Empirical Study Of Consumer's Behavior On Value-Added Mobile Service

With the continuing development of Mobile communicational technology, the rapid development of digitization and networking has become the trend. During these years, mobile telecommunications industry of China has maintained fast development momentum in the network infrastructure, user's scale and mobile communications services. However, with the data of mobile communication technology and the diversification of consumer demand, the simple voice communication and simple data services can no longer meet the needs of user. Meanwhile, the monotony of the traditional mobile voice service results in homogenization of competition and the decrease of Average Revenue per User (ARPU) and increase of churn rate; Thus mobile communication industry faces an important problem as to how to provide value-added mobile services with marking strategies and customer development strategies through analyzing customer behavior on the condition of customer diversification and market segmentation. So we choose MMS as the model of value-added mobile service.MMS was introduced on Oct.2002 by China Mobile. By the end of 2008, the market scale reached 125.13 billion RMB (about 18.32 billion U.S. dollars), compared to 105 billion RMB in 2007, year-on-year growth of 19.2%. Few studies were discussed on MMS or just mentioned it. So establishment of the MMS model is very important drawing on the research of the mobile services. Meanwhile, although integrated variables may not be remarkable to individual consumers due to the fact that using MMS is only a minor decision for consumers, the variables of integrated model are remarkable and important to improve the services of operators and facilitators if consumers can be taken as a whole concept.The empirical analysis of this study consists of two stages. The first aims to filtrate the measurement items of all variables through the analysis of the measurement validity and credibility, The second stage aims to unveil the relationships and influence of various variables in the mode, through SEM analysis of causal model. After the empirical analysis of samples with LISREL8.7, its innovations can be concluded that:1. It establishes and empirically proves the behavior model of MMS consumers. It establishes a complete empirical analysis model researehing elements influencing consumption of Value-added mobile services by extending and modifying TAM in combination with behavioral beliefs normative beliefs and control beliefs and their antecedent variables in theory of planned behavior as well as other dimensions of innovation features in theory of diffusion of innovation with an additional variable, namely entertainment. Integrating into one model major relationships between these theories and variables is rare in research on value-added mobile services. This study adopts a totally new perspective to make empirical study on consumption behavior.1) Factors proved to be remarkably influential to consumption behavior. Through questionnaires and empirical analysis, this study does empirical research on key hypothesizes of the theoretical model and draws some important conclusions which are different from findings: Control beliefs have no remarkable influence on real consumption variable. Perceived ease of use has no remarkable influence on the variable of attitude towards using MMS. Testability of MMS has no remarkable influence on the variable of attitude towards using MMS. Perceived employment has remarkable influence on the variable of attitude towards using MMS.2) This empirical study analysis the factors of influence on consumer behavior using demographic variables (gender, age and educational level) as a control variable. With factor analysis and cluster analysis, this research categorizes consumers into three different technological lifestyles and by making comparative studies on consumers of different categories, it draws some important conclusions.3. This study summarizes the research findings and compared the general rules of using mobile value-added services. A number of recommendations for mobile operators, service providers and equipment manufacturers of mobile value-added business development can be referenced as the strategy.