Consumer learning to promote behavioral intention toward IT innovation: Is word of mouth needed?

Adoption of innovation is an on-going process involving persuasive communication and learning. However, the idea of marketing of IT innovation from consumer learning perspective has long been neglected. Based on consumer learning theory, we develop a model suggesting that word of mouth (WOM) stimulates individual consumers' learning and in turn affect their intention to adopt mobile payment. Data about users and potential users of mobile payment was collected from China through a questionnaire survey. The results indicate that consumers first sense the WOM and obtain relevant information from the surrounding environment. Their information searching will affect their perceived knowledge and self-efficacy about mobile payment. Then attitude about mobile payment is formed, which in turn, affects their behavioral intention toward mobile payment. Differences of model path coefficients between users and potential users of mobile payment are explored, and implications and limitations are also discussed.