Examining Discontinuers' Word-of-Mouth Behaviour in the Context of Mobile Location-based Services

Previous information systems (IS) research has paid little attention to the determinants of users’ discontinuance and the consequences of that behaviour. This study investigates the influence of different discontinuance reasons on post-discontinuance word-of-mouth (WOM) communication in the context of mobile location-based services (LBS). Based on existing literature, a theoretical framework is developed representing three general reasons for IS discontinuance: 1) decline in service quality, 2) change in user needs, and 3) attractive alternatives. Their effect on post-discontinuance satisfaction and WOM is empirically tested through a quantitative survey study with German LBS users. Results indicate that a decline in service quality significantly affects negative customer WOM about the service, while a superior alternative mobile service as the main discontinuance reason leads to postdiscontinuance dissatisfaction, which may in turn influence negative WOM behaviour. In contrast, discontinuance due to a change in user needs is associated with a slightly elevated level of postdiscontinuance satisfaction.