How does media richness contribute to customer loyalty to mobile instant messaging?

Abstract

Purpose No studies in the extant literature have explored the role of media richness, i.e., the ability of media to enhance understanding among communication partners in a timely manner, in determining customer loyalty to mobile instant messaging (MIM). Grounded in media richness theory, the purpose of this paper is to examine how media richness influences customer perceived values, consequently contributing to customer loyalty to MIM. Design/methodology/approach Collecting data by an online survey, the authors apply partial least square procedures for hypothesis testing. Findings The authors obtain the following findings: multiple cues are positively related to functional value; immediate feedback is positively related to social value; personal focus is positively related to self-expressive value; language variety is positively related to all the above values that lead to user loyalty; and language variety has the strongest effect on user loyalty to MIM. Originality/value A first attempt to examine the impact of media richness on user loyalty to MIM, this study provides insights for MIM service providers to make decisions to build loyal user bases.

Continued Use of Mobile Instant Messaging Apps: A New Perspective on Theories of Consumption, Flow, and Planned Behavior

“…Zhou and Lu (2011) found that continued MIM use is determined directly by satisfaction and perceived usefulness, whereas network externality and flow experience influence indirectly. Tseng, Cheng, Li, and Teng (2017) found that functional, social, and self-expressive values influence the continued use of MIM. Additionally, different elements of media richness (e.g., multiple cues, immediate feedback, personal focus, and language variety) also influence continued use via a set of different considered values.…”

“…Prior literature has investigated the different factors that influence why users continuously engage in MIM use (Deng, Lu, Wei, & Zhang, 2010; Hsieh & Tseng, 2017; Oghuma et al, 2016; Tseng, Cheng, Li, & Teng, 2017; Zhou & Lu, 2011). However, there is a lack of research focusing on specific MIM platforms (e.g., LINE) and user groups (e.g., middle and late adolescents).…”

Technology-Enhanced Learning for Graduate Students: Exploring the Correlation of Media Richness and Creativity of Computer-Mediated Communication and Face-to-Face Communication

“…Media richness has gained much attention in recent years given the advancement of modern technologies that facilitated the enhancement of media delivery and quality, influence, and outreach. Some of the key domains that have been previously explored include: the effects of media richness on social media [63], education learning [64], trust and loyalty [65], organizational learning [66], information quality [67], marketing [68], and communication [69].…”

Media Richness on Instagram Influences Towards Consumer Purchase Intention: Exploring the Moderating Effect of Brand Equity

“…For online business perspective, the best approach in developing electronic commerce strategy is to enrich company-consumer interface. Tseng, Cheng, Li, and Teng (2016) in their study on Mobile Instant Messaging shows that media richness (multiple cues, immediate feedback, personal focus, and language variety) increases consumer loyalty. Based on previous studies, interesting and good media richness theory elements implementation on a communication medium, lead to purchase intention and loyalty.…”