Comprehending Technology Attachment In The Case Of Smart Phone-Applications: An Empirical Study

The purpose of this paper is to comprehend the causes and outcomes of smart phone application retention. To address this question, the authors propose a construct called app attachment and establish antecedents and consequences of the same. This study conceptualizes attachment with smart phone application as app attachment from a brand attachment perspective. Accordingly, app attachment is viewed as a two-dimensional construct composing of two measurement constructs namely app-self connection and app-prominence. Based on insights from information technology literature and marketing perspectives, antecedents, and consequents of app attachment are identified. Structural equation modeling was used for confirming the relationship of app attachment with proposed antecedents and consequences. On the managerial front, this paper explicates various strategies that a manager should adopt to improve app retention amongst its targeted users.