ارزش مشتری اینترنتی دانشجویان دانشگاه : کاربران پست الکترونیکی در برابر کاربران وب سایت

What values are underlying the use of Internet? An empirical study (N=358) shows five value factors: social, utilitarian, hedonic, learning and purchasing on the Internet. World Wide Web users score significantly higher on social and learning value, while E-mail users tend to value more a communication experience rather than a learning experience. Theoretical and practical implications are proposed.

While Internet use and e-commerce increase, consumers participate in a tremendous intangible experience daily. Until recently, Internet usage and consumption has been studied from an organizational perspective rather than from an interpersonal consumers’ perspective. Although there are several investigations into the practices and profile of the Internet user (e.g. Hypersondage, 1996; Investigations of the Web RISQ, 1997 (1997) and Investigations of the Web RISQ, 1997 (1998)), the scientific study of the behavior and the motivations of the Internet user is only at its beginning. One investigation by Maignan and Lukas (1997) has demonstrated that the activities taking place on the Internet may be understood according to users’ representations of the Internet as a source of information, communication tool, object/place of consumption, or social system. These investigations show that the individuals use the Internet as a versatile tool. In a general way, the reasons for using Internet seem to be connected to leisure, everyday life, activities of learning, social relations and to working out of home offices. It is noticed that a tendency toward communication and training via the Internet accompanies the penetration of personal computers in the homes of users. In fact, consumers seem to use the Internet in order to communicate and to learn. Moreover, it is communication with the outside world which makes the personal computer justifiable in the home (Langlois, 1997).

This exploratory study examined the value of consumers when experience is intangible and virtual. Some expected and some “new” results were interpreted from factor analysis. The factor analysis shows no overlapping between the concepts. Consistent with previous conceptualizations (Babin et al., 1994; Holbrook, 1999), the variables identified represent hedonic, utilitarian and social value. The pleasure attributed to the Internet appears through the values of hedonic value. This regrouping of variables thus represents the pleasure sought by the Internet users. The hedonic value underlines the non-practical nature attached to the Internet usage. This sensorial and hedonic need could actually accentuate the introduction of personal computers into homes because the individual would feel the need to use the personal computer for other things than the realization of academic or work related tasks. The social value seems completely in conformity with the desire of the individual to communicate with the external world for the simple pleasure or to exchange information. In our study, social value is not related to the desire of the consumer who wants to communicate to others his success. When they use Internet, the consumer simply wants to exchange. The hedonic and social value need could actually accentuate the introduction of personal computers into homes because the individual would feel the need to use the personal computer for other things than the realization of academic or work related tasks. The utilitarian character is connected to the obligatory activities of this group of consumers. For students, Internet can be an obligatory academic activity. They use Internet with a precise goal and to find something. According to Maignan and Lukas (1997), consumers must accept Internet to be a multipurpose tool and our research shows that this virtual and intangible experience is a source of pleasure, information and communication.