Consumer Attitude towards Mobile Commerce Use in E-shopping in the UK - Dissertation Example

This is although smartphone ownership in the UK is very high. Mobile commerce has not experienced substantial growth as expected. To examine the relationship between different mobile commerce-related factors and consumer attitude towards the use of mobile commerce in e-shopping in the UK, four objectives were set. These include identification of the current mobile commerce use in e-shopping in the UK, gathering information about why people use or do not use mobile commerce in e-shopping, identifying factors that can have an impact on the behavior of the consumers towards the use of mobile commerce in E-shopping, and to identify the relationship between mobile commerce-related factors on consumer attitude towards its use in E-shopping. This was a qualitative study based purely on secondary data; no primary data was deemed necessary. After an extensive literature review in Chapter II, the research methodology was explained in Chapter II, and the justification for the chosen method was provided. All the four objectives set in Chapter I have been achieved. The study concludes that UK consumers like to carry web-enabled mobile handsets because it gives them a feeling of power and independence but they use it only for hedonic purposes. Various extrinsic and intrinsic factors hinder the growth of mobile commerce in the UK. The extrinsic factors include the security concerns that give rise to lack of trust, the small size of the screen that does not provide the perceived ease of use, the low quality of broadband which impacts the speed, and the lack of mobile-enabled websites by retailers. The intrinsic factors that inhibit the proliferation of mobile commerce include the lack of personal innovativeness towards the adoption of technology. The UK consumers being of individualistic culture do not want to conform to any standards. The study concludes that certain structural drawbacks in the system act as a deterrent to the growth of e-commerce in the UK. Recommendations for further areas of study have been provided after listing the limitations of the study.
The wireless economy and digital technology have changed the way people interact and shop. Communications and information technology are encouraging the use and developing newer shopping methods (Bigne, Ruiz, & Sanz, 2005). E-commerce, an outcome of advanced technology has brought businesses closer to their customers. E-commerce (e-com) has provided an online marketplace that provides information on logistics, transportation, and selling facilities. The development of new shopping methods has led to the growth of non-store shopping which enables the consumers to buy any goods or services without having to travel to the retail outlet. This led to the proliferation of internet marketing. However, wireless internet via mobile devices (WIMD) has now become the means to conducting day-to-day business and life activities.
Non-store shopping now includes mobile commerce where mobile phones are used instead of fixed network devices. One of the areas of e-com that is expanding rapidly is mobile-commerce (m-com). M-com is the outcome of the two of the fastest emerging technologies – internet and mobile communication (Kauffman, & Techatassanasoontorn, 2003). The combination of the internet and mobile phones optimizes consumer convenience while making it possible for a wider audience to gain from this development.