Empirical Study on the Factors Affecting User Switching Behavior of Online Learning Platform Based on Push-Pull-Mooring Theory

Heng Xu, Jingru Wang, Zhaodan Tai and Hao-Chiangkoong Lin
Additional contact information
Heng Xu: School of Management, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Jingru Wang: School of Management, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Zhaodan Tai: School of Foreign Languages, Henan University of Technology, Zhengzhou 450001, China
Hao-Chiangkoong Lin: Department of Information and Learning Technology, National University of Tainan, Tainan 700, Taiwan

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 13, 1-16

Abstract: Online learning is gaining popularity, but users can easily find alternatives and switch between learning platforms. Reducing users switching behavior is a critical condition for the sustainable development of an online learning platform; therefore, it is necessary to investigate the influence factors of users switching behavior between different platforms to retain users and enhance the competitiveness of enterprises. Push-Pull-Mooring (PPM) theory is adopted to construct a structural equation model of customer switching behavior on online learning platforms and to explore the mechanism of user switching behavior between learning platforms. The model is tested with data collected from 313 online learning users. The results show that information overload and dissatisfaction, as push factors, significantly affect user switching behavior. Functional value and network externality as pull factors positively affect user switching behavior, switching cost, and affective commitment as mooring factors negatively correlate with switching behavior. Further, this study also revealed that there are obvious different influencing factors for different online learning platforms. Overall, this study provides some practical strategies for the online learning platform and can help them to gain a competitive advantage.

Keywords: online learning; user switching behavior; PPM; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/13/7087/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/13/7087/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:13:p:7087-:d:581128

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().