Can’t Live Without Smartphones: Device Attachment as a Dual Route Process Promoting Consumer Loyalty

Smartphone sales has grown massively and the sales are expected to one billion in 2013 (Deloitte 2013) that are simply due to the fact that smartphone users are anticipated to exceed 192 million by the year 2016 (eMarketer 2012). Many consumers admit to being overly attached to their smart phones and about 37 % of adults and 60 % of teenagers show addictions to their smart phones (Swallow 2011). Given that attachment is crucial in determining consumer satisfaction and loyalty (e.g. Chaudhuri and Holbrook 2001, Park et al. 2010); it would seem advisable to make an effort to investigate the role of emotional attachment of smart phones.

However, within the field of smart phones, there has been a tremendous wave of interest in smartphone adoption and acceptance (e.g. Falaki et al. 2010; Park and SuJin 2006; Smith 2011; Setterstrom et al. 2012), attitudes (Haghirian and Inoue 2007; Wais and Clemons 2008), or utilitarian functions (e.g. Bauer et al. 2007; Kim et al. 2007). Comparatively little research has focused on the effect of device attachment in the context of smartphone. The purpose of this study is to address the emotional attachment of smart phones and further to examine what factors driving attachments and leading consumer loyalty. Based on Wehmeyer (2008), smartphones provide diverse uses could yield different types of device attachments, such as affective (symbolism) and cognitive (necessity) attachment. In considering the antecedents, the first factor is primarily concerned with self enhancement. Since smartphone provides some symbolic values, consumers can use smartphone boost consumer’s self-concept and image (Finnilä 2011; Magrath and McCormick 2013). Consequently, smartphone consumption serves as a means to self enhancement (Finnilä 2011; Magrath and McCormick 2013). Another driving factor proposed here is problem solving support; consumers are likely to yield device attachment if the device can successfully handle any functional uses with the superior service cost and connection stability (Park 2006). Thus, the objective of this paper is to investigate how self enhancement and problem solving support drive different types of device attachments and how device attachments affect consumer loyalty in the context of smartphone.

The formal questionnaire survey was mainly collected from Internet and restricted to those who have smartphone. Structural model estimation shows that all hypotheses are supported. This study proposes dual process of device attachments drives consumer loyalty. Self enhancement motivates consumers to exhibit symbolic device attachment and consequently affect consumer loyalty to their smart phones. Whereas, smart phones provide more problem solving support can facilitate necessity device attachments and thus enables consumers to engage in loyal behaviors. Our research has suggested, albeit tentatively, two potentially important process of user device attachment on the smart phone loyalty. While research on smart phones is till at a beginning stage, findings have broad implications for theory, research, and practice.