Understanding the actual use of mobile devices in private clubs in the US

Purpose – This paper aims to identify systematic ways of linking club members’ behavioral and demographic characteristics to their use of mobile devices in clubs. While the traditional private club experience is characterized by intensive personalization and face-to-face interactions, clubs are increasingly deploying information technology (IT) tools to optimize some of their internal processes and offer a better value proposition to their members. Design/methodology/approach – Based on data from 737 actual club members from the USA, this research used a series of logistic regressions to reveal the manner in which a series of behavioral and demographic variables can be used to predict the likelihood of use of mobile devices in clubs for specific club-related tasks. Findings – This research revealed that there are differences between the two main types of clubs (i.e. golf/country and city/athletic), as well as differences among club members residing in different regions of the USA in the manner in which members use mobile devices for club-related tasks. Research limitations/implications – This research offers a number of notable theoretical contributions. This research uses actual mobile device use data from actual club members in the USA. In addition, this research offers a comprehensive operationalization of the actual mobile use behaviors in clubs, and offers a methodological blueprint for predicting mobile device user behavior using easily collectable variables. Practical implications – This research provides specific suggestions to pinpoint the mobile technology deployment in clubs according to behavioral and demographic profile criteria. Social implications – This research could lead to feasible segmentation procedures and explicates the increasing role of mobile devices within the contemporary society. Originality/value – This research addresses a novel research topic in an industry characterized by a grave lack of research on IT.