Examining consumers' continued use of retailers' branded mobile applications

The aim of this research is to expand our understanding of consumers’ continuous usage of traditional retail smartphone branded mobile applications (apps). Previous research in technology acceptance and continuous usage of technological innovations mainly focuses on functional and hedonic variables specifically related to the technology under research. Also, past research typically focuses on the continuous use of e-services reflecting the loyalty of consumers toward a specific e-service (e.g. loyalty toward a website or m-commerce). While this research examines utilitarian and hedonic variables that influence consumers to be satisfied and motivate them to continue to use smartphone branded apps, it finds that variables related to the brand motivate consumers to continue to use traditional retail smartphone branded apps. Therefore, this research shows that while utilitarian and hedonic variables that are related to the technical characteristics of the technology in use are essential to motivate consumers to continue to use a technological innovation, brand-related variables related to the traditional retailer (e.g. long-term brand reputation and loyalty) are important in motivating consumers to continue to use branded mobile apps. Considering the limited knowledge available on what motivates consumers to continue using traditional retail smartphone branded mobile apps in a multi-channel retail environment, this research adopted a mixed methods approach. The research utilised an exploratory qualitative method in the form of 21 semi-structured individual in-depth interviews conducted in the UK to explore the drivers that motivate consumers to continue to use traditional retail smartphone branded apps and to refine the theoretical model that is tested in the quantitative phase of this research. The quantitative phase utilised an online questionnaire with 1009 consumers who retain and have continued to use traditional retail branded smartphone apps for a period of more than six months from John Lewis, M&S, Next and H&M. This research highlights several findings on what motivates consumers’ satisfaction with the smartphone branded app user experience and the continuous intention to use the app. The findings highlight that the utilitarian variables (perceived ease of use, usefulness, and personalisation), and the hedonic variable (enjoyment) increases consumers’ satisfaction with the branded app user experience leading to an increase in consumers’ continuous intention to use traditional retail smartphone branded apps. Furthermore, this research finds that utilitarian variables of perceived usefulness, compatibility and the hedonic variable of enjoyment, are capable of influencing consumers to continue using traditional retail smartphone branded apps even when they are not satisfied with the app user experience. Furthermore, this research finds that satisfaction with the app user experience mediates escapism negatively, while escapism also has a significant negative relationship with the continuous intention to use the smartphone branded app. Also, the escapism finding in this study contradicts the previous literature on the usual role of escapism in e-services generally. Furthermore, the subjective norm (e.g. social influence) does not influence the continuous intention to use the smartphone branded app directly or indirectly through satisfaction with the app user experience. Also, this research highlights that consumers’ satisfaction with app user experience significantly increases consumers’ continuous intention to use the smartphone branded app. The findings of this research also highlight that the retailer’s long-term brand reputation and loyalty intention toward the traditional retailer’s brand, which are variables that are not related to the technical characteristics of smartphone branded apps, play an important role in influencing consumers’ intention to continue using traditional retail smartphone branded apps. Furthermore, this research finds that loyalty intention toward the traditional retailer mediates the relationship of satisfaction with the branded app user experience to consumers’ continuous intention to use traditional retail smartphone branded apps. Also, loyalty intention toward the traditional retailer influences the consumers’ continuous intention to use the branded app directly. Interestingly, consumers’ perceptions of long-term reputation of the traditional retail brand do not influence the continuous intention directly as hypothesised. However, long-term brand reputation influences consumers’ continuous intention to use the branded app through the mediated relationship of loyalty intention toward the traditional retailer brand. This research contributes by enhancing our understanding of the variables that influence consumers’ intentions to continue to use traditional retail smartphone branded applications. Furthermore, this research presents a theoretical model that provides theoretical implications and offers managerial implications for understanding the continuous usage of smartphone branded apps in a multi-channel retail context.The aim of this research is to expand our understanding of consumers’ continuous usage of traditional retail smartphone branded mobile applications (apps). Previous research in technology acceptance and continuous usage of technological innovations mainly focuses on functional and hedonic variables specifically related to the technology under research. Also, past research typically focuses on the continuous use of e-services reflecting the loyalty of consumers toward a specific e-service (e.g. loyalty toward a website or m-commerce). While this research examines utilitarian and hedonic variables that influence consumers to be satisfied and motivate them to continue to use smartphone branded apps, it finds that variables related to the brand motivate consumers to continue to use traditional retail smartphone branded apps. Therefore, this research shows that while utilitarian and hedonic variables that are related to the technical characteristics of the technology in use are essential to motivate consumers to continue to use a technological innovation, brand-related variables related to the traditional retailer (e.g. long-term brand reputation and loyalty) are important in motivating consumers to continue to use branded mobile apps. Considering the limited knowledge available on what motivates consumers to continue using traditional retail smartphone branded mobile apps in a multi-channel retail environment, this research adopted a mixed methods approach. The research utilised an exploratory qualitative method in the form of 21 semi-structured individual in-depth interviews conducted in the UK to explore the drivers that motivate consumers to continue to use traditional retail smartphone branded apps and to refine the theoretical model that is tested in the quantitative phase of this research. The quantitative phase utilised an online questionnaire with 1009 consumers who retain and have continued to use traditional retail branded smartphone apps for a period of more than six months from John Lewis, M&S, Next and H&M. This research highlights several findings on what motivates consumers’ satisfaction with the smartphone branded app user experience and the continuous intention to use the app. The findings highlight that the utilitarian variables (perceived ease of use, usefulness, and personalisation), and the hedonic variable (enjoyment) increases consumers’ satisfaction with the branded app user experience leading to an increase in consumers’ continuous intention to use traditional retail smartphone branded apps. Furthermore, this research finds that utilitarian variables of perceived usefulness, compatibility and the hedonic variable of enjoyment, are capable of influencing consumers to continue using traditional retail smartphone branded apps even when they are not satisfied with the app user experience. Furthermore, this research finds that satisfaction with the app user experience mediates escapism negatively, while escapism also has a significant negative relationship with the continuous intention to use the smartphone branded app. Also, the escapism finding in this study contradicts the previous literature on the usual role of escapism in e-services generally. Furthermore, the subjective norm (e.g. social influence) does not influence the continuous intention to use the smartphone branded app directly or indirectly through satisfaction with the app user experience. Also, this research highlights that consumers’ satisfaction with app user experience significantly increases consumers’ continuous intention to use the smartphone branded app. The findings of this research also highlight that the retailer’s long-term brand reputation and loyalty intention toward the traditional retailer’s brand, which are variables that are not related to the technical characteristics of smartphone branded apps, play an important role in influencing consumers’ intention to continue using traditional retail smartphone branded apps. Furthermore, this research finds that loyalty intention toward the traditional retailer mediates the relationship of satisfaction with the branded app user experience to consumers’ continuous intention to use traditional retail smartphone branded apps. Also, loyalty intention toward the traditional retailer influences the consumers’ continuous intention to use the branded app directly. Interestingly, consumers’ perceptions of long-term reputation of the traditional retail brand do not influence the continuous intention directly as hypothesised. However, long-term brand reputation influences consumers’ continuous intention to use the branded app through the mediated relationship of loyalty intention toward the traditional retailer brand. This research contributes by enhancing our understanding of the variables that influence consumers’ intentions to continue to use traditional retail smartphone branded applications. Furthermore, this research presents a theoretical model that provides theoretical implications and offers managerial implications for understanding the continuous usage of smartphone branded apps in a multi-channel retail context

