Mobile app usage and adoption: a literature review

This review of literature on antecedents factors of mobile apps adoption offers guidance on future research by categorising and synthesising the results and conclusions of 37 peer-reviewed papers from Scopus and Google Scholar databases. The factors identified were personal (cognitive, affective, behavioural, personality, and motivations) and peripheral (social and marketing). Most articles are empirical, published from 2012 onward; and based on various theories of information systems, technology adoption, consumer behavioural intentions, diffusion of innovation, user and gratification theory, the flow model, the network theory, the social exchange theory, the social influence theory et al. There is dearth of studies using qualitative and experimental research design and inductive approach and apparent bias for technology adoption models while ignoring behavioural theories such as social constructivist approach. Purchase, downloading, and using of M-apps are not differentiated and their antecedents may vary with consumer age, culture, personality, gender, and technological experience.