A Cross-Disciplinary Study of What Determines the Adoption of MDS

摘要

Mobile data services (MDS) have been attracting increasing scholarly attention in recent years. In this paper, a cross-disciplinary model, established with established critical factors derived from traditional information systems models and the means-end chain approach, is used to explore what affects customers' willingness to pay for MDS. In addition, the hybrid framework highlights the multiple attributes of MDS, user's multiple dimensions of needs and multiple purposes for adopting MDS. Testing the model with survey data collected from 271 MDS users, the research shows that users' perceived benefits of MDS most significantly explain their desire and demand for MDS. Financial indicators (e.g., affordability and income) also play an important role in determining users' willingness to spend on MDS. Past experiences slightly affect users' willingness to spend on MDS. While gender makes a difference, age and education do not show such a significant effect.