Media richness, social presence and loyalty to mobile instant messaging

2019 ◽  
Vol 119 (6) ◽  
pp. 1357-1373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fan-Chen Tseng ◽  
T.C.E. Cheng ◽  
Pei-Ling Yu ◽  
Tzu-Ling Huang ◽  
Ching-I. Teng

Purpose Mobile instant messaging (MIM) apps could provide rich and instant information in employees’ communication. However, how media richness impacts MIM user loyalty is unknown. The purpose of this paper is to adopt media richness and social presence theories as theoretical foundations to address this insufficiency. Design/methodology/approach Collecting 247 responses from an online survey, the authors use structural equation modelling for data analysis and hypothesis testing. Findings The authors found that immediate feedback and personal focus are the main aspects of media richness that are positively related to social presence, relatedness need satisfaction and user loyalty to MIM. Originality/value This is the first study using two pertinent theories to explain how aspects of media richness affect user loyalty to MIM. The present findings suggest that firms developing MIM apps focus on immediate feedback and personal focus as effective means to encourage user loyalty.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gen-Yih Liao ◽  
Thi Tuan Linh Pham ◽  
Tzu-Ling Huang ◽  
T.C.E. Cheng ◽  
Ching-I Teng

PurposeOnline games are prevalent internet applications and are known for satisfying the various needs of users. Nonetheless, little is known about whether online games could be a resort for users encountering workplace frustration. Explaining how workplace frustration and users' need satisfaction affect loyalty of online gamers, this study aims to formulate hypotheses and develop a framework based on the self-determination theory (SDT).Design/methodology/approachThe authors use an online survey to collect 848 responses and use structural equation modelling to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe authors find that workplace frustration, autonomy need satisfaction and competence need satisfaction are positively related to online gamer loyalty. Moreover, workplace frustration enhances the link between competence need satisfaction and online gamer loyalty.Originality/valueThe authors are the first to use SDT to identify the three antecedents and the moderator of online gamer loyalty. Our findings offer a key message that game providers could design effective means to retain their gamers by understanding their gamers' workplace frustration and informing them that playing games could alleviate the associated negative feelings.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Al Nawas ◽  
Shadi Altarifi ◽  
Nabil Ghantous

PurposeLimited knowledge exists on the difference in the antecedents and outcomes of relationship quality's cognitive and emotional aspects for e-retailers. This research tests how utilitarian and hedonic shopping values differentially affect “cognitive and emotional” relationship quality components and how the latter differentially affects word-of-mouth and brand evangelism.Design/methodology/approachOnline survey data were collected from 450 Jordanian online shoppers. Structural equation modeling (AMOS 24.0) was employed to analyze the data.FindingsFirst, e-retailer's informativeness and transaction convenience (i.e. utilitarian values), drive more strongly cognitive than emotional relationship quality, whereas e-retailer's escapism and social presence (i.e. hedonic values) drive more strongly emotional than cognitive relationship quality. Second, emotional relationship quality has a strong significant effect on brand evangelism, whereas cognitive relationship quality's effect is insignificant. Third, there are no statistically significant differences concerning the effect of cognitive and emotional relationship quality on word-of-mouth.Originality/valueThe findings of our research are expected to enhance our understanding of e-retailer relationship quality, its emergence and consequences. They would also provide e-retailers with guidance on how to execute growth strategies by focusing on specific types of brand relationship quality, on the other hand.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sut Ieng Lei ◽  
Haili Shen ◽  
Shun Ye

PurposeChatbot users’ communication experience with disembodied conversational agents was compared with instant messaging (IM) users’ communication experience with human conversational agents. The purpose of this paper is to identify what affects users’ intention to reuse and whether they perceive any difference between the two. Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model was developed based on computer-mediated communication (CMC) and interpersonal communication theories. Data were collected online from four different continents (North America, Europe, Asia and Australia). Partial least squares structural equation modeling was applied to examine the research model. FindingsThe findings mainly reveal that media richness and social presence positively influence trust and reuse intention through task attraction and social attraction; IM users reported significantly higher scores in terms of communication experience, perceived attractiveness of the conversational agent, and trust than chatbot users; users’ trust in the conversational agents is mainly determined by perceived task attraction. Research limitations/implicationsCustomers’ evaluation of the communication environment is positively related to their perceived competence of the conversational agent which ultimately affect their intention to reuse chatbot/IM. The findings reveal determinants of chatbot/IM adoption which have rarely been mentioned by previous work. Practical implicationsPractitioners should note that consumers in general still prefer to interact with human conversational agents. Practitioners should contemplate how to combine chatbot and human resources effectively to deliver the best customer service. Originality/valueThis study goes beyond the Computer as Social Actor paradigm and Technology Acceptance Model to understand chatbot and IM adoption. It is among one of the first studies that compare chatbot and IM use experience in the tourism and hospitality literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 849-863 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crystal T. Lee ◽  
Sara H. Hsieh

