User willingness to purchase applications on mobile intelligent devices: evidence from app store

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the facilitating and inhibitory factors on paid app downloading intentions based on an integrated valence theory, considering two social environmental factors and two intermediate variables: perceived value and perceived trust. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on the integrated valence theory. After collecting users' data, partial least square analysis is used to examine the main driving and constraining factors for users to download paid apps in Apple mobile devices. Findings The empirical results show that mediated through perceived value, perceived usefulness and perceived compatibility are the absolute positive factors that affect user's willingness to purchase apps, whereas perceived cost is the main barrier for users to do so. Social environment where the users are in also plays an important role in their purchase intentions. Practical implications - This study hopes to offer guidance to paid app developers and general app markets, and to help expand the consumer group, make the purchase experience more efficient and promote the development of paid app market. Originality/value The finding not only enriches the adoption theory of mobile apps from the perspective of valence theory, but also provides pricing and functional suggestions for platform suppliers and software developers of paid apps.