Title: Elucidating the role of conformity in innovative smartphones

Authors: Ching-Wen Chen; Hung-Yi Chang; Juin-Han Chen; Richard Weng

Addresses: Department of Information Management, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, 2, Juoyue Rd., Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan, ROC ' Department of Information Management, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, 2, Juoyue Rd., Kaohsiung 811, Taiwan, ROC ' Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Cheng Shiu University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC ' Graduate Institute of Management, National Kaohsiung First University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, ROC; Innovative DigiTech-Enabled Applications & Service, Institute for Information Industry (III), Taiwan, ROC

Abstract: Adoption of innovative products such as smartphones may be due to a mixture of experienced considerations and psychological perceptions. By synthesising adoption theories through reinforcement of the role of conformity. This study explores user intention to adopt innovative smartphones in the Taiwan telecommunication market. The survey data is analysed using structural equation modelling which is based on the constructs of ease of use, compatibility, and relative advantage, analysis results indicate that informational conformity and normative conformity are positively related to the intention to use smartphones. Additionally, early adopters and early majority users have a higher likelihood of conformity driven by informational influence, while the late majority users display a higher tendency towards normative conformity. The results of this study significantly contribute to efforts of mobile communication operators to anticipate and predict a customer's intention to adopt smartphones, thus provides further insight into the development of marketing strategies for smartphones.

Keywords: smartphones; conformity; informational influence; normative influence; early majority users; late majority users; intention to adopt; Taiwan; structural equation modelling; SEM; ease of use; compatibility; relative advantage; early adopters; mobile communications; marketing strategies.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMC.2016.073367

International Journal of Mobile Communications, 2016 Vol.14 No.1, pp.56 - 78

Accepted: 18 Jun 2015
Published online: 30 Nov 2015 *

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