Integrating perceived playfulness into expectation-confirmation model for web portal context

www.elsevier.com/locate/dsw

Information & Management 42 (2005) 683–693

Integrating perceived playfulness into expectation-confirmation

model for web portal context

Cathy S. Lina, Sheng Wub, Ray J. Tsaic,*

aNational University of Kaohsiung, Kaohsiung 811, TaiwanbNational Sun Yat-Sen University, Kaohsiung 804, Taiwan

cBCIS Department, St. Cloud State University (SCSU), 720, 4th Ave. S., St. Cloud, MN 56301, USA

Received 1 December 2002; received in revised form 23 April 2003; accepted 25 April 2004

Available online 2 September 2004

Abstract

This paper investigated the value of including ‘‘playfulness’’ in expectation-confirmation theory (ECT) when studying

continued use of a web site. Original models examined cognitive beliefs and effects that influence a person’s intention to continue

to use an information system. Here, an extended ECT model (with an additional relationship between perceived playfulness and

satisfaction) was shown to provide a better fit than a simple path from perceived usefulness to satisfaction. The results indicated that

perceived playfulness, confirmation to satisfaction, and perceived usefulness all contributed significantly to the users’ intent to reuse

a web site. Thus, we believe that the extended ECT model is an appropriate tool for the study of web site effects.

# 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Keywords: Web portal; Expectation-confirmation theory; Perceived playfulness; Satisfaction

1. Introduction

Today, the World Wide Web (WWW) impacts

many facets of our lives, including communication,

entertainment, social activities, shopping, etc. The

web portal is the most accessed type of site and is

advertising-supported [51]; the more users who visit

the site, the more income it generates [50]. To remain

competitive, therefore, web portal providers have to be

creative and innovative in attracting users. Companies

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 320 255 4169;

fax: +1 320 308 6074.

E-mail address: [email protected] (R.J. Tsai).

0378-7206/$ – see front matter # 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.

doi:10.1016/j.im.2004.04.003

provide special services, such as free email, personal

web space, searches, content provision, etc. and

identify users’ tastes, needs, and other purchasing

behaviors to hold their attention. Obtaining and main-

taining user loyalty is the key to survival.

Today user perception to a web site is very impor-

tant; much research has focused on the Internet users’

behavior. Users have many options that potentially

reduce their loyalty; they can go anywhere and may

not return. Thus, retaining users becomes both impor-

tant and difficult.

Some well-known theories, such as the technology

acceptance model (TAM) [15] and the theory of

planned behavior [2] have been used to examine

C.S. Lin et al. / Information & Management 42 (2005) 683–693684

variables that motivate individuals to accept and use

an IS. However, the characteristics of portal surfing are

different from business use of an IS; the Internet

surfers are, to some extent, irregular in their actions

and may not return once they leave [10]. Furthermore,

in the web context, attracting users and maintain their

loyalty is critical. To study continued use, expectation-

confirmation theory (ECT) can be used to explore the

post-behavior aspect of a sale. Specifically, once a user

has positive feelings about a web site, the satisfaction

results in a revisit intention.

Although previous studies [8,33,38] suggested that

perceived usefulness plays an important role in pre-

dicting users intentions, it is not known whether this is

a dominant factor in web surfing for the general public.

Since thousands of portals provide similar services,

retention of existing users is difficult. Attracting and

retaining users by providing a playful web site has

gained researchers’ attention. Playfulness is signifi-

cantly associated with total web use, especially for

entertainment purposes [3]. Moon and Kim [41]

extend TAM for a WWW context and indicated that

playfulness was an intrinsic motivation factor in

acceptance of the site. Therefore, we integrated the

‘‘perceived playfulness’’ construct into ECT in an

attempt to enhance understanding of individuals’

web portal revisit intentions.

2. Theoretical background

2.1. Expectation-confirmation theory

ECT has been widely used to study consumer

satisfaction and post-purchase behavior (e.g., repurch-

ase, complaining), service marketing in general

[1,39,43,44,48], and online banking users’ reuse of

an information system [6]. In sum, it was used to

examine both pre-behavior (expectation) and post-

behavior (perceived performance) variables rather

than only pre-behavior.