Factors influencing consumer retention of mobile apps : a conceptual perspective on the high-street retails

The high adoption rates of branded mobile applications (Apps) demonstrates its popularity, but also shows that consumers are emerging into an era where products and services are consumed anytime anywhere. Despite the high adoption rates of branded mobile apps, recent ongoing studies highlight the importance of investigating the low retention rates of smartphone mobile apps by consumers. This study presents a conceptual model, which includes factors that motivate consumers to retain mobile apps from highstreet retailers, based on the literature and 21 in-depth interviews with non-student consumers

It’s time to chat…examining the customer experience during an online live chat service encounter

Many organisations are now providing customer service and related support online, mostly through 'live chat' (instant messaging) interfaces. Online support services are believed to offer organisations an efficient and cost-effective means of providing customer support, however we have little understanding on what influences a customer's experience during such a service encounter in this technological environment. This paper explores the customer experience during an online service encounter with a human service representative through live chat technology. The aim of this research is to understand the variables that can influence the customer experience during an online live chat service encounter

The customer experience…Is there an app for that? A conceptual understanding of the customer experience with m-commerce mobile applications

This paper examines the customer experience in relation to high street retailers’ m-commerce mobile applications. The aim of the research is to gain an understanding of the variables capable of influencing the customer experience during use of high-street retailers’ m-commerce mobile applications, resulting in the development of a conceptual customer experience with m-commerce mobile applications model. From a review of the literature the paper illustrates a number of hypothesised relationships. In contrast to the e-commerce environment with regard to flow theory, this research suggests that customers are conscious of the length of time spent completing an activity on an m-commerce mobile application, thus should customers perceive to spend longer than necessary using the application, it will result in a negative customer experience. Additionally, we suggest that smartphone screen-size may play a moderating role on the customer experience. This research investigates mobile applications as a service delivery channel for high-street retailers, while understanding the variables capable of influencing the customer experience

Developing a mobile application customer experience model (MACE) - implications for retailers

This paper examines the customer experience in relation to retailers’ m-commerce mobile applications. The research aims to understand the variables capable of influencing the customer experience during use of retailers’ m-commerce mobile applications, resulting in the development of a Mobile Application Customer Experience Model (MACE). Through the use of structural equation modelling on a sample of 1,024 consumers, the findings of the research highlight the importance of utilitarian factors in driving an effective customer experience. In contrast to the e-commerce environment with regard to flow theory, this research highlights that customers are conscious of the length of time spent completing an activity on an m-commerce mobile application, thus should customers perceive to spend longer than necessary using the application, it will result in a negative customer experience. Additionally, the findings illustrate that gender and smartphone screen-size play a moderating role on the customer experience. The findings provide key managerial implications for retailers on how to provide an excellent customer experience through mobile applications as a service delivery channel

Examining attitudes towards M-commerce applications… What does it mean for retailers?

