CARROT OR STICK? EXPLORING THE EFFECT OF WORD-OF-MOUTH ON MOBILE PAYMENT APPLICATION SWITCHING BEHAVIORS

Consumer switching behaviors are influenced by the word-of-mouth (WOM) phenomenon, yet our knowledge on the relationship between WOM and mobile payment application switching behaviors is rather limited. This paper examines how the valence and targets of WOM influence mobile payment application switching behaviors. Drawing on social influence theory and gender-related works, we examined whether the strength of the paths between WOM and switching behaviors differs across genders. The model was tested using a large-scale survey of 3,785 valid responses. The empirical results suggest that perceived alternative attractiveness and trust bridge the relationship between WOM and switching behaviors. Further, the effects of positive and negative WOM on perceived alternative attractiveness appear greater for females than for males.