Fig. 1 illustrates key constructs and relationships of

ECT. Oliver [45] described the process by which

consumers reached repurchase intentions. First, con-

sumers formed (ex-ante) expectations of the product

or service prior to purchasing it. Second, the purchase

resulted in an (ex-post) perceived performance that

was influenced by these expectations. If the difference

between actual performance and expectations was not

perceived as being small, the perceived performance

would increase or decrease with expectation (as indi-

cated by the arrow from expectations to perceived

performance). Third, the perceived performance may

therefore either confirm or refute pre-purchase expec-

tations. Fourth, as shown in Fig. 1, expectation and the

perceived level of confirmation positively affects satis-

faction. If confirmation occurred, customers’ satisfac-

tion increased or decreased from this baseline level.

Finally, satisfied consumers formed an intention to

repurchase while dissatisfied users did not.

Applying the ECT framework to the study of users’

behaviors in an e-commerce context is appropriate

[14,47,55] because users’ behavior affects their

repurchase decision; however, some theoretical exten-

sions may be required to explain users’ continuance

behavior in using a web site. Therefore, the model here

focused only on post-acceptance variables, since the ex-

post expectations are especially important for web

portals, because users’ expectations may change over

time. If a web portal targets users and heightens their

loyalty to the site, it is necessary to understand the

users’ continuance behavior. Hence, the ex-post expec-

tation is represented by perceived usefulness, which is a

cognitive belief salient to IS use and consistent with

ECT’s definition of expectation. As in attitude theories,

the (ex-post) expectation represents the beliefs

weighted with evaluation of outcomes [46].

2.2. Playfulness

Characterizing playfulness is difficult [5], because

laymen and researchers use the term ‘‘play’’ in several

ways [17,20]. The trait of playfulness may be treated as

a motivational characteristic. Individuals who ranked

high in playfulness demonstrate better performance and

higher affective response to computer training tasks.

But playfulness may instead be defined as a situational

characteristic of the interaction between an individual

and a situation. The majority of research on it as an

individual’s interaction state is based on Csikszentmi-

halyi’s [13] flow theory. He notes that ‘‘people seek flow

experience primarily for itself;’’ thus, flow serves as a

positive reinforcer that increases the probability of

future usage in a computer-mediated environment

(CME) [23,27]. The theory has also been proposed

as a way to understand consumer navigation behavior

C.S. Lin et al. / Information & Management 42 (2005) 683–693 685

Fig. 1. Expectation-confirmation theory. Note: t1 = pre-consumption variable; t2 = post-consumption variable.

in online environments. Here, playfulness was regarded

as an individual state, because an individual can feel

more or less playful at various points during his/her visit

to a web portal.

3. Research model and hypotheses

This research model (Fig. 2) was therefore an

extension of the original ECT based on individuals’

intrinsic motivation theory. Perceived playfulness, the

extended part of the model, was the construct of

interest. When people get involved in an activity for

pleasure and enjoyment, this is their intrinsic motive

and it should increase the likelihood that they would

revisit the web portal in the future. Therefore, one

basic assumption was that playfulness impacted indi-

viduals’ satisfaction in using web portals and thus their

intention to reuse them.

Deci and Ryan [18] suggested that people are both

intrinsically and extrinsically motivated. Perceived

Fig. 2. Researc

playfulness is an intrinsic motive, whereas perceived

usefulness is extrinsic. Based on the original ECT

model, perceived usefulness is influenced by confir-

mation. Since perceived usefulness and perceived

playfulness are common motivations, it is reasonable

to believe that confirmation would impact on per-

ceived playfulness. Theoretical support for this asso-

ciation comes from cognitive dissonance theory [21],

which suggests that users may experience cognitive

dissonance or psychological tension if their pre-accep-

tance playfulness perceptions are not confirmed dur-

ing actual use. Rational users may try to reduce this

dissonance by distorting or modifying their playful-

ness perceptions to be more consistent with reality.

Hence, this leads to the first hypothesis.

H1. Users’ extent of confirmation is positively asso-

ciated with their perceived playfulness of a web portal.

