the first time in 2011 and users spend more time with mobile apps than the Internet. Although mobile apps are growing popularity, a number of questions remain to be addressed concerning the usage of mobile apps: What factors contribute to mobile apps usage intentions and how personal traits impact the actual mobile apps usage? This paper classified mobile apps usage motivations into extrinsic, intrinsic and social motives according to user’s variety of personal use of mobile apps. Based on literature review, mobile apps users’ intrinsic motives (i.e., flow theory), extrinsic motives (i.e., perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use) and social motives (i.e., social influences) should impact on usage intentions. This study, applying the technology readiness (TR) concept as personal consumer traits, investigates how the four TR constructs (i.e., innovativeness, optimism, discomfort and insecurity) affect the actual usage intensity of mobile apps. This study further proposes the moderating effect of innovativeness on the relationship between extrinsic motives and mobile apps usage intentions

Utilitarian and Hedonic Values of Social Network Services

Social network services (SNS) have simplified social interactions between users. However, some SNS attract many users in the early stages, but suffer from turn over later. SNS of practice should aim to retain its existing users and attract potential users by providing superior customer value which leads to greater satisfaction and loyalty. This empirical study applied SEM to explain the impacts of hedonic and utilitarian value on satisfaction and loyalty by providing an integrated model within the SNS context. Findings reveal that utilitarian and hedonic value of SNS is positively related to satisfaction which leads to positive word-of-mouth and repatronage intention

A comparative analysis on Japan and China’s FDI in ASEAN

Japan has a long history of investing in ASEAN, and China has recently demonstrated its aggressiveness in investing in ASEAN. The research plan intends to examine the perspective of the layouts of investments by Japanese and Chinese companies in ASEAN, with the aim to think about the business opportunities and implications for Taiwanese enterprises to make investment in ASEAN.Japan’s competitive advantage in the manufacturing sector has laid the basic pattern for its foreign direct investment in manufacturing in ASEAN. Japanese multinationals have established branches in ASEAN countries through direct investment to achieve the transfer of production activities to ASEAN, and to integrate ASEAN into its global production chain. China’s major investment activities in ASEAN are more related to infrastructure, reflecting its international comparative advantage of being a contractor of infrastructure construction.Due to the rapid economic growth and urbanization, China itself has quickly become the world\u27s largest market for infrastructure construction.Compared with Japanese multinational companies that have been operating in the ASEAN market for many years, Chinese companies still have a certain gap in technology, brand, transnational operations and risk management. The paper also attempts to look over China’s strategies for developing ASEAN market through two cases of Chinese auto industry investment in ASEAN