E-BOOK READING APPLICATIONS – INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY AS A RESPONSE TO GROWING CONSUMER PREFERENCES AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR TOURISM Dunja Meštrović, MA, PhD candidate University of Rijeka, Croatia dmestrovic@uniri.hr http://www.uniri.hr Nataša Jakominić Marot, MA, MBA, PhD candidate natasa@uniri.hr
Contents Purpose of the study Theoretical background Research objectives and hypotheses Methodology Research results Conclusion Contribution Limitations and further research suggestions
Source: http://naldzgraphics.net/tips/value-little-favicons/ Purpose of the study To explore the factors influencing users’ attitudes and intention to use mobile e-book reading applications (Apps) on smartphones and tablets, as well as their perceptions of Apps’ potential for enhancing tourists’ experiences as an added value of Croatian tourist offer. Source: http://naldzgraphics.net/tips/value-little-favicons/
Source: https://goo.gl/images/OvQ7Ef Theoretical background MOBILE TECHNOLOGY The use of mobile technology in everyday life extends to the travel context (Wang et al., 2012). … plays an important role in mediating the tourist experience: tourists use mobile technology “before, during and after travel” (Wang et al., 2012). …facilitates the new way of travelling for “digital tourists”, whose experience is “extended by the information and entertainment provided by their new „travel buddy” - the mobile technology device” (Palumbo et al., 2014), which became an irreplaceable and a “powerful tool for tourists” (Dickinson et al., 2014). Source: https://goo.gl/images/OvQ7Ef
Theoretical background MOBILE TECHNOLOGY The usefulness and the rapid diffusion of mobile technology led to the emergence of a wide range of mobile Apps. Mobile devices enable their users to install and use the Apps based on their interests, needs and preferences. The use of mobile Apps on smartphones and tablets for reading e-books become a new trend and a leading form of media consumption (Brown, 2001). Source: https://goo.gl/images/1NvwNR Source: https://goo.gl/images/xUJ1id
Theoretical background Source: http://how-mobile-technology-leads-to-happier-corporate-travelers.png?t VALUE-ADDED SERVICES … services providing added value to the main product desired (Lexhagen & Nysveen, 2001; Nysveen & Lexhagen, 2001) If customers perceive a high degree of value-added services they prefer, they will perceive high customer value (Nysveen, Methlie & Pedersen, 2003). … offer superior value to customers and are highly relevant in tourism industry (Nysveen, Methlie & Pedersen, 2003). Added value contributes the achievement, retention and enhancement of tourist destination’s competitive advantage in the context of an integrated tourism product (Meler, 1976; 2000; 2004; Meler, Cerović & Magaš, 2005).
Research objectives Objectives: Theories: to explore respondents’: digital devices ownership general IT and e-books usage habits Technology Adoption Model - TAM (Davis, 1989) Innovation Diffusion Theory - IDT (Rogers, 2003) Theory of Planned Behaviour - TPB (Ajzen, 1991) convenience and availability (Berry, Seiders & Grewal, 2002) perception of value-added service (Portolan, 2015) to explore the factors influencing respondents’ attitudes and willingness to use e-book reading Apps to determine respondents’ perception of a mobile free e-book reading App as a value-added service
Hypotheses H1: Younger, more educated, female respondents enrolled in the ICT study programme area show higher awareness, interest, intention to use and perception of free e-book reading App as a value-added service (VAS). H2: Respondents owners of more digital devices show higher awareness, interest, intention to use and perception of free e-book reading App as a VAS. H3: Respondents who carry along more digital devices while travelling and on vacation, use a wider range of internet connection sources and express higher importance of availability of local free Wi-Fi show higher awareness, interest, intention to use and perception of free e-book reading App as a VAS. H4: Respondents’ past e-books experience and usage habits relate positively to awareness, interest, intention to use and perception of free e-book reading App as a VAS. H5: Respondents who perceive higher innovation attributes of e-book reading Apps in its relative advantage, compatibility, convenience and availability show higher level of awareness, interest, intention to use and perception of free e-book reading App as a VAS. H6: Respondents who perceive high level of e-book reading Apps’ complexity and trialability show lower level of awareness, interest, intention to use free e-book reading Apps and perception of free e-book reading App as a VAS.