Researchers argue that people who rank higher in

playfulness will interact more playfully; they exercise

and develop skills through exploratory behaviors,

h model.


resulting in enhanced task performance [40]. Previous

research has shown that higher degrees of pleasure and

involvement during computer interactions lead to

concurrent subjective perceptions of positive affects

and satisfaction. Webster et al. [52,55] noted that

‘‘higher playfulness results in immediate subjective

experiences such as positive mood and satisfaction.’’

Playfulness is also positively associated with positive

affect and satisfaction [34]. Sandelands et al. [49]

found that attitudinal outcomes, such as positive

affect, pleasure, and satisfaction, resulted from playful

experiences. This leads to the second hypothesis.

H2. Users’ perceived playfulness is positively asso-

ciated with their satisfaction with a web portal.

According to flow theory, a positive subjective

experience is an important reason for performing an

activity. If an individual ‘‘feels good’’ about an activ-

ity, it is intrinsically motivating, and he/she is more

likely to engage in it. Individuals using a web portal

and experiencing playfulness are more absorbed and

interested in the interaction. This shapes their inten-

tion to visit this portal again later. Davis et al. [15,16]

found that perceived playfulness explained significant

variance in usage intentions. Corresponding to Igbar-

ia’s study [29], Webster et al.’s study showed that

playfulness was highly correlated with voluntary use.

Similar findings revealed that perceived playfulness

was positively related to microcomputer usage. This

leads to our third hypothesis.

H3. Users’ perceived playfulness of web portal use is

positively associated with their continuance intention.

Since ECT is used as a baseline model, the research

verified the ECT hypothesized relationships in the

context of web portals. In his empirical study of EC

service continuance, Bhattacherjee employed the ECT

model to study customer satisfaction and continuance.

His results suggested that it was feasible to apply ECT

to the web context. In addition, studies [25,53] on

post-adoption behavior in online services showed the

appropriateness of the study. Some related hypotheses

were therefore formulated based on the baseline

model of ECT (Fig. 2).


ciated with their perceived usefulness of a web portal.


ciated with their satisfaction with a web portal.

H6. Users’ perceived usefulness of a portal is posi-

tively associated with their satisfaction with the web

portal.

H7. Users’ perceived usefulness of a portal use is

positively associated with their portal continuance

intention.

H8. Users’ satisfaction with the initial web portal is

positively associated with their continuance intention.

4. Research methodology

4.1. Subjects

Subjects of this research were individuals who used

the web portal in their free time. Questionnaires were

administered to senior level undergraduate students

from three universities. The sample consisted of 300

undergraduate students majoring in management. All

subjects had prior experience with web portal use. The

survey indicated that students’ responses would be

kept confidential and only summary information

would be presented; administrators reiterated this

verbally. Incomplete questionnaires were discarded,

leaving 254 usable samples. Table 1 details the respon-

dents’ characteristics.

4.2. Measurement development

Five constructs were measured: perceived useful-

ness, confirmation, perceived playfulness, satisfaction,

and IS continuance intention. Constructs were mea-

sured via a multiple-item scale drawn from pre-vali-

dated IS or ECT measures, and reworded to relate

specifically to web portal use. The applicability of

the modified items was enhanced by literature reviews,

using three PhD students as expert judges, and pilot

testing relevant samples. During this process, scale

items were trimmed and refined, and dimensions were

modified to hold the content validity as understanding

of the constructs improved. All items used seven-point

Likert scales anchored from ‘‘strongly disagree (=1)’’ to

‘‘strongly agree (=7)’’. Tables 2 and 3 provide opera-

tional definitions and scale items for these constructs.


Table 1

Descriptive statistics of respondents’ characteristics (N = 254)

Measure Items Frequency Percent

Gender Female 157 61.8

Male 97 38.2

Years of Internet experience <1 year 46 18.1

1–3 years 123 48.4

3–5 years 71 28

>5 years 14 5.5

Primary web portal used Yahoo Taiwan (tw.yahoo.com) 229 90.2

Sina (www.sina.com.tw) 6 2.4

Pchome (www.pchome.com.tw) 5 2

Yam (www.yam.com.tw) 12 4.7

Other 2 0.8

Time of use at primary web portal (daily) <1 h 146 57.5

1–3 h 99 39

3–6 h 7 2.8

6–9 h 1 0.4

>9 h 1 0.4

Table 2

Operationalization of constructs

Construct Operational definition Source

Perceived usefulness Users’ perception of the expected benefits of web portal use Adapted from Davis et al. [15]

