The value of life histories in researching the adoption and use of M-services

Mobile services are a very important part of the e-commerce landscape. Although research has been conducted on what services people use and what value they attach to those services we know little about why people attach those perceived values. The theory of consumer value provides a theoretical framework to examine the adoption of mobile services. We use a life history research methodology to demonstrate that a biographical account can help in uncovering the "why" of perceived value. The life histories used in the paper highlight that the approach can be used to explain adoption and use of a product in relation to a person's lifestyle, needs, and experiences. From the examples, we can see that mobile services often have a functional value attached to them at the outset but social and epistemic value can follow when people are keen to experiment and feel part of a social community of use.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: ECIS
• Authors: Patricia McManus, Craig Standing
• Keywords: Consumer Value, ECIS 2004, History Research Methodology, Information Technology, Mobile Services