Attracted to or Locked In? Predicting Continuance Intention in Social Virtual World Services.

Author List: Zhou, Zhongyun (Phil); Fang, Yulin; Vogel, Douglas R.; Jin, Xiao-Ling; Zhang, Xi;
Journal of Management Information Systems, 2012, Volume 29, Issue 1, Page 273-306.
Internet-based social virtual world (SVW) services have aroused extensive interest among academicians and practitioners. The success of SVW services depends heavily on customers' continuance usage, a topic not yet adequately investigated in information systems research. It is unclear to what extent, and how, the existing theories can be extended to explain the continuance usage of such services. In consideration of the distinctive features of these services, this study adapts the dedication-constraint framework of commitment and develops a model of SVW continuance, which is assessed empirically using data collected from 438 experienced users of Second Life, a typical SVW service. Results indicate that SVW customers' continuance intention is jointly determined by two mechanisms: affective commitment (being attracted to) and calculative commitment (being locked in), with the former playing a more central role. Perceived utilitarian value, hedonic value, and relational capital promote affective commitment directly and indirectly through satisfaction, while service-specific investments in personalization and relational capital increase calculative commitment. Theoretical and practical implications and future research directions are subsequently discussed.
Keywords: commitment; continuance intention; dedication-constraint dual model; Second Life; social virtual world services
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#120 0.208 virtual world worlds co-creation flow users cognitive life settings environment place environments augmented second intention spatial interactivity ownership objects immersive
#227 0.173 commitment need practitioners studies potential role consider difficult models result importance influence researchers established conduct investigated establishing appear clearly determining
#108 0.117 model research data results study using theoretical influence findings theory support implications test collected tested based empirical empirically context paper
#140 0.106 model use theory technology intention information attitude acceptance behavioral behavior intentions research understanding systems continuance models planned percent attitudes predict
#158 0.086 capital social ict communication rural icts cognitive society information well-being relational india societal empirically create develop disadvantaged technologies explore china
#112 0.075 services service network effects optimal online pricing strategies model provider provide externalities providing base providers fee complementary demand offer derive
#276 0.069 satisfaction information systems study characteristics data results using user related field survey empirical quality hypotheses important success various indicate tested