Confirmation Users’ perception of the congruence between expectation of

web portal use and its actual performance

Adapted from Bhattacherjee [6]

Perceived playfulness The strength of one’s belief that interacting with the web portal

will fulfill the user’s intrinsic motives

Adapted from Moon and Kim [41]

Satisfaction Users’ affect with (feelings about) prior web portal use Adapted from Spreng and Olshavsky [50]

Continuance intention Users’ intention to continue using web portal Adapted from Bhattacherjee [6]

Table 3

Summary of measurement items

Construct Measurement items Source

Perceived usefulness Using web portal improves performance of my learning Adapted from

Davis et al. [15]Using web portal improves skill of my search data

Using web portal enables me to access a lot of usefulness information

Confirmation My experience with using the web portal was better than what I expected Adapted from

Bhattacherjee [6]The service level provided by the web portal was better than what I expected

Overall, most of my expectations from using the web portal were confirmed

Perceived playfulness When interacting with the web portal, I am not aware of the time as it elapses Adapted from Moon

and Kim [41]When interacting with the web portal, I am not aware of distracting noise

When interacting with the web portal, I often forget other commitments

Satisfaction Using the web portal makes me feel very satisfied Adapted from Spreng

and Olshavsky [50]Using the web portal makes me feel very pleased

Using the web portal makes me feel very contented

Using the web portal makes me feel very delighted

Continuance intention I intend to continue using the web portal rather than discontinue its use Adapted from

Bhattacherjee [6]My intentions are to continue using the web portal rather than use any alternative means


5. Data analysis and results

To assess the hypotheses, our research relied exten-

sively on confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) using

LISREL 8.30 and sample correlation matrix [31]. The

following common measures were used to assess the

model’s overall goodness of fit: chi-square/degree of

freedom, goodness-of-fit index (GFI), normed fit

index (NFI), comparative fit index (CFI), and stan-

dardized root mean square residual (SRMSR) [4].

Using these measures, we assessed the measurement

model and determined whether the measured variables

reliably reflected the theoretical constructs. Further,

we checked the proposed research model’s overall

goodness-of-fit compared to the original ECT model.

5.1. Assessment of measurement model

The model was further assessed for construct relia-

bility and validity. The resultant coefficient is similar

to Cronbach’s a, except that it used the actual factor

loadings rather than assuming each item was equally

weighted in the composite load determination. As

shown in Table 4, construct reliability for all the

factors in our measurement model was above 0.7,

an acceptable threshold suggested by Nunnally and

Bernstein [42].

Construct validity for the five measurement scales

(portal continuance intention, satisfaction, perceived

usefulness, perceived playfulness, and confirmation)

was assessed via CFA. Each scale item was modeled

as a reflective indicator of its hypothesized latent

construct. The five constructs were allowed to covary

Table 4

Scale properties and correlations

Construct Number of

items

Reliabilitya AVEb Factor correlations

PU PP PCI S C

PU 3 0.84 0.65 1

PP 3 0.86 0.67 0.63 1

PCI 2 0.84 0.72 0.51 0.54 1

S 4 0.93 0.77 0.53 0.62 0.58 1

C 3 0.78 0.55 0.51 0.55 0.44 0.60 1

PU: perceived usefulness; PP: perceived playfulness; PCI: portal

continuance intention; S: satisfaction; C: confirmation.a Composite reliability = (

Pstandardized loading)2/

(P

standardized loading)2 +P

ej.b Average variance extracted (AVE) =

P(standardized loading2)/

P(standardized loading)2 +

Pej.

in the CFA model. Model estimation used the max-

imum likelihood approach with the item correlation

matrix used as input.

The first step in scale validation was to examine the

goodness-of-fit of the overall CFA model. For models

with good fit, chi-square normalized by degrees of

freedom (x2/d.f.) should be less than five [4,57], GFI,

NFI, and CFI should all exceed 0.9, and SRMSR

should be less than 0.1. For the current CFA model,

x2/d.f. is 2.17 (x2 = 174; d.f. = 80), GFI is 0.92, NFI is

0.93, CFI is 0.96, and SRMSR is 0.04 (see Table 5). An

adequate model fit was therefore indicated.

