Pleasure in the use of new technologies. the case of e-book readers

Abstract

We analyse the adoption process of e-book readers and examine how the perception about the advantages of this technology and its incompatibility with consumer values determine the pleasure felt and its effective use. We also propose that consumer involvement with ICTs moderates these effects. Design/methodology/approach –Hierarchical moderated regression analysis is used to test the proposed model with survey data from a sample of e-book reader owners. Findings –Appraisal of the device’s reading features and the possibility for free downloading increases the pleasure found with its use and the extent to which it is actually used, whereas attachment to paper books decreases the emotional feeling, some of these effects being moderated by the individual’s involvement with new ICTs. Pleasure mediates the influence of perceived advantages and attachment to the older technology on the use of the e-book reader device. Practical implications –Two challenges to practitioners are suggested: to overcome the rejection of users less eager to experience pleasure and to use the e-reader, and to find the product’s objective or sensory characteristics that provide pleasure and promote long-lasting use. Originality/value –The study extends previous studies on e-book readers by emphasizing the need to go beyond adoption intention. It analyses effective use as a crucial measure of the true adoption of this technology and incorporates the perspective offered by the appraisal theory of emotion, which explains the key role of pleasure in this process.