Title: How user loyalty and nonconscious inertia influence the continued use of mobile communications platforms

Authors: Byoungsoo Kim; Minhyung Kang

Addresses: Business School, Yeungnam University, 280 Daehakro, Gyeongsansi, Gyeongsangbukdo 712-749, Korea ' Department of Advanced Industry Fusion, Konkuk University, 120 Neungdong-ro, Gwangjin-gu, Seoul 143-901, South Korea

Abstract: Given high adoption rates of mobile handheld devices, mobile communications platforms (MCPs) have become increasingly popular across the world. MCPs enable users to exchange messages with unlimited images and videos free of charge and support group chat functions to enhance their communication productivity. Understanding the mechanisms underlying a user's continued use can help MCP providers increase their profits and revenue in the highly competitive MCP market. For a deeper understanding of continued MCP use, this study develops an integrated framework clarifying the effects of user loyalty and nonconscious inertia on the continued use. The results identify the user satisfaction, perceived value and trust in an MCP provider as key enablers accelerating user's post-adoption behaviour. In addition, the study examines the effects of perceived switching costs and habits on inertia. The empirical test results based on the partial least squares with data from 262 experienced users of KaKaoTalk indicate that user loyalty mediated the effect of inertia on continuance use. The results verify the salient power of user satisfaction and trust beliefs on user loyalty. The analysis results show differential effects of four dimensions of perceived value on user's post-adoption behaviour. Setup costs, learning costs and habit encouraged inertia development.

Keywords: inertia; mobile communications platforms; perceived value; trust; switching costs; user loyalty; continuance use; continuity; setup costs; learning costs; habit.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMC.2016.077337

International Journal of Mobile Communications, 2016 Vol.14 No.4, pp.387 - 410

Received: 23 May 2015
Accepted: 12 Jan 2016
Published online: 28 Jun 2016 *

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