Next, convergent validity was evaluated for the

four measurement scales using three criteria sug-

gested by Fornell and Larcker [22]. All indicator

factor loadings (l) should be significant and exceed

0.7, construct reliabilities should exceed 0.8, and

average variance extracted (AVE) by each construct

should exceed the variance due to measurement error

for that construct (i.e., AVE should exceed 0.50). All

l-values in the CFA model exceeded 0.7 and were

significant at P = 0.01 (see t-value in Table 5). The

Composite reliabilities ranged between 0.78 and

0.93. AVE ranged from 0.55 to 0.77 (see Table 4),

which is greater than the variance due to measure-

ment error. Hence, all three conditions for conver-

gent validity were met.

Finally, Fornell and Larcker have recommended a

stronger test of discriminate validity: the AVE for each

construct should exceed the squared correlation

between that and any other construct. The factor

correlation matrix indicated that the largest squared

correlation between any pair of constructs was 0.40

(perceived usefulness and perceived playfulness),

while the smallest AVE was 0.55. Hence, the test of

discriminate validity was also met.

5.2. Assessment of model fit and evaluation of

hypotheses

The eight hypotheses were tested collectively using

structural equation modeling (SEM) as performed in

LISREL. This approach is particularly appropriate for

testing theoretically justified models [30]. Each indi-

cator was modeled in a reflective manner (as in CFA),

the five constructs were linked as hypothesized (see

Fig. 2), and model estimation was done using the

maximum likelihood technique.


Table 5

Measurement model

Item Item mean Standard deviation Standardized item loadinga Error loading t-statistic (for l)

PU1 5.06 1.08 0.74 0.45 13.0

PU2 5.27 1.17 0.84 0.29 15.6

PU3 5.52 1.08 0.82 0.33 15.0

PP1 5.07 1.19 0.84 0.29 16.0

PP2 5.27 1.14 0.86 0.26 16.4

PP3 4.98 1.16 0.76 0.43 13.6

PCI1 5.60 1.01 0.86 0.27 15.2

PCI2 5.75 1.05 0.84 0.30 14.8

S1 5.30 1.01 0.82 0.32 15.8

S2 5.18 1.03 0.91 0.17 18.6

S3 4.97 1.04 0.85 0.28 16.5

S4 5.04 1.05 0.92 0.15 19.0

C1 4.92 1.06 0.68 0.54 11.2

C2 4.66 1.17 0.76 0.42 13.1

C3 5.11 1.04 0.79 0.37 13.7

PU: perceived usefulness; PP: perceived playfulness; PCI: portal continuance intention; S: satisfaction; C: confirmation. Model fit: x2 = 174 (d.f.

= 80, P < 0.01), GFI = 0.92, NFI = 0.93, CFI = 0.96, SRMSR = 0.04.a All item loadings (l) were significant at P = 0.01 level.

The goodness-of-fit of the structural model was

comparable to the previous CFA model. In this

structural model, the relative chi-square (x2/d.f.)

was 2.54 (x2 = 208; d.f. = 82), GFI was 0.90,

NFI was 0.92, CFI was 0.94, and SRMSR was

Fig. 3. LISREL analysis of research model. Model fit: x2 = 208; adjusted x

= 0.06. Note: Measurement model not shown above for purposes of clari

0.06 (see Fig. 3). As recommended by Bollen [7],

and Carmines and McIver [9], a relative chi-square

value of less then 3 indicated an acceptable good-

ness-of-fit between the hypothesized model and the

observed data.

2 = 2.54 (with d.f. = 82); GFI = 0.90; NFI = 0.92; CFI = 0.94; SRMSR

ty.


Fig. 4. LISREL analysis of original ECT. Model fit: x2 = 115; adjusted x2 = 2.35 (with d.f. = 49); GFI = 0.93; NFI = 0.94; CFI = 0.96; SRMSR =

0.04.

Next, the path significance of each hypothesized

association in the research model and the variance

explained (R2-value) by each path were examined.

Fig. 3 shows the standardized path coefficient and path

significance, as reported by LISREL. Hypotheses 1

and 4 examine the links between users’ confirmation,

perceived playfulness, and perceived usefulness.

