Abstract

Mobile services have gradually transformed and broadened, and are still being developed, bringing users more convenience, ubiquity, universality, and diversification. The mobility and ubiquity of smartphones increase users’ perception of convenience, which can induce online purchases. Consumers can browse webpages on a smartphone find interesting products anywhere and anytime. They may impulsively decide to buy these products or conduct instant chats with friends to obtain product information or recommendations. It is important that we examine users’ emotions when shopping via mobile devices, now that m-commerce is gradually being accepted and used, by investigating factors such as customers’ perceptions of value, immersion, commitment, and pleasure. So, this study investigates consumers’ urge to buy and browsing activities in m-commerce from the emotional perceptive. Findings derived from data analysis of 578 records collected from the online survey. First, the relationship of pleasure, dominance and arousal on urge to buy is demonstrated in m-commerce. Second, results show that pleasure and browsing activities are critical to inducing consumers’ impulsive purchase intention in m-commerce. The total effect of pleasure on the urge to buy is close to 50%. The influence of pleasure on browsing activities is almost twice that of the urge to buy. Third, effects of web atmospherics and mobile characteristics are distinct. Web atmospherics tend to influence consumers’ perceived dominance of mobile websites, thus increasing their perceived control over the interaction process. Mobile characteristics are less important to arousal and dominance. The most popular characteristics of smartphones for consumers and vendors, ubiquity and localization, do not increase consumers’ perceived dominance and arousal towards mobile websites. Academic and practical implications are discussed further.

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