Understanding UX Better

Discussion and conclusion

Summary of the results

This study applied the SOR framework to the TMP context, and systematically examined the impact of user experience on continued use intention via the mediation of platform attachment. An empirical research with a Ctrip user sample (N = 276) supported most of the proposed hypotheses, and some important conclusions are be drawn.

Firstly, we empirically investigated how user experience factors influence platform attachment and thereby trigger users' intention to continue using the TMP, and some interesting findings were gained. Specifically, functional experience has a significant and positive impact on platform dependency, while social experience has a significant and positive impact on platform identity. Previous studies on TMP users' continued use intention have mainly focused on instrumental attributes of the platform with little attention being directed to social and altruistic aspects of the platforms. This study revealed that functional experience and social experience with the TMP can positively affect the users' attachment to the platform. More specifically, by using a TMP, the users can access travel information, make itinerary, conduct online booking and payment, which can effectively meet the users' travel goals, thus forming platform dependence. Also, the users can disseminate and exchange tourism related information with other users, which could improve their social feelings such as self-fulfillment and self-actualization, and lead to platform identity. Surprisingly, altruistic experience with the TMP failed to exert any significant impact on the users' platform identity. One possible reason for this result may be that the TMP users in our sample contribute to the platform with tourism-related knowledge and information mainly for utilitarian purposes, rather than identification with the platform.

Secondly, we decomposed platform attachment into platform dependence and platform identity, and empirically tested their impact on TMP users' continued use intention. Previous studies have mainly discussed the direct relationship, such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and satisfaction, between users' intention to continue using and antecedents. Meanwhile, the continued use intention also focused on the aggregation construct of uni-dimensional structure, and the two behaviors (e.g., intention to continuously obtain tourism information and intention to continuously provide tourism information) were not distinguished. Unlike prior studies, we further discussed the impact of platform dependence and platform identity on users' intention to continue using a TMP. In addition, it also subdivides users' intention to continue using, namely, intention to continuously obtain tourism information and intention to continuously provide tourism information. As such, this study serves as a meaningful starting point and provides avenues for future studies that aim to further probe into the mechanism underlying the users' intention to continue using TMPs.

Thirdly, we found that platform identity has a greater impact on users' intention to continue using the TMP than platform dependence. This may due to the fact that tourism activities are transient and infrequent in nature. Individuals who rely on a TMP usually use its products or services provided merely for tourism-related reasons. Therefore, the user usually has a relatively lower degree of attachment to a TMP. That is, different attachment levels have different effects on user behavior levels. Intensity attachment will urge individuals to make sacrifices and inputs to maintain the sustainability of the relationship. For example, users satisfy themselves in their continuous interaction with other users, resulting in a sense of belonging and identity. Users who strongly identify with TMP not only continuously obtain tourism information on the platform, but are more intention to spend time and energy providing tourism information.

Theoretical implications

Firstly, we theoretically enriched the research of users' continued use intention, which divided into continuously obtain information and continuously provide information. Unlike previous research that have mainly used an overall uni-dimensional construct of users' continued use intention. This work also explored how users are driven to user continued use intention by integrating user experience with platform attachment, which contributes to the prior literature such as user experience or platform attachment on user continued use intention.

Secondly, this work extends innovatively the SOR framework to the TMP context, unlike previous studies have mainly focus on in the field of e-commerce live streaming and health care, and further deepens the understanding of continued use intention from the perspective of user experience. Specifically, the SOR framework explains how environmental stimuli (user experience) affect internal psychology (platform attachment) and thus result in behavioral outcomes (continued use intention). That is, the framework provides an overall view of the antecedents and consequences of platform attachment, which is helpful for a detailed understanding of the potential drivers of continued use intention.

Thirdly, this study filled the gap of user continued use intention research. Unlike prior studies that have mainly used an overall uni-dimensional construct of platform attachment, this study innovatively divided platform attachment into platform dependence and platform identity, and found that platform identity is the most important driver of user continued use intention. Additionally, platform dependence will also positively affect users' intention to continue using. The results of empirical analysis showed that the research framework can effectively explain and predict user continued use intention. Also, the data in this work reinforce the argument that an overall explanation of platform attachment's effects is somewhat rough and misleading. Platform dependence and platform identity have different psychological characteristics, and thus exert different effects on the user continued used intention.

Practical implications

This study also provides some practical implications. In order to promote users' continued use intention, TMP operators should pay attention to the users' functional experience and social experience with the TMP at the same time. For platforms, they can deeply cultivate and innovate basic products or services and improve organizational strategies, which can attract a large number of users, and enhance communication between users. TMP operators should take some strategic actions to strengthen the users' attachment to the TMP, which can help to retain users and promote more transactions.

Firstly, TMP operators realize the high-quality development of the platform from the aspects of hard technology and soft services, such as ensuring the reliability of tourism destination information, convenient reservation, regularly updating tourism products or services, protecting users' privacy information, etc. The platforms should make full use of these measures to enhance users' continued use intention.

Secondly, in the context of post-modern tourism highlighting personalized and emotional needs, managers of TMP need to build a tourism community to provide opportunities for users to communicate with each other, deepen the TMP social experience, and establish a solid relationship with the platform through the social interaction between users. For example, The way of game element is adopted, such as awarding medals and bonus points to users, which may encourage users to communicate with each other, meet social needs and cultivate platform recognition.