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User adoption and purchasing intention after free trial: an empirical study of mobile newspapers

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Abstract

Marketing stimuli such as free trial has been widely used to increase user acceptance and intention to purchase information services. Information technology (IT) acceptance theories, such as the technology acceptance model and the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology, have been widely used to explain information system (IS) usage. These theories, however, do not explicitly consider the effect of marketing stimuli that would influence and shape user beliefs, attitude and behavior towards the use and purchase of new IS/IT. Echoing calls for advancing knowledge in technology acceptance, we propose a theoretical model based on expectation conformation theory to investigate the effect of marketing stimuli in the form of free trial and price of using IS on consumers’ acceptance decision process. In this study, free trial of mobile newspaper is used as the research context. A survey sample of 192 responses is used to test the model. Results suggest that the trial experience has an impact on post-trial beliefs and attitude. Perceived fee also has an effect on the acceptance of the information service when the users need to pay for the service.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Management, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an, 710049, Shaanxi, China

    Ting Wang & Lih-Bin Oh

  2. School of Business, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China

    Kanliang Wang

  3. DeGroote School of Business, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4M4, Canada

    Yufei Yuan

Authors
  1. Ting Wang
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  2. Lih-Bin Oh
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  3. Kanliang Wang
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  4. Yufei Yuan
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kanliang Wang.

Appendices

Appendix 1: a sample of mobile newspaper—Shanghai daily

  .

Appendix 2: scale items

2.1 Confirmation: (Bhattacherjee 2001)

  • CON1: My experience with using Mobile Newspaper was better than what I expected.

  • CON2: The service level provided by Mobile Newspaper was better than what I expected.

  • CON3: Overall, most of my expectations from using Mobile Newspaper were confirmed.

2.2 Perceived usefulness: (Moon and Kim 2001)

  • PU1: Using Mobile Newspaper enables me to get the news more quickly.

  • PU2: Using Mobile Newspaper enhances the effectiveness of getting news.

  • PU3: Using Mobile Newspaper makes it easier to get the news.

  • PU4: Using Mobile Newspaper saves me time and effort in getting news.

  • PU5: Using Mobile Newspaper gives me more news.

2.3 Perceived ease of use: (Moon and Kim 2001)

  • PEOU1: Learning to operate Mobile Newspaper is easy for me.

  • PEOU2: Using Mobile Newspaper does not require a lot of mental effort.

  • PEOU3: It does not take too long a time to learn to use Mobile Newspaper.

  • PEOU4: My interaction with Mobile Newspaper is clear and understandable.

  • PEOU5: It is easy to remember how to use Mobile Newspaper.

  • PEOU6: It is easy for me to become skillful at using Mobile Newspaper.

2.4 Perceived enjoyment: (Moon and Kim 2001)

  • PE1: When reading Mobile Newspaper, I do not realize the time elapsed.

  • PE2: When reading Mobile Newspaper, I am not aware of any noise.

  • PE3: Using Mobile Newspaper gives enjoyment to me for my life.

  • PE4: Using Mobile Newspaper is pleasurable.

  • PE5: I have fun with using Mobile Newspaper.

  • PE6: I find using Mobile Newspaper to be interesting.

2.5 Satisfaction: (Bhattacherjee 2001)

How do you feel about your overall experience of using Mobile Newspaper?

  • SAT1: Very dissatisfied—very satisfied

  • SAT2: Very displeased—very pleased

  • SAT3: Very frustrated—very contented

  • SAT4: Absolutely terrible—absolutely delighted

  • SAT5: Absolutely unwise choice—Absolutely wise choice

  • SAT6: Absolutely wrong choice—Absolutely right choice

2.6 Perceived fee: (Sweeney and Soutar 2001)

  • PF1: Mobile newspaper is reasonably priced

  • PF2: Mobile newspaper offers value for money

  • PF3: I am pleased with the fee that I have to pay for the use of mobile newspaper

  • PF4: Mobile newspaper is economical

  • PF5: Mobile newspaper appears to be a good bargain

2.7 Continuance intention: (Bhattacherjee 2001)

  • CUI1: My intentions are to continue using mobile newspaper than use any alternative means (printed and online newspaper or magazine).

  • CUI2: I intend to continue using mobile newspaper in the future.

  • CUI3: If I could, I would like to continue my use of mobile newspaper.

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Wang, T., Oh, LB., Wang, K. et al. User adoption and purchasing intention after free trial: an empirical study of mobile newspapers. Inf Syst E-Bus Manage 11, 189–210 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-012-0197-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10257-012-0197-5

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