Critical Factors for Personal Cloud Storage Adoption in China

Purpose： In order to explain and predict the adoption of personal cloud storage, this study explores the critical factors involved in the adoption of personal cloud storage and empirically validates their relationships to a user＇s intentions.Design/methodology/approach： Based on technology acceptance model（TAM）, network externality, trust, and an interview survey, this study proposes a personal cloud storage adoption model. We conducted an empirical analysis by structural equation modeling based on survey data obtained with a questionnaire.Findings： Among the adoption factors we identified, network externality has the salient influence on a user＇s adoption intention, followed by perceived usefulness, individual innovation, perceived trust, perceived ease of use, and subjective norms. Cloud storage characteristics are the most important indirect factors, followed by awareness to personal cloud storage and perceived risk. However, although perceived risk is regarded as an important factor by other cloud computing researchers, we found that it has no significant influence. Also, subjective norms have no significant influence on perceived usefulness. This indicates that users are rational when they choose whether to adopt personal cloud storage.Research limitations： This study ignores time and cost factors that might affect a user＇s intention to adopt personal cloud storage.Practical implications： Our findings might be helpful in designing and developing personal cloud storage products, and helpful to regulators crafting policies.Originality/value： This study is one of the first research efforts that discuss Chinese users＇ personal cloud storage adoption, which should help to further the understanding of personal cloud adoption behavior among Chinese users.

Empirical Study of Consumers’ Purchase Intentions in C2C Electronic Commerce

Electronic commerce is becoming increasingly important in business, but lack of intention to purchase has become a main barrier in the development of electronic commerce. Thus, effective measures are needed to promote consumers’ intentions to purchase in online consumer to consumer （C2C） stores. This paper postulates that five factors, the perceived ease of use of the website, perceived usefulness of the website, vendor competence, introduction and recommendations of third parties, and vendors’ attitude toward customers, influence consumers’ intentions to purchase in online C2C stores and this intention directly leads to their action to purchase from online C2C stores. The structural equation modeling （SEM） method was used to analyze empirical data, supporting these hypotheses except for the effect of vendor competence.