Are personal innovativeness and social influence critical to continue with mobile commerce?

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report a study investigating the impact of personal innovativeness in information technology (PIIT) and social influence on user continuance intention toward mobile commerce (m-commerce) in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted among undergraduate and graduate mobile users in a regional university. Structural equation modeling procedures were deployed to analyse 323 valid data points.

Findings

The study found that among well-educated m-commerce users, user personal innovativeness as measured by PIIT and perceived usefulness, the determinants of initial adoption, remain as strong determinants of user continuance intention. PIIT also remains as the antecedent of perceived ease of use. Social influence has changed the pattern of influence on continuance intention.

Research limitations/implications

This study is unable to investigate m-commerce user expectations and satisfaction levels. The small and convenient sample does not offer guarantee of the findings.

Practical implications

M-commerce providers should pay adequate attention to personal innovativeness, since it affects mobile user willingness and capability to welcome and adapt to new services and features. They should always utilize social channels to gather feedback, to distribute new changes or features, and to exert positive influence.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few examining the effect of PIIT in a post-adoption context and confirms its long-term psychological influence on continuance intention toward m-commerce. This study is also one of the initial to use discursive power perspective to study social influence on continuance intention in the mobile context.

Citation

Lu, J. (2014), "Are personal innovativeness and social influence critical to continue with mobile commerce?", Internet Research, Vol. 24 No. 2, pp. 134-159. https://doi.org/10.1108/IntR-05-2012-0100