무리행동과 지각된 유용성이 이러닝 컨텐츠 구매의도에 미치는 영향: 구매경험에 의한 비교분석 (The Effect of Herding Behavior and Perceived Usefulness on Intention to Purchase e-Learning Content: Comparison Analysis by Purchase Experience)

서지정보

· 발행기관 : 한국경영정보학회
· 수록지 정보 : Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems / 18권 / 4호 / 105 ~ 130페이지
· 저자명 : 유철우, 김용진, 문정훈, 최영찬

초록

Consumers of e-learning market differ from those of other markets in that they are replaced in a specific
time scale. For example, e-learning contents aimed at highschool senior students cannot be consumed
by a specific consumer over the designated period of time. Hence e-learning service providers need to
attract new groups of students every year. Due to lack of information on products designed for continuously
emerging consumers, the consumers face difficulties in making rational decisions in a short time period.
Increased uncertainty of product purchase leads customers to herding behaviors to obtain information of
the product from others and imitate them. Taking into consideration of these features of e-learning market,
this study will focus on the online herding behavior in purchasing e-learning contents.
There is no definite concept for e-learning. However, it is being discussed in a wide range of perspectives
from educational engineering to management to e-business etc. Based upon the existing studies, we identify
two main view-points regarding e-learning. The first defines e-learning as a concept that includes existing
terminologies, such as CBT (Computer Based Training), WBT (Web Based Training), and IBT (Internet Based
Training). In this view, e-learning utilizes IT in order to support professors and a part of or entire education systems. In the second perspective, e-learning is defined as the usage of Internet technology to deliver
diverse intelligence and achievement enhancing solutions. In other words, only the educations that are
done through the Internet and network can be classified as e-learning. We take the second definition
of e-learning for our working definition.
The main goal of this study is to investigate what factors affect consumer intention to purchase e-learning
contents and to identify the differential impact of the factors between consumers with purchase experience
and those without the experience. To accomplish the goal of this study, it focuses on herding behavior
and perceived usefulness as antecedents to behavioral intention. The proposed research model in the study
extends the Technology Acceptance Model by adding herding behavior and usability to take into account
the unique characteristics of e-learning content market and e-learning systems use, respectively. The current
study also includes consumer experience with e-learning content purchase because the previous experience
is believed to affect purchasing intention when consumers buy experience goods or services. Previous studies
on e-learning did not consider the characteristics of e-learning contents market and the differential impact
of consumer experience on the relationship between the antecedents and behavioral intention, which is
the target of this study.
This study employs a survey method to empirically test the proposed research model. A survey questionnaire
was developed and distributed to 629 informants. 528 responses were collected, which consist of potential
customer group (n = 133) and experienced customer group (n = 395). The data were analyzed using PLS
method, a structural equation modeling method. Overall, both herding behavior and perceived usefulness
influence consumer intention to purchase e-learning contents. In detail, in the case of potential customer
group, herding behavior has stronger effect on purchase intention than does perceived usefulness. However,
in the case of shopping-experienced customer group, perceived usefulness has stronger effect than does
herding behavior. In sum, the results of the analysis show that with regard to purchasing experience, perceived
usefulness and herding behavior had differential effects upon the purchase of e-learning contents.
As a follow-up analysis, the interaction effects of the number of purchase transaction and herding behavior/
perceived usefulness on purchase intention were investigated. The results show that there are no interaction
effects.
This study contributes to the literature in a couple of ways. From a theoretical perspective, this study
examined and showed evidence that the characteristics of e-learning market such as continuous renewal
of consumers and thus high uncertainty and individual experiences are important factors to be considered
when the purchase intention of e-leraning content is studied. This study can be used as a basis for future
studies on e-learning success. From a practical perspective, this study provides several important implications
on what types of marketing strategies e-learning companies need to build. The bottom lines of these strategies
include target group attraction, word-of-mouth management, enhancement of web site usability quality,
etc. The limitations of this study are also discussed for future studies.

영어초록

Consumers of e-learning market differ from those of other markets in that they are replaced in a specific
time scale. For example, e-learning contents aimed at highschool senior students cannot be consumed
by a specific consumer over the designated period of time. Hence e-learning service providers need to
attract new groups of students every year. Due to lack of information on products designed for continuously
emerging consumers, the consumers face difficulties in making rational decisions in a short time period.
Increased uncertainty of product purchase leads customers to herding behaviors to obtain information of
the product from others and imitate them. Taking into consideration of these features of e-learning market,
this study will focus on the online herding behavior in purchasing e-learning contents.
There is no definite concept for e-learning. However, it is being discussed in a wide range of perspectives
from educational engineering to management to e-business etc. Based upon the existing studies, we identify
two main view-points regarding e-learning. The first defines e-learning as a concept that includes existing
terminologies, such as CBT (Computer Based Training), WBT (Web Based Training), and IBT (Internet Based
Training). In this view, e-learning utilizes IT in order to support professors and a part of or entire education systems. In the second perspective, e-learning is defined as the usage of Internet technology to deliver
diverse intelligence and achievement enhancing solutions. In other words, only the educations that are
done through the Internet and network can be classified as e-learning. We take the second definition
of e-learning for our working definition.
The main goal of this study is to investigate what factors affect consumer intention to purchase e-learning
contents and to identify the differential impact of the factors between consumers with purchase experience
and those without the experience. To accomplish the goal of this study, it focuses on herding behavior
and perceived usefulness as antecedents to behavioral intention. The proposed research model in the study
extends the Technology Acceptance Model by adding herding behavior and usability to take into account
the unique characteristics of e-learning content market and e-learning systems use, respectively. The current
study also includes consumer experience with e-learning content purchase because the previous experience
is believed to affect purchasing intention when consumers buy experience goods or services. Previous studies
on e-learning did not consider the characteristics of e-learning contents market and the differential impact
of consumer experience on the relationship between the antecedents and behavioral intention, which is
the target of this study.
This study employs a survey method to empirically test the proposed research model. A survey questionnaire
was developed and distributed to 629 informants. 528 responses were collected, which consist of potential
customer group (n = 133) and experienced customer group (n = 395). The data were analyzed using PLS
method, a structural equation modeling method. Overall, both herding behavior and perceived usefulness
influence consumer intention to purchase e-learning contents. In detail, in the case of potential customer
group, herding behavior has stronger effect on purchase intention than does perceived usefulness. However,
in the case of shopping-experienced customer group, perceived usefulness has stronger effect than does
herding behavior. In sum, the results of the analysis show that with regard to purchasing experience, perceived
usefulness and herding behavior had differential effects upon the purchase of e-learning contents.
As a follow-up analysis, the interaction effects of the number of purchase transaction and herding behavior/
perceived usefulness on purchase intention were investigated. The results show that there are no interaction
effects.
This study contributes to the literature in a couple of ways. From a theoretical perspective, this study
examined and showed evidence that the characteristics of e-learning market such as continuous renewal
of consumers and thus high uncertainty and individual experiences are important factors to be considered
when the purchase intention of e-leraning content is studied. This study can be used as a basis for future
studies on e-learning success. From a practical perspective, this study provides several important implications
on what types of marketing strategies e-learning companies need to build. The bottom lines of these strategies
include target group attraction, word-of-mouth management, enhancement of web site usability quality,
etc. The limitations of this study are also discussed for future studies.

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