Analysis of Users’ Attitudes Towards the Use of Mobile Technologies in Republic of Serbia

Abstract

The increasing use of mobile devices and wireless internet connections has led to their utilization, not only for communication purposes, but also for various other activities, such as mobile commerce (m-commerce). Contemporary trends have enabled m-commerce to become a business model with the potential to transform entire industries. Alongside technological advancements, there is an evolution of models explaining consumer behavior in the domain of technology acceptance. The original TAM model and its extensions, although providing useful insights, do not encompass all relevant determinants, prompting practitioners to increasingly turn to more contemporary models in order to understand the acceptance and usage of mobile technologies in today's digital environment. UTAUT2 model is considered an improved version of the original UTAUT model, making it one of the most used models. Considering the above-mentioned, the research aims to measure users' attitudes towards various aspects of mobile commerce usage. In this context, consumers' attitudes towards performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, price value, hedonic motivation, and habit in using m-commerce will be examined. Additionally, the aim of the study is to analyze the attitudes of different consumer segments, based on two criteria - gender and age. The sample consists of 210 respondents. The research was conducted in the territory of Central Serbia, from April to May 2023. Descriptive statistical analysis, reliability analysis, and t-test for two independent samples were applied in the research. The research findings can be useful to mobile commerce service providers in adjusting loyalty programs to different segments, providing added value, and shaping the overall user experience that appeals to various consumer segments. Given that previous research, especially in domestic literature, has been based on some of the previously established models such as TAM or UTAUT, the originality of this study lies in the use of the contemporary UTAUT2 model. Additionally, the originality is contributed by the comparative analysis of different segments of m-commerce service users.