Understanding the adoption of mobile innovation in China

• This study investigates Chinese consumers’ intentions to adopt mobile innovations.
• Face, a core concept in Chinese culture is firstly introduced in innovation adoption research.
• It develops and empirically tests a model incorporated four sets of adoption factors including face.
• Some adoption factors indentified are similar with the findings in Western studies.
• Some adoption factors indentified are unique in Chinese context.

China has already become the largest mobile communication market in the world. Yet research into what factors drive Chinese consumers adoption of mobile innovation is limited. This study makes efforts to investigate Chinese consumers’ intentions to adopt mobile innovation, with consideration of their cultural characteristics. Face, a core concept in Chinese cultural values is introduced and its effects on innovation adoption are firstly tested. The study develops and empirically tests a theoretical model incorporated four sets of adoption factors representing general perceptions and perceived social outcomes from using mobile innovation, social influences and perceived barriers. The findings indentify utilitarian perception, hedonic perception, face gains, face loss avoidance, interpersonal influence, cost and quality concern as influential factors affecting adoption intention in Chinese context. This study also provides theoretical and practical implications for academics and practitioners.