Purpose

Although graphic-based emoticons in mobile instant messenger (MIM) services became an important revenue source for their service provider, empirical research investigating factors influencing graphic-based emoticon purchase from the consumer's perspective is insufficient. The authors explore how user's achieved belongingness (acceptance or rejection) affects graphic based emoticon usage motivations and its purchase intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

A structural model is used to examine the relationship among individual's overall achieved belongingness, motivation factors of graphic-based emoticon usage in MIM such as perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, perceived enjoyment for others, social norm and emoticon purchase intentions. The authors collected and analyzed survey data of 279 Korean KakaoTalk users.

Findings

The analysis shows that perceived acceptance/inclusion positively impacts perceived usefulness, enjoyment and enjoyment of others in graphic-based emoticon usage. Meanwhile, perceived rejection/exclusion positively impacts perceived enjoyment and enjoyment of others but negatively influences perceived social norms. Moreover, social norms and perceived enjoyment directly affect graphic-based emoticon purchase intentions. The authors also find that perceived enjoyment of others and perceived social norms in a serial causal order mediate the relationship between perceived acceptance/inclusion (and rejection/exclusion) and emoticon purchase intentions.

Research limitations/implications

Additional research including users from other demographic groups, such as other age groups, is required to generalize our findings and to increase external validity.

Originality/value

Unique implications related to the role of user's achieved belongingness and perceived enjoyment of others in graphic-based emoticon usage in purchase intentions are found.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/ 10.1108/OIR-02-2020-0036

中文翻译：

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归属感和基于图形的表情使用动机对 MIM 表情购买意向的影响：对韩国 KakaoTalk 用户的分析

目的

尽管移动即时通讯 (MIM) 服务中的基于图形的表情符号成为其服务提供商的重要收入来源，但从消费者的角度调查影响基于图形的表情符号购买的因素的实证研究是不够的。作者探讨了用户获得的归属感（接受或拒绝）如何影响基于图形的表情符号使用动机及其购买意图。

设计/方法/方法

结构模型用于检验个人整体获得的归属感与MIM中基于图形的表情符号使用的动机因素之间的关系，例如感知有用性、感知享受、感知他人的享受、社会规范和表情购买意图。作者收集并分析了 279 名韩国 KakaoTalk 用户的调查数据。

发现

分析表明，在基于图形的表情符号使用中，感知接受/包容会对感知有用性、享受和他人的享受产生积极影响。同时，感知拒绝/排斥对感知享受和他人享受产生积极影响，但对感知社会规范产生负面影响。此外，社会规范和感知享受直接影响基于图形的表情购买意图。作者还发现，感知到的他人享受和感知到的社会规范在一系列因果顺序中调节感知接受/包含（和拒绝/排除）与表情符号购买意图之间的关系。

研究限制/影响

需要进行其他研究，包括来自其他人口群体（例如其他年龄组）的用户，以概括我们的研究结果并提高外部有效性。

原创性/价值

发现了与用户获得的归属感和对他人的感知享受在购买意图中基于图形的表情符号使用中的作用相关的独特含义。

同行评审

本文的同行评审历史可在以下网址获得：https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-02-2020-0036