Purpose With the rapid surge of mobile marketing, an increasing number of brands have launched branded emoticons in an attempt to build brand relationships with consumers. Despite the apparent promise of branded emoticon usage, there is only limited academic research on branded emoticons. This paper aims to build on impression management theory and the conceptualization of cuteness to investigate how the effect of cuteness in branded emoticon design influences perceived playfulness in mobile instant messaging (MIM) interaction and the creation of brand engagement in self-concept. Design/methodology/approach Consumers with usage experience of branded emoticons in MIM apps were recruited to complete an online survey. Partial least squares structural equation modelling was used to analyze the data. Findings Two facets of cuteness – kindchenschema cuteness and whimsical cuteness – can project a favourable social image to consumers that facilitates playfulness in social interaction and enhances brand engagement in self-concept, which leads to their willingness to purchase the brand and stickiness to the MIM apps. Originality/value The popularity of branded emoticons represents a new form of social interaction and an innovative way to build brand relationships. The present study is the first to examine the design aspects of branded emoticons and highlights that the cuteness of a branded emoticon may be a crucial factor in engaging consumers in MIM.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sinda Ben Sedrine ◽  
Amel Bouderbala ◽  
Hamza Nasraoui

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to explain the effect of leadership styles on a virtual team efficiency, assuming the existence of mediating variables (media richness) influencing this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected within the framework of an online survey based on a sample of 300 observations (MENA region) with respondents from the IT sector. These results were generated by SPSS and AMOS 23 software and treated using an exploratory factor analysis and modeling by structural equation.FindingsThe results of the research attest that trust and operational cohesion play a mediating role between leadership styles and team performance. They also confirm that leadership styles impact operational cohesion and group trust according to different levels of media richness, thus creating different situations fluctuating according to its level.Research limitations/implicationsFrom a methodological point of view, the sample choice was not diversified. Only the IT companies are concerned with this study. Therefore, the generalization of obtained results can be questioned. The research results could be refined by trying to highlight trust mediating variable through antecedents evoked by Mayer et al. (1995) or Williams (2001), namely, competence, benevolence or even integrity. Competence and benevolence deserve, on the conceptual plan, to be fully integrated to the definition itself of trust under penalty of see the concept itself of trust impoverish considerably (Mayer et al., 1995).Practical implicationsOn a practical level, the optimal efficiency of a virtual team depends on a high level of media richness with a transformational leadership mobilized by the managers that would favor a good operational cohesion of the group. Various techniques could be employed to improve a social dynamic of the group (periodic conference calls, face to face meetings, team building).Originality/valueThis research clarifies how leadership styles influence virtual team efficiency through operational cohesion and trust. Furthermore, this research reaffirms, in addition from previous works, that the communication means to which virtual teams recur influence the degree of operating cohesion and increase that of performance.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronnie Kritzinger ◽  
Daniël Johannes Petzer

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine specific gratifications obtained from using mobile instant messaging (MIM) applications by applying the uses and gratifications theory. This study explores the relationships between motivational factors, customer engagement and loyalty for existing WhatsApp subscribers in South Africa, as well as the moderating effect of application usage. Design/methodology/approach A descripto-explanatory research design was used in this quantitative study and 282 responses from an online survey were analysed. Structural equation modelling was used to test the study’s hypotheses. Findings The study reveals that utilitarian and hedonic motivation impact customer engagement positively in using WhatsApp, which, in turn, impacts loyalty. Social motivation in using WhatsApp bore no relationship with customer engagement. Furthermore, medium application usage moderates the link between customer engagement and utilitarian and hedonic motivation. Research limitations/implications The study offers a greater understanding of customer engagement and motivational factors in the MIM environment. Future studies could consider more complex relationships with customer engagement in using MIM apps focussed on a younger generation. Practical implications MIM service providers should enhance customer engagement by tracking user activity and identifying customers who need to use an app more by targeting their utilitarian and hedonic needs through sophisticated marketing strategies. Originality/value This research enriches the understanding of key motivational factors impacting customers’ continued engagement towards using MIM, as opposed to the adoption thereof.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Juhyung Sun ◽  
Sun Kyong Lee

