Ioanna D. Constantiou

The four incremental steps toward advanced mobile service adoption

Exploring mobile device user adoption patterns and market segmentation.

New Games, New Rules: Big Data and the Changing Context of Strategy

Big data and the mechanisms by which it is produced and disseminated introduce important changes in the ways information is generated and made relevant for organizations. Big data often represents miscellaneous records of the whereabouts of large and shifting online crowds. It is frequently agnostic, in the sense of being produced for generic purposes or purposes different from those sought by big data crunching. It is based on varying formats and modes of communication (e.g., texts, image and sound), raising severe problems of semiotic translation and meaning compatibility. Crucially, the usefulness of big data rests on their steady updatability, a condition that reduces the time span within which this data is useful or relevant. Jointly, these attributes challenge established rules of strategy making as these are manifested in the canons of procuring structured information of lasting value that addresses specific and long-term organizational objectives. The developments underlying big data thus seem to carry important implications for strategy making, and the data and information practices with which strategy has been associated. We conclude by placing the understanding of these changes within the wider social and institutional context of longstanding data practices and the significance they carry for management and organizations.

Consumer behaviour in the mobile telecommunications' market: The individual's adoption decision of innovative services

Research in the adoption of innovative services in mobile communications markets has not offered a comprehensive explanation of how the individual makes a choice. This article proposes a theoretical framework for the analysis of the adoption decision of innovative mobile services such as mobile TV. The decision to adopt the service can be viewed as a choice based on two cognitive processes of reasoning and referencing, as postulated in behavioural decision making. The framework has both theoretical and practical value. From a theoretical perspective, it illustrates the manner in which referencing and reasoning influence the individuals decision to adopt innovative services in the mobile telecommunications market. From a practical perspective the framework offers a market analysis tool which can generate useful insights for the vendors.

Changing information retrieval behaviours: an empirical investigation of users’ cognitive processes in the choice of location-based services

The introduction of smartphones and the accompanying profusion of mobile data services have had a profound effect on individuals’ lives. One of the most influential service categories is location-based services (LBS). Based on insights from behavioural decision-making, a conceptual framework is developed to analyse individuals’ decisions to use LBS, focusing on the cognitive processes involved in the decision-making. Our research is based on two studies. First, we investigate the use of LBS through semi-structured interviews of smartphone users. Second, we explore daily LBS use through a study based on diaries. The findings highlight that the decision to use LBS can be described by either a comparative mode based on the value of LBS in relation to other available options, or an intuitive mode in which past experiences trigger the use of heuristics. These modes in turn have positive influences on the continuance of LBS use and indicate changes in individuals’ information retrieval behaviours in everyday life. In particular, the distinct value dimension of LBS in specific contexts of use changes individuals’ behaviours towards accessing location-related information.

What are users’ intentions towards real money trading in massively multiplayer online games?

This study investigates user behaviour in massively multiplayer online games from the perspective of their intentions to engage in real money trading. Players who engage in real money trading purchase resources instead of spending time to acquire them in the game. This behaviour influences not just their own gaming experience, but those of other players as well as the operator’s revenues. We present an online survey which targets the players of World of Warcraft. Players’ relationships with real money trading are investigated using insights from behavioural economics. We propose a model which includes a set of behavioural determinants grounded in empirical research on online games. The study’s findings indicate that a player’s social status and the disinhibiting effects of online play are positive influences on players’ intentions to engage in real money trading, while perceived fairness, anticipated regret and uncertainty about the seller’s behaviour are negative influences. Interestingly, neither the perceived enjoyment nor the potential punishments influence intentions.

The diffusion of IP telephony and vendors’ commercialisation strategies

The Internet telephony (IP telephony) has been presented as a technology that can replace existing fixed-line services and disrupt the telecommunications industry by offering new low-priced services. This study investigates the diffusion of IP telephony in Denmark by focusing on vendors’ commercialisation strategies. The theory of disruptive innovation is introduced to investigate vendors’ perceptions about IP telephony and explore their strategies that affect the diffusion process in the residential market. The analysis is based on interview data collected from the key market players. The studys findings suggest that IP telephony is treated as a sustaining innovation that goes beyond the typical voice transmission and enables provision of advanced services such as video telephony.

Exploring Use Patterns and Perceived Value of Location-Based Services

The recent impressive diffusion of smartphones in the mobile industry offers new opportunities to mobile services vendors. One of the most influenced service categories are location-based services. In the present study we investigate the use of location-based services. Based on insights from behavioural decision making a theoretical framework is developed to analyse the individual decision to use location-based services and to identify the factors influencing use. Through a qualitative study based on LBS users’ interviews, we find that the distinct value dimension and the positive experiences from the service use are the main drivers, pivotal to the continuance of use.

The role of marketing in the adoption of new mobile services: is it worth the investment?

Marketing as a method to increase product exposure is widely assumed to have a positive influence on the acceptance and adoption of new technology. This is especially the case with new mobile services, where significant investments are being made in an effort to spread awareness of new products and services available, with the purpose of positively influencing attitudes towards their adoption. This article, however, presents a different view. It illustrates that attitudes towards services available through a new mobile portal were not only unchanged, but became less favorable despite increased exposure to these services including continuous mass-marketing efforts. This poses the question if investments in mass-marketing are indeed fruitful in the mobile services arena.

Seeking Answers to the Advanced Mobile Services Paradox

At a time when mobile service adoption rates remain much lower than anticipated, better understanding of users’ behavior and attitude towards new technology becomes critical. This paper brings insights from behavioral economics to the technology acceptance research domain to investigate adoption of advanced mobile services. Through a field study of mobile service acceptance and use, we explore user behavior during the initial stages of technology adoption. We argue that in order to better understand the cognitive processes underlying technology acceptance or rejection decisions for advanced mobile services, the economic aspects of those processes must be considered. This is especially the case given the similarity of new mobile services to those currently available to consumers through other means and the inherent elements of substitution which exist therein.

THE COMPLEXITIES OF SELF-TRACKING - AN INQUIRY INTO USER REACTIONS AND GOAL ATTAINMENT

The activity of self-tracking is an emerging trend that often involves adopting wearable technology. Vendors promise new personal insights and opportunities to optimize health and lifestyle by adopting such devices. Spurred by these promises, users are also driven by curiosity and exploration to adopt and use the device with the aim of quantifying the self for the purpose of self-knowledge through numbers. We investigate the interplay of technology, data and the experience of self during the adoption and use of wearable technology as a pre-commitment device. The empirical focus lies on two self-tracking devices, which track moving and sleeping activities on a daily basis. 42 interviews were conducted with users of self-tracking devices. The findings suggest that self-tracking activity through wearable technology does not necessarily lead to behavioural change, but predominately works as a re-focusing device. In this light, the user experiences tensions between rational and emotional behaviours when reflecting on personal data. The results contribute to a more nuanced understanding of adoption of the emerging wearable technology in daily life and how users deal with the personal data by developing coping tactics, such as disregard, procrastination, selective attribution and neglect.