Feng Hu

Website attributes in urging online impulse purchase: An empirical investigation on consumer perceptions

A multitude of evidences show that impulse purchase is prevalent online, yet relatively limited knowledge is available on this phenomenon. The study borrows marketing wisdom to information systems space to quantify how the website cues (products availability, website ease of use and visual appeal) affect personality traits (instant gratification, normative evaluation and impulsiveness) to urge the impulse purchase online. Structural equation modeling technologies are employed to evaluate the research model based on a survey questionnaire. The results show that personality factors of instant gratification, normative evaluation and impulsiveness are key determinants of urge to buy impulsively, while perceived website cues of visual appeal, website ease of use and product availability are important precursors. Through combining marketing and IS wisdom, a number of new insights are offered which enrich our understanding on the determinants of online impulse purchase decision as well as on how a proper IS design alters consumer shopping experience to engender more online impulse purchase.

How Does Personality Matter? An Investigation of the Impact of Extraversion on Individuals' SNS Use

The fast proliferation of social networking sites (SNS) offers Internet users new possibilities for developing and maintaining their social network. Despite a growing interest in SNS, less research attention has been paid to SNS usage from the perspective of personality, that is, the Big Five personality traits. This study develops a model to elucidate how extraversion, an important dimension of personality, affects the perceptions of SNS users and their continuance intention. The research model is empirically tested with answers gained from 221 usable questionnaires. The results indicate that extraversion positively affects perceived satisfaction, supplementary entertainment, and critical mass directly, and indirectly influences both playfulness and SNS continuance intention.

E-Loyalty Building in Competitive E-Service Market of SNS: Resources, Habit, Satisfaction and Switching Costs

Despite considerable efforts have been devoted to study consumer loyalty, there is a lack of knowledge concerning how online service loyalty is or can be established in a competitive e-service market, in which several major service providers coexist to compete for customers. In this study, we attempt to explore the industry environment of Chinese social networking service (SNS), and examine the association between consumer satisfaction and switching costs in building service loyalty. From a resource-based view, unique service resources of SNS (critical mass and supplemental entertainment) are examined regarding their potentials in enhancing consumer satisfaction, habit and switching costs. The results show that habit and the interaction effect of satisfaction and switching cost are the key determinants of SNS loyalty. Critical mass and supplemental entertainment directly or indirectly affect habit and switching costs. This study attempts to bring the thought of competitive environment into e-service loyalty research while new insights for e-service loyalty building in different market environments are discussed.

Impact of Experience and Gender Differences on Users' Perceptions on Mobile Game

Based on the technology acceptance model, the paper developed a conceptual model for mobile game adoption. A questionnaire was developed built upon previous studies. A survey was then conducted, which received 267 useful responses. The results suggested that users perceive mobile game differently with regard to experience and gender difference. It is suggested that the users who have more computer game experience will be more likely to develop positive perceptions on mobile game. Also male users are more possible to positively perceive mobile game and to play mobile game.

Mobile Manufacturer or Service Provider? An Empirical Study on Consumers’ Adoption Intention

As mobile manufacturers today seek to attract consumers by increasingly integrating mobile services into their products, little research is available regarding whether and to what degree this new feature of mobile phone would motivate consumers’ purchase intention. Concerning m-learning, this study investigates the relationship among users’ intentions to adopt mobile service, service-enabled-phone as well as intention to pay for the new phone functionality. Based on 209 useful responses, this study suggests that users’ intention to adopt m-learning would impact their intention to acquire facilitating conditions (specific m-learning enabled mobile phones). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed in the present paper as well.

The impacts of unique service resources and habit on e-service loyalty in a highly competitive market

– The purpose of this study is to seek to quantify how unique service resources and consumer habit affect e-service loyalty (e-loyalty) in a highly competitive market. This study is grounded on Chinese social networking service (SNS) industry. A resource-based view is introduced as an alternative perspective to understand building consumer loyalty in e-service contexts. , – A research framework is developed by reviewing prior literature. An online survey is conducted to collect research data. Based on 221 valid responses, the research model is tested by using partial least squares path modeling technique. , – The features of market environments affects the loyalty of consumers to e-service providers. Consumers become mercenary in highly competitive and low differentiation e-service markets like Chinese SNS industry. The interaction of satisfaction and switching cost affects loyalty. Satisfied consumers can be either loyal or not loyal to a service provider depending on their level of switching cost, but unsatisfied consumers will have no loyalty. In addition, users are loyal to a SNS partly because it is their habit to use the service. Our study suggests that relying on consumer satisfaction to build e-loyalty may be problematic and risky. , – The study represents an attempt to introduce the resource-based view to e-loyalty research. The research highlights the importance of habit in building consumers’ e-service satisfaction and loyalty and contributes to new insights on the importance of industry environment in determining e-service satisfaction–loyalty relationship based on studying consumers in a highly competitive market.

Investigating the use of mobile services in rural China

As most of current researches on mobile services are focused on population living in urban areas, there is a lack of studies on users in rural areas. Unlike the fast and widespread adoption of mobile services in urban areas in China, adoption in rural areas is relatively slow. Compared to urban users, rural populations perception and use habits on mobile services have different features. This paper serves among the first step to investigate the adoption of mobile services in rural areas in China. Additionally, rural populations use habits are presented in the paper as well.