This paper provides an empirical perspective into the outcomes of positive customer attitudes towards m-commerce applications. Through undertaking a longitudinal study over a period of 12 months, the effects of positive customer attitudes towards fashion retailers’ m-commerce applications are established. Previous research outlines some of the determinants of mobile app retention; this study subsequently provides retail brands an understanding on the return on investment with regard to m-commerce applications. The results illustrate that over time, positive attitude towards the m-commerce application results in increased purchase intention through the app, positive attitudes and loyalty towards the bran

Risk assessment and management of technologically enhanced naturally occurring nuclear radioactive material in the oil and gas industry

There is inadequate awareness in the oil and gas industry worldwide about the issue of worker protection from Technologically Enhanced Naturally Occurring Nuclear Radioactive Materials (TENORM), and about the proper disposal of radioactive wastes into the environment. According to the available data on the mass flow and activity concentration of radioactive materials involved in various stages of the oil and gas industry, experts fear that critical clusters in the workforce of the oil and gas industry as well as the general public are at risk of being exposed to different levels of radiation doses, these doses range from low to extremely high levels of radiation under adverse conditions. Such doses often exceed the currently acceptable occupational exposure limits for workers exposed to these materials. However, according to the medical epidemiological and laboratory data, even low doses of exposure can pose the same threat as that of high doses exposure of radiation and eventually increase the chance of developing cancerous diseases. This research attempts to thoroughly investigate the available literature and identify current knowledge and technical gaps associated with the presence of TENORM in the oil and gas industry. Three main gabs have been identified from the available studies that will be addressed in this study and are: 1) workers in the oil and gas industry face a great risk of being exposed to various levels of radioactivity throughout the oil and gas extraction and production life cycles; 2) high volumes of TENORM waste are generated daily from the petroleum industry and have become a serious concern as another source of radiation exposure to workers, the general public and the environment; 3) the lack of a uniform international safety standard, inconsistencies and conflicts in existing regulations and legislation designed to manage TENORM risks in the oil and gas industry, and the inability of these measures to provide enough protection for public health and the environment. The main goal of this thesis is to provide a road map for further research on key gaps it identifies in measures put in place to protect public health and the environment from radiological risk posed by TENORM in the oil and gas industry. To achieve that goal, this thesis presents a new approach of dynamic modelling and quantitative risk assessment of TENORM occupational exposure in the oil and gas industry using SMART approach, which integrates SHIPP (System Hazard Identification, Prediction and Prevention) Methodology And Rational Theory (SMART approach). The SHIPP methodology is a generic framework used to identify, evaluate, and model processes of potential TENORM occupational exposure accidents. Rational theory is used to model accident causation behaviour that usually contributes to its occurrence based on logical, inductive, and probabilistic analysis. The basic premise of rational theory is that an accident occurrence is a result of joint conditional behaviour among different parameters. This thesis also presents an analysis of current TENORM waste disposal methods used in the oil and gas industry that are completely unsafe and unsupported by scientific evaluations or radiological risk assessments from either an engineering or a medical perspective. These disposal methods contribute to serious radiological contamination and pollution that affect humans, the atmosphere, water aquifers, plants, and animals. To assess their effectiveness, a real scenario-based risk assessment of common TENORM waste disposal methods is evaluated and simulated based on a transport and fate model using RESRAD version 6.5. The results of the scenario-based risk assessment are compared with those obtained using a similar simulated scenario constructed from a literature review and medical opinion. Finally, this study highlights the lack of consistency of safety standards related to radiological risks posed by TENORM in the oil and gas industry. It also investigates the main reasons that underlie political conflicts in the reservations about regulating technological risks such as nuclear issues, particularly in the oil and gas industry. There exists a real need for public participatory approach in the formulation of technological risk-management processes. The legislative decision-making is an important first step towards mitigating the technological risks of TENORM exposure in the oil and gas industry as well as maintaining a strong economy. Indeed TENORM exposure is a vital public issue as it concerns workers’ safety and public health. Hence this thesis provides a framework for engaging public participation, which together with government legislation can promote public health and environmental safety, and aim to strike a balance between the interests of the authorities and the interests of the public