A Model of Attitude toward Mobile Location-Based Services

Abstract

At a recent Cornell Hospitality Research summit, Expedia presented its study that more Internet access occurs through mobile devices than by laptop or desktop. This trend is going to increase in the future. Location-based service is the new frontiers for hospitality practitioners to enhance customer engagement and retention. This research studies the attitude to location-based services for hospitality customers, and how it relates to the perceived usefulness of the mobile phone, a latent construct measured by the perceived social functions and perceived usability of mobile phone. A survey was conducted among customers of hotels and restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area. A structural equation model was developed. Results indicate that usability and social functions are important aspects of perceived usefulness of the mobile phone, and this perceived usefulness affects the attitude to location-based services. Implications of the research for hospitality practitioners are discussed.