Diffusion of Mobile Phones in Taiwan : An Evaluation of Influence Sources

Mobile phones adoption and diffusion is a practical issue that has significant implications for e-commerce and m-commerce development. Examining the adoption of mobile phones from the well-developed theoretical foundation of innovation diffusion theory may clarify some significant factors that affect the adoption decision. Moreover, with the understanding of the influence sources of mobile phones adoption, the businesses can evaluate the number of mobile devices that can support the mobile commerce, plan the wireless capacity, formulate mobile commercial strategies, design more sophisticated applications, and launch more innovative wireless services. In this research, we explore the sources of influence in the adoption of mobile phones in Taiwan, which mobile phone penetration ranks No.1 worldwide. We test adoption and diffusion pattern using three classical models: internal influence, external influence, and mixed influence models. Our findings suggest that mixed influence is the dominant influence factor in the diffusion of mobile phones. That is, the decision to become a new adopter of mobile phones is mainly determined by the positive influence of existing adopters and mass media channels.