Confirmation was significantly related to playfulness

(b = 0.76, t-value = 7.86, P < 0.01) and perceived

usefulness (b = 0.72, t-value = 7.74, P < 0.01).

Therefore, hypotheses 1 and 4 were supported.

Hypotheses 2, 5, and 6 examine the effects of

individuals’ perceptions of web portals continuance

use intention. Entering all variables in a single block, it

was found that the proposed model explained a sig-

nificant percentage of the variance in satisfaction (R2 =

35%). At the 0.01 significance level, perceived play-

fulness and confirmation influence users’ satisfaction

toward continued use of a portal. Users’ satisfaction

was apparently influenced by two constructs — per-

ceived playfulness and confirmation. Hypotheses 2

and 5 were supported. However, hypothesis 6 was

not supported, since perceived usefulness was not

found to have a significant impact on satisfaction.

Hypotheses 3, 7 and 8 investigate the influence of

perceived playfulness, satisfaction, and perceived use-

fulness on users’ intent to use a portal. Twenty-seven

percent of the variance of the behavioral continuance

intention was explained by perceived usefulness, satis-

faction, and perceived playfulness. Users’ satisfaction

with portals had a very significant influence on the

continuance intention (b = 0.37, t-value = 4.08, P <0.01). Perceived usefulness (b = 0.26, t-value = 3.34, P

< 0.01) and perceived playfulness (b = 0.21, t-value =

2.31, P < 0.01) also had significant effects on con-

tinuance intention. The positive influences of per-

ceived usefulness and satisfaction, as suggested by

ECT research, were confirmed. In addition, perceived

playfulness had a significant positive effect on inten-

tion to use. Therefore, we supported hypotheses 3, 7

and 8.

5.3. Assessing extended ECT using the

original ECT

Both the extended ECT and the original ECT

models explained a significant proportion of the var-

iance in users’ satisfaction with web portals. The

original ECT model accounted for 26% of the variance

(see Fig. 4), and the extended ECT model explained

35% of the satisfaction variance. Moreover, the

extended ECT model accounted for 27% of continu-

ance intention toward web portals compared to 26% in

the original ECT model.

6. Discussion

Hypothesis testing with the extended ECT model

showed that all but one (H6) were supported. Failure

to find support for hypothesis 6 indicated that per-

ceived usefulness has no significant association with

satisfaction. The standardized path coefficients for

satisfaction were mostly influenced by confirmation

(b = 0.55, P < 0.01) and perceived usefulness con-

tributed a secondary impact (b = 0.23, P < 0.01). In

the extended ECT model (Fig. 3), the standardized

path coefficients for satisfaction were primarily

influenced by confirmation (b = 0.54, P < 0.01)

and secondly by perceived playfulness (b = 0.29,


P < 0.01). The perceived usefulness did not signifi-

cantly impact satisfaction in this case. The original

ECT model’s R2-values, show that confirmation and

perceived usefulness accounted for 26% of the var-

iance in satisfaction, while confirmation and perceived

playfulness accounted for 35% of the variance in

satisfaction in the extended ECT model. This differ-

ence indicated that the model with confirmation and

perceived playfulness performed better on satisfaction

than the original model. Satisfaction, in turn, will

significantly contribute to continuance intention

toward a web portal.

These results contradict some previous findings;

however, they are explainable. The task environment

in previous research focused on either use of informa-

tion system for decision-making or in online distance

learning [54]. Perceived usefulness may have decisive

influence in those task environments; however, when

referring to the general public’s use of web portals,

perceived usefulness may not be critical. Most web

portals provide nearly identical functions and capa-

cities. Making a portal more enjoyable or playful

could contribute more to users’ satisfaction levels.

Many web portals promoting specific themes and

organizing virtual communities generate more traffic

and retain more users since their users are able vir-

tually to meet people with similar interests. Eventually

customer loyalty is created.

Although perceived usefulness was not found to be

associated significantly with satisfaction, its signifi-

cant association with continuance use remained

unchanged, regardless of the extra variable (playful-

ness). This finding corresponded to previous research.