Methodology Sample Convenient sample (university students), N = 922 Response rate 30.26 % ( N=922, n=279) Data collection January and February of 2017 Data analysis Descriptive statistics: respondents’ demographic profile Bivariate zero-order correlations: relationship between variables Multiple regression: hypotheses testing
Methodology Research instrument: Online questionnaire, 29 items No. of items Type Source Digital devices ownership relevant to e-books 1 multiple response Jung et al. (2011) Usage of digital devices and internet connectivity habits while travelling and on vacation: Digital devices carrying along Internet connectivity habits 5-point Likert scale Authors Importance of free Wi-Fi availability E-books usage habits dichotomous Chu (2003) 2 Perceived relative e-book advantages Compatibility 3 Moore & Benbasat (1991) Convenience 4 Berry et al. (2002); Mathwick et al. (2001); Srinivasan (2003) Availability Complexity Trialability 5 Adoption decision variables Awareness Dupagne (1999) Interest Intention to use Dupagne (1999); Ajzen & Fishbein (1980); Davis et al. (1989); Hsu et al. (2007) Perceptions of value-added service Portolan (2015) Demographic characteristics
Table 1. Socio-demographic profile of respondents (N=279) Research results Table 1. Socio-demographic profile of respondents (N=279) CHARACTERISTICS RESPONDENTS n % Gender Male 76 27.2% Female 203 72.8% Age 22 (Mean) Study programme level Undergraduate 205 73.5% Graduate 74 26.5% Study programme area ICT 120 43.1% Other* 159 56.9% * Biotechnology, Mathematics and Physics Source: Research results
Adoption decision variables Research results Table 2. Correlations Variables Adoption decision variables Perception of VAS Hypotheses Awareness Interest Intention to use Demographics Partially supported (H1) Gender 0.176** -0.258** -0.182** 0.066 Age -0.056 0.131* 0.102 -0.080 Study programme level -0.177** -0.100 0.002 -0.046 Study programme area -0.231** -0.117 -0.244** -0.390** Digital devices ownership 0.007 0.242** 0.139* 0.163** Partially supported (H2) IT travel and vacation behaviour Partially supported (H3) Digital devices carrying along 0.024 0.106 0.108 -0.081 Internet connection habits -0.076 -0.039 -0.062 -0.110 Importance of free local Wi-fi availability 0.057 0.026 0.119* -0.047 *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01 Source: Research results
Adoption decision variables Perception of value-added service Research results Table 2. Correlations Variables Adoption decision variables Perception of value-added service Hypotheses Awareness Interest Intention to use E-books experience and usage habits Fully supported (H4) E-books used 0.293** 0.335** 0.363** 0.444** E-books used on devices 0.256** 0.349** 0.376** 0.289** E-books sources 0.374** 0.416** 0.592** 0.418** E-book Apps innovation attributes Fully supported (H5) Relative advantage 0.178** 0.433** 0.528** Compatibility 0.319** 0.296** 0.407** 0.498** Convenience 0.340** 0.305** 0.550** 0.545** Availability 0.155** 0.625** 0.719** 0.465** Complexity -0.302** -0.179** -0.363** -0.375** Fully supported (H6) Trialability -0.275** -0.171** -0.264** -0.340** *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01 Source: Research results
Conclusion Older respondents showed higher interest in using mobile e-book reading Apps. Female respondents showed higher awareness, but lower interest and intention to use mobile e-book reading Apps than male respondents. ICT students did not show neither higher awareness, intention to use nor perception of e-book reading Apps as a VAS than students in other study areas. Respondents who own more digital devices showed higher interest, intention to use and perception of mobile e-book reading Apps as a VAS. Digital devices ownership did not relate to the degree of awareness Respondents who find the availability of free local Wi-Fi rather important expressed higher intentions to use mobile e-book reading Apps.
Conclusion Respondents perceiving e-book reading Apps less advantageous, compatible, convenient and available, showed lower levels of awareness, interest, intention to use and perception of e-book reading Apps as a VAS. Respondents who used e-books on different devices and from a wider range of e- book sources, who perceive e-book reading Apps advantageous, compatible, convenient and available, are more volatile to explore and take advantage of this innovation and have higher perceptions of mobile e-book reading Apps as a VAS.
Contribution THEORETICAL CONTRUIBUTION PRACTICAL CONTRIBUTION framework of TAM (Davis, 1989), extended with the IDT (Rogers, 2003), TPB (Ajzen, 1991), convenience and availability (Berry, Seiders & Grewal, 2002) and perception of mobile e-book reading Apps as a value-added service (Portolan, 2015), can be successfully applied in the context of mobile e-book reading Apps and in tourism area PRACTICAL CONTRIBUTION is apparent in providing the evidence of respondents’ digital devices ownership, their general IT and e-books usage habits, factors influencing their attitudes and willingness to use e-book reading Apps and their perceptions of mobile e-book reading Apps as a potential value-added services of the tourist offer idea: useful for tourism marketers and mobile Apps developers to take advantage of promotion of products and services by incorporating tourism-related ads in mobile Apps and reach customers in a more personal way
Limitations and further research suggestions LIMITATION OF THE RESEARCH A small convenient sample of students Socio-demographic variables convenient for student population were studied SUGGESTION FOR FURTHER RESEARCH To conduct the research: on representative sample with a wider range of socio-demographic variables (occupation, income, marital status, education level, etc.) and cultural or relevant market- development factors The study – intended to stimulate similar research in the field of mobile Apps in tourism context
Thank you for your attention! Dunja Meštrović, MA, PhD candidate University of Rijeka, Croatia E-mail: dmestrovic@uniri.hr Nataša Jakominić Marot, MA, MBA, PhD candidate E-mail: natasa@uniri.hr