Title: Technology consumer behaviour: a study of hedonic/utilitarian preference via virtual space

Authors: Emílio José Montero Arruda Filho; Agenilson Jonatan Corrêa dos Santos; Eliane Pereira Zamith Brito

Addresses: University of Amazon (UNAMA), Av. Alcindo Cacela, 287 – Bloco E, 4º Andar. 66060-902, Belém – PA, Brazil ' University of Amazon (UNAMA), Av. Alcindo Cacela, 287 – Bloco E, 4º Andar. 66060-902, Belém – PA, Brazil ' Fundação Getúlio Vargas – FGV, Rua Itapeva, 474 – Prédio de Economia, 9º Andar. Bela Vista. 01332-000, São Paulo – SP, Brazil

Abstract: In this article, we analysed consumers' buying intention regarding integrated products in the virtual space, by exploring the interaction between utilitarian/hedonic characteristics and usage predictions. We based our analysis on data collected through four different experiments applied to 122 students of different courses at a university in the north of Brazil. The product studied was a digital reader (or 'e-reader'), which had recently integrated various services and devices into its overall structure. The factors that directly influence the choice and use of the product were examined, with purchase intention quantified in terms of fun, wellbeing, satisfaction, perceived value, utility, and importance related to the product, which, ultimately, justify the behaviour of technology consumers. As the integration of services increases, the hedonic and utilitarian value of the product purchased through e-commerce also increases; complementarily, consumers' usage predictions were found to be greater than their current use of existing products, and this is used to justify their purchases.

Keywords: e-commerce; electronic commerce; hedonic value; utilitarianism; use prediction; technology convergence; technology consumers; consumer behaviour; virtual space; purchase intentions; Brazil; service integration; fun; wellbeing; customer satisfaction; perceived value; utility; product importance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2015.072742

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2015 Vol.20 No.4, pp.455 - 476

Received: 07 Apr 2014
Accepted: 17 Jun 2014
Published online: 28 Oct 2015 *

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