User acceptance of location-based social networking services. An extended perspective of perceived value
| Date | 23 September 2013 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/OIR-12-2011-0202 |
| Published date | 23 September 2013 |
| Pages | 711-730 |
| Author | Jieun Yu,Hangjung Zo,Mun Kee Choi,Andrew P. Ciganek |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science,Information behaviour & retrieval |
User acceptance of location-based
social networking services
An extended perspective of perceived
value
Jieun Yu, Hangjung Zo and Mun Kee Choi
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon,
Republic of Korea, and
Andrew P. Ciganek
University of Wisconsin– Whitewater, Whitewater, Wisconsin, USA
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a research model examining users’ perceived value
of a location-based social networking service (LB-SNS) through hedonic, utilitarian, and social values.
This study investigates the impact for each type of perceived value on user satisfaction, behavioural
intention to use, and word-of-mouth for LB-SNS.
Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 172 Korean smartphone users with
experience using LB-SNS. This study employed PLS to test the proposed model and corresponding
hypotheses.
Findings – A positive influence exists for each type of perceived value on satisfaction with hedonic
value having the strongest relationship. Hedonic value is positively correlated with behavioural
intention to use LB-SNS and positive word-of-mouth while social value affects positive word-of-mouth.
Utilitarian value did not influence either behavioural intention to use LB-SNS or positive
word-of-mouth. User satisfaction has a significant influence on both behavioural intention to use
LB-SNS and positive word-of-mouth.
Research limitations/implications – This study is at the forefront of research focused on LB-SNS
adoption, extending beyond the utilitarian-hedonic value dichotomy to include a social dimension.
This study confirmed that perceived value is an antecedent of satisfaction, which leads to behavioural
intentions.
Practical implications – The advantages and benefits of LB-SNS should be emphasised to increase
users’ perceived value. LB-SNS providers can improve user satisfaction by increasing the hedonic,
utilitarian, and social value of their services. Organisations should seek out and explore the
possibilities of marketing campaigns through LB-SNS.
Originality/value – This study is the first empirical study examining user acceptance of LB-SNS
incorporating users’ perceived value satisfaction and behavioural intentions
Keywords Perceived value,Hedonic value, Location-based socialnetworking services, Social value,
Utilitarianvalue, Word-of-mouth
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The market for location-based services (LBS) has been slow to take off (Ince, 2007). A
number of signs indicate that LBS are on the verge of tremendous growth. Gartner
predicts that LBS will be one of the most disruptive technologies in the next few years
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at
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Location-based
social
networking
711
Received 12 December 2011
First revision accepted
15 July 2012
Online Information Review
Vol. 37 No. 5, 2013
pp. 711-730
qEmerald Group Publishing Limited
1468-4527
DOI 10.1108/OIR-12-2011-0202
(Shen et al., 2009). The users of LBS in the world are expected to grow from 96 million
in 2009 to almost 800 million by the end of 2012 while revenue generated by consumer
LBS is forecast to reach $13.5 billion in 2015 (Gartner, 2012). Smartphones are
becoming more prevalent and is a key to the growth in LBS.
The location-based social networking service (LB-SNS), a type of mobile social
networking service (SNS), represents the integration of location-based information and
social networking and has emerged as one of the “killer” applications for smartphones.
LB-SNS capture social structures in a new way by documenting a physical history of
events and interests in common with others inferred from location-tagged data (Zheng,
2011). LB-SNS are a mix of location-awareness, a recommendation engine driven by
crowdsourcing, a game-like rewards system, and a location-based mobile advertising
revenue model. LB-SNS provide game elements, competition and an incentive
mechanism to stimulate users and increase service usage. A strong social component
drives usage of LB-SNS, which may not be adequately captured in existing research
models.
Three types of LB-SNS providers exist including traditional SNS (e.g. Facebook and
Twitter), web service providers (e.g. Yahoo and Google), and specialised LBS providers
(e.g. Foursquare and Gowalla). Users may want to flaunt location information with
their friends when they visit prestigious venues such as famous places and expensive
restaurants. Users can also leave feedback, receive benefits, and obtain information
from local businesses. Foursquare users gain points when they check-in to an existing
location, add new locations, or provide tips to others about a location. Users are
automatically notified of user-generated tips or prizes for nearby locations whenever
they check-in. Shops target consumers in the vicinity of their businesses by pushing
promotional messages.
Researchers have examined SNS in the context of user adoption, user satisfaction,
and users’ perceived value. This study builds upon previous research , which primarily
examines hedonic and utilitarian value, by incorporating social value. The objectives of
this study are: to examine user perceived value of LB-SNS through hedonic and
utilitarian values as well as through social values; and to investigate the impact of each
perceived type of value (hedonic, utilitarian, and social) on user satisfaction,
behavioural intention to use, and word-of-mouth for LB-SNS.
Literature review
Perceived value
Perceived value is an important concept for understanding user behaviours such as
service adoption or shopping behaviour. Perceived value is difficult to define and
measure but the most common definition is a ratio or trade-off between quality and
price, i.e. value for money. Zeithaml (1988) defined perceived value as the consumer’s
overall assessment of the utility of a product (or service) based on perceptions of what
is received and what is given. Value represents a trade-off between the salien t get and
give components though what is received (volume/quality/convenience) and what is
given (money/time/effort) varies across consumers.
Prior studies have proposed several types of perceived value, which is a
multi-dimensional construct. Sheth et al. (1991) created an extensive framework
viewing perceived value as having social, emotional, functional, epistemic and
conditional dimensions. Babin et al. (1994) regarded perceived value as comprising
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