Task-technology fit perspective of the use of m-commerce by retail businesses

Abstract

Mobile commerce (m-commerce) has gradually increased in popularity among small and medium-sized retail businesses in developing countries in recent years. As a result, scholars and retail practitioners have been eager to understand better the factors that influence this new mobile channel usage. The article examines the primary determinants of retail personnel's use of m-commerce in Angola through the theoretical lens of Task-Technology Fit (TTF). This study followed a cross-sectional design and adopted the positivist research paradigm. As such, a structured questionnaire was used to collect data from retail business personnel and actual users of m-commerce (n = 229). Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis was performed on the data collected using the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS) software. The findings indicated a strong correlation between the four dimensions of task characteristics (i.e., time criticality, mobility, non-routineness, and interdependence) and the task-technology fit dimensions. Additionally, it was determined that there is a strong correlation between the functionalities of m-commerce systems (i.e., Mobile Notification, Mobile Information Exchange, Mobile Information Search, and Mobile Data Processing) and the TTF dimensions. In comparison, the study discovered a minimal correlation between task-technology fit as correspondence and m-commerce use. As a result, some directions for future research were provided.