Adoption of online pharmacy applications during COVID-19 pandemic; empirical investigation in the Indian context from push-pull and mooring framework

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify antecedents of adoption and post-adoption switching of online pharmacy applications (OPA) in Indian society. A push-pull-mooring (PPM) model was formulated to evaluate the impact of various constructs upon “consumers’ switching intention” (CSI).Design/methodology/approachAn online questionnaire was sent to 252 users of OPA in India. Hypotheses were generated to examine the push, pull and mooring effects of constructs developed. The relationships between dependent and independent variables were evaluated using structured equation modeling (SEM).FindingsThe study explicated the effect of PPM constructs on CSI in the context of OPA adoption. “Perceived usefulness,” “perceived ease of use” and “alternative attractiveness” had a significant “pull” effect on CSI. “Switching cost” had a “mooring” effect on CSI, whereas the degree of “customer involvement in decision-making” was found to have a “push” effect upon CSI.Research limitations/implicationsThis study theoretically established that the constructs of “perceived usefulness,” “perceived ease of use” and “alternative attractiveness” had significant “pull” effect on “consumers’ switching intention.” The construct of “switching cost” had a “mooring” effect on CSI, whereas the degree of “customer involvement in decision-making” was found to have a “push” effect upon CSI.Practical implicationsThe study provided valuable insights regarding consumer behavior regarding OPAs. These findings could be applied by managers in framing effective strategies to grow and retain the customer base of OPAs.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was one of the first empirical investigative studies to assess precursors of adoption and post-adoption characteristics of consumer behavior through the PPM model, in the context of Indian OPAs.