Abstract
IT-based mobile devices (i.e., smart devices), especially those with health monitoring features, are popular gifts. However, little is known about a recipient’s commitment to using the smart device when it is obtained as a gift. To explore the influence of gift- giving on user perceptions and usage, three studies are reported. These studies build on the IT use literature, the gift-giving literature, and social exchange theory to investigate whether and how gift-giving leads to device commitment. Specifically, we found two contextual factor – receiving the smart device as a gift (versus buying for yourself) and providing emotional support when giving the gift – can increase recipients’ symbolic of the smart device. Additionally, recipients’ cognitive value of the smart device negatively moderates the effect of symbolic value on device commitment. The results provide novel insight into the relationship between IT use and gift-giving and provide implications for future research and the smart device industry.
Recommended Citation
Zhang, Xiaofei; Valacich, Joseph; Jenkins, Jeffrey L.; and Guo, Xitong, "The Influence of Buying vs. Receiving an IT-based Device on User Commitment" (2018). SIGHCI 2018 Proceedings. 1.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/sighci2018/1