PurposeDuring the digital media era with an explosion of messages, the prevalence of what is known as “message fatigue” has grown. However, there is a lack of understanding toward message fatigue in using instant messengers. Based on the stressor-strain-outcome framework, this study provides a theoretical model to explore possible predictors and consequences of instant messaging fatigue.Design/methodology/approachThe hypothesized model includes communication overload, social overload, instant messaging fatigue, technology and behavioral intention to use instant messaging. Three hundred and eleven responses are collected using an online survey. The authors conduct structural equation modeling to evaluate the hypothesized model and test the hypotheses.FindingsThis study reveals that (1) communication overload and social overload are positively associated with instant messaging fatigue and technostress; (2) higher levels of instant messaging fatigue and technostress are also related to a higher level of intention to discontinue usage; (3) technostress significantly mediates the relationship between instant messaging fatigue and intention to discontinue usage of instant messaging.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited to collect data from one university in the United States with a cross-sectional design. Future research should include other countries, different age groups and longitudinal methods to examine instant messaging fatigue.Originality/valueThis study extends existing findings on fatigue in using mobile communication by applying the stressor-strain-outcome framework to IM fatigue and improves the understanding of the potential negative aspects of instant messaging.


2015 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 446-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilmar B. Schaufeli

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to integrate leadership into the job demands-resources (JD-R) model. Based on self-determination theory, it was argued that engaging leaders who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers would reduce employee’s levels of burnout and increase their levels of work engagement. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was conducted among a representative sample of the Dutch workforce (n=1,213) and the research model was tested using structural equation modeling. Findings – It appeared that leadership only had an indirect effect on burnout and engagement – via job demands and job resources – but not a direct effect. Moreover, leadership also had a direct relationship with organizational outcomes such as employability, performance, and commitment. Research limitations/implications – The study used a cross-sectional design and all variables were based on self-reports. Hence, results should be replicated in a longitudinal study and using more objective measures (e.g. for work performance). Practical implications – Since engaged leaders, who inspire, strengthen, and connect their followers, provide a work context in which employees thrive, organizations are well advised to promote engaging leadership. Social implications – Leadership seems to be a crucial factor which has an indirect impact – via job demands and job resources – on employee well-being. Originality/value – The study demonstrates that engaging leadership can be integrated into the JD-R framework.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 1154-1184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tom Chen ◽  
Judy Drennan ◽  
Lynda Andrews ◽  
Linda D. Hollebeek

PurposeThis paper aims to propose user experience sharing (UES) as a customer-based initiation of value co-creation pertaining to service provision, which represents customers’ level of effort made for the direct benefit of others in their service network. The authors propose and empirically examine a user experience sharing model (UESM) that explicates customer-to-customer (C2C) UES and its impacts on firm-desired customer-based outcomes in online communities.Design/methodology/ApproachBased on an extensive review, the authors conceptualize UES and UESM. By using online survey data collected from mobile app users in organic online communities, the authors performed structural equation modeling analyses by using AMOS 24.FindingsThe results support the proposed UESM, showing that C2C UES acts as a key driver of both firm-desired customer efforts and customer insights. The results also confirmed that service-dominant (S-D) logic-informed motivational drivers exert a significant impact on C2C UES. Importantly, C2C UES mediates the relationship between S-D logic-informed motivational drivers and firm-desired customer-based outcomes.Originality/valueThis study offers a pioneering attempt to develop an overarching concept, UES, which reflects customers’ initiation of value co-creation, and to empirically examine C2C UES. The empirical evidence supports the key contention that firms should proactively facilitate C2C UES.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Afsaneh Ghanizadeh

PurposeThe major purpose of the present study is to investigate the contribution of academic resilience in accounting for two motivational and attitudinal constructs ? Grit and positive orientation and also probe the predictive power of all these constructs in academic achievement of university students in the midst of the pandemic COVID-19.Design/methodology/approach521 university students participated in an online survey. To measure academic resilience, a scale designed and validated by Kim and Kim (2016) comprising 26 items was employed. The scale contains five sub-factors: perceived happiness, empathy, sociability, persistence and self-regulation. Grit was assessed via an 8-item scale comprising two facets: perseverance of effort (PE) and consistency of interest (CI). It was designed by Duckworth and Gross (2014). Positive orientation was determined through positivity scale developed by Caprara et al. (2010), consisting of eight items.FindingsThe results of structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that resilience positively and significantly predicted both grit (β = 0.56, t = 6.41) and positive orientation (β = 0.54, t = 6.35). Resilience also predicted academic achievement directly (β = 0.71, t = 9.12) and indirectly via its impact on grit and positive orientation. It was also found that positive orientation and grit are positively and highly associated (β = 0.77, t = 9.28).Originality/valueThe pandemic COVID-19 brought about substantial changes in university students' education and their overall life style. Many university students around the globe experienced virtual education. Balancing personal and academic roles in these unprecedented conditions seems to be a tough challenge for every university student.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document