Value drivers of government issued mobile coupons usage

Abstract

PurposeIn the pandemic time, many local governments in China issue mobile coupons to citizens in order to boost economy via stimulating consumption. This study examines value drivers for consumers to use government issued mobile coupons (GIMCs), which differ from traditional ones issued by retailers, during the pandemic time in mainland China.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis of 148 posts and 388 comments from Sina Weibo were performed to identify value-related antecedents of GIMCs' usage by consumers. Then, drawing on extant literature and based on the variables extracted from content analysis, a conceptual model was proposed addressing the determinants of value perceptions which motivate consumers to acquire and redeem GIMCs. A questionnaire survey was conducted among 510 citizens who used government issued m-coupons to verify hypotheses.FindingsThe research findings show that functional value (driven by economic benefits, convenience and relevance), emotional value (driven by trustworthiness, competition and altruism) and social value (driven by social norms and social recognition) positively shape consumer's attitude toward GIMCs and their intention to use GIMCs. Also, it is found that functional value and attitude link is enhanced by consumer's utilitarian shopping motivation and weakened by hedonic shopping motivation. Hedonic shopping motivation enhances the relationship between emotional value and attitude.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the theory development of coupon promotional tool by focusing on m-coupons issued by government (instead of retailers) under the pandemic background. Besides, it provides managerial insights for local authorities to design effective GIMCs policies.

Tourism Advertising Using Specialized Mobile Applications and Its Impact on Increasing the Demand for the Services of Tourism Organizations

“…[3] sought to understand the role of social networking sites in the development of tourism in Al-Kharj Governorate, and the study concluded that these sites have a role in persuading tourists to visit the governorate. As for the study by [19], it found that the research on functional value (driven by economic benefits, convenience, and relevance), emotional value (driven by trustworthiness, competition, and altruism), and social value. A study [13] concluded the importance of using mobile applications in motivating customers to use the company's products.…”

Effect of restaurant consumers’ anticipated emotions on perceived value and behavioral intention in the COVID-19 context

“…Some e-business scholars have confirmed the significance of social value in online and offline purchases (e.g., Wu et al, 2018 ; Yu and Huang, 2022 ). During the COVID-19 situation, social benefits from interpersonal communications could improve the social connection between consumers and other people, generating a better customer experience and intention to purchase ( Zhang and Zhang, 2022 ).…”

“…Dining in a restaurant involves considerable social value for consumers ( Park, 2004 ), which cannot be ignored, especially in the context of COVID-19, which involves social distancing practices ( Lim et al, 2022 ; Mahmood et al, 2022 ). However, recent literature has not studied hedonic, utilitarian, and social values simultaneously ( Kakar, 2020 ) in the context of COVID-19 ( Zhang and Zhang, 2022 ), which warrants further studies.…”