Title: Mobile wallet app engagement and word of mouth recommendation: an exploration of antecedents

Authors: Rishabh Shekhar; Uma Pricilda Jaidev

Addresses: Symbiosis Centre for Management Studies (SCMS), Symbiosis International (Deemed University) (SIU), Mouza-Wathoda, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India ' School of Business, Woxsen University, Hyderabad, India

Abstract: The main aim of this study is to identify the factors influencing the mobile wallet app engagement (MWAE) and examine those factors for segmenting users into different clusters. The researchers also wanted to determine if MWAE leads to word of mouth (WOM) recommendation. Previous research indicates that customisation, knowledge, relative advantage and compatibility could be possible antecedents of MWAE. Further, the mediating effects of trust and mobile wallet app usage in the relationship between MWAE and WOM recommendation were also examined. The findings of this study revealed that compatibility and the relative advantage positively influences MWAE. The result supported a sequential mediation model between MEAE, and WOM recommendation through the mediators trust and mobile wallet app usage. Customisation and knowledge do not moderate the relationship between compatibility and MWAE and relative advantage and MWAE. The entire users were segmented into three clusters based on the factors influencing the MWAE. The findings show that all the factors significantly differ across all three segments. Cluster 2 respondents significantly influence the MWAE that further leads to the WOM recommendations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. Future research directions and limitations have been suggested.

Keywords: mobile wallet app engagement; MWAE; diffusion of innovation theory; word of mouth recommendation; WOM; structural equation modelling; cluster analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJENM.2023.130770

International Journal of Enterprise Network Management, 2023 Vol.14 No.1/2, pp.161 - 192

Accepted: 12 Jul 2021
Published online: 06 May 2023 *