Journal
INFORMATION & MANAGEMENT
Volume 51, Issue 5, Pages 520-531Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.im.2014.03.002
Keywords
Virtual consumption; Virtual goods; Virtual worlds; Goal structure; Means-end chain; Laddering interview; Virtual liminoid theory
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The aim of this study is to understand consumer goals for virtual consumption in social virtual worlds. Using a means-end chain approach, interviews with 93 users were analyzed to produce a hierarchical goal map, revealing that virtual consumption enables a diversity of goals beyond the previously identified experiential goals. The article's theoretical contributions include: (1) extending our understanding of user goals/goal relationships for virtual activities and (2) developing virtual liminoid theory, which describes transitions between users' real-world and virtual identities and virtual consumption as a transition catalyst. The study illustrates the value of a goal focus for future research on user behavior in virtual worlds. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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