Abstract—This study aims to explore how the consumers’ intention of adopting SFS Apps can be affected in the current highly competitive and multi-channel business context. A research framework with five hypotheses was proposed to study important relationships between the constructs of social and ranking influence, economic consideration, application quality, functionality of mobile device, and intention of adopting SFS Apps for small retailing business. An empirical test was conducted by using PLS, a second-generation multivariate analysis tool, to analyze survey data collected from 145 SFS App users. Findings revealed that social and ranking influence would significantly and positively affect not only consumers’ economic consideration but also application quality. In addition, consumers’ intention of adopting SFS Apps was found to be significantly and positively affected by both application quality and functionality of mobile device. However, there was no evidence showing that functionality of mobile device was significantly associated with consumers' economic consideration. The validated research model and corresponding findings can be referenced by small mobile-enhanced retailing business executives and decision makers for making favorable tactics to take advantage of the revolutionary benefits offered by SFS Apps.

Index Terms—Consumer behavioral intention, mobile commerce, mobile-enhanced retailing, partial least squares (PLS), smartphone application (App).

Yu-Teng Jacky Jang is with Department of Business Administration, Tunghai University. No.1727, Sec.4, Taiwan Boulevard, Xitun District, Taichung 407, Taiwan.
Shuchih Ernest Chang is with Institute of Technology Management, National Chung Hsing University. No. 145, Xingda Road, South District, Taichung 402, Taiwan (email: eschang@dragon.nchu.edu.tw).
Anne Yenching Liu is with Department of International Trade, Chihlee University of Technology. No. 313, Sec. 1, Wunhua Road., Banciao District, New Taipei City 22050, Taiwan.
Kevin Lai is with Mills College, Oakland, California 94613, USA.

Cite: Yu-Teng Jacky Jang, Shuchih Ernest Chang, Anne Yenching Liu, Kevin Lai, "Understanding Consumers’ Intention of Adopting Smartphone-facilitated Service Apps in Mobile-enhanced Retailing Business," International Journal of e-Education, e-Business, e-Management and e-Learning vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 26-33, 2018.