Obviously, usefulness of a web portal cannot be

ignored. It has to provide all necessary and funda-

mental capabilities to retain users. Furthermore, per-

ceived playfulness in the extended ECT model has

significant influence on behavioral continuance inten-

tion (b = 0.21). With the addition of perceived

playfulness in our extended model, the degree of

explanatory variance with continuance use was

improved. Perceived playfulness obviously contribu-

ted to determining whether a user would return.

When designing a portal, playfulness, rather than

the usefulness, will be a new focus. Thus, the extended

ECT model could provide a better understanding of

individuals’ web portal use than the original ECT

model.

7. Conclusions and implications

Although ECT has been fairly useful in studying

information technology, perceived playfulness could

be a critical variable for investigating the continued

use of a web site. Our research has confirmed that the

integration of perceived playfulness into the expecta-

tion-confirmation theory provides better insights into

continued use in the web portal context. The revised

model can be used to guide research on post-accep-

tance behavior. Further, this study suggested that a

better understanding of the measures of perceived

playfulness is valuable in designing diversified World

Wide Web context.

While our student sample may not provide general-

izable result, it used them for several reasons. Accord-

ing to a survey on Yam.com, a popular portal site

in Taiwan (http://www.yam.com.tw), approximately

80% of Internet users in Taiwan are college students

[36]. Students will eventually become the most active

Internet users and influential consumers in the market-

place. Understanding the needs and preferences of

potential customers is important and desirable. In

addition, using students as the sample can decrease

the effect of computer literacy variance [35].

As shown in the extended ECT model, satisfaction

with web portal use was predicted primarily by users’

confirmation of expectation and then by their per-

ceived playfulness. The intention to continue web

portal use was predicted primarily by satisfaction,

followed by perceived usefulness and then by per-

ceived playfulness. The extended ECT model showed

that confirmation was a stronger predictor of satisfac-

tion than perceived playfulness, but perceived useful-

ness did not significantly influence satisfaction. Thus,

if the focus is on satisfaction, confirmation of per-

ceived playfulness should be a priority for a researcher

or system designer of web portals.

7.1. Implications to academics

Because of the explosion in the Internet use,

exploration of continuance behavior is worthwhile

and more important than the one-time behavior or

the pre-acceptance behavior alone. This is especially

true where every web site is actually an attraction.

How users behave on the Internet and how a web

portal attracts loyal users will be critical to companies

http://www.yam.com.tw/


in the ‘‘e’’ century. The ECT is a theoretically rich

model by virtue of its inclusion of post-acceptance

behavior which is widely used in consumer behavior

literature; however, the extension of ECT theory to the

IS field is important since the information systems are

largely programmed in the web environment. The

refinement of ECT theory for the web context is

critical.

7.2. Implications to practitioners

In order to develop web portal loyalty, Internet

enterprises should provide users with an interesting

and enjoyable surfing experience. Some research sug-

gests that higher playfulness results in immediate

subjective experiences such as positive mood and

satisfaction [11,32,37], which transforms into motiva-

tion for their continuance intention. This implies that

once users are satisfied with a web site, they will

become loyalty to it. Thus, perceived playfulness

should be a vital consideration in the design of

WWW systems. Although perceived usefulness was

not found to significantly impact satisfaction, it was

significantly associated with the intention to continue

using a web portal. When users perceive a web portal

as less useful, their return is very unlikely.

Acknowledgement

We are grateful to the Chief Editor, Dr. Sibley, and

the anonymous reviewers whose comments have

improved this paper considerably.

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Cathy S. Lin is an assistant professor of

information management at National

University of Kaohsiung in Taiwan. Dr.

Lin received her PhD degree from

National Sun Yat-Sen University. Her

research interests include information

ethics, electronic commerce, and man-

agement of information systems.

Sheng Wu received his MIS PhD degree

from National Sun Yat-Sen University,

and now is currently in the army. His

research interests include knowledge

sharing, electronic commerce, and man-

agement of information systems.

Ray J. Tsai is a professor of business

computer information systems at St.

Cloud State University in Minnesota.

Dr. Tsai received his PhD degree from

University of North Texas. His research

interests include electronic business, off-

shore outsourcing, and management of

information systems.

Integrating perceived playfulness into expectation-confirmation model for web portal context

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