Mobile app users exhibit engagement (workaround, reframing) and disengagement (discontinuance, deferring) practices, extending Expectation Disconfirmation Theory.
Authors
Roshee Lamichhane, School of Management, Asian Institute of Technology, Khlong Nueng, Thailand
Philippa Ward, Faculty of Business, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, United Kingdom
Anup Shrestha, School of Business, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Australia
Biplab Bhattacharjee, Associate Professor, Information Systems and Analytics, Jindal Global Business School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, India
Summary
Research on information systems has often focused on various post-adoption behaviour, examining how users adapt to using IT artefacts. This study explores such post-adoption practices specifically for discontinuing mobile applications (apps) use. Instead of investigating a particular user’s behaviour, we focus on participants’ lived experiences with discontinuing app use. We employed an inductive grounded theory research approach, collecting data through semi-structured interviews with 38 participants. We identified two key types of post-adoption behaviour, engagement practices comprising workaround and reframing and disengagement practices comprising discontinuance and deferring. Using Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT), we demonstrated how negative disconfirmation can be managed through post-adoption behaviour. Our main theoretical contribution extends EDT to include a new category of disengagement practices called “deferring.” Our findings also provide valuable practitioner insights for app retention strategies.
Published in: International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction
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