{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,17]],"date-time":"2026-01-17T07:17:21Z","timestamp":1768634241637,"version":"3.49.0"},"reference-count":63,"publisher":"Emerald","issue":"4","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2016,5,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Purpose<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\u2013 The purpose of this paper is to model the effect of alternative products in motivating consumers\u2019 e-service switching behavior in the context of the social network game (SNG) industry. In particular, the effects of both alternative attractiveness and change experience on switching behavior are quantified.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Design\/methodology\/approach<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\u2013 With the aid of a leading e-service provider in China, 220,000 questionnaires were distributed to the players of a SNG. Valid responses from potential switching users are included in the data analysis. Structural equation modeling technique is utilized to test the research framework.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Findings<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\u2013 The study found that alternative attractiveness negatively affects both the perceived service quality and individual users\u2019 satisfaction with their current SNG. Additionally, alternative attractiveness has a strong and positive impact on both switching intention and behavior. The results show that users\u2019 satisfaction and perceptions on service quality deteriorate significantly when faced with the presence of attractive SNG alternatives. The effect is stronger for the customers used to switching.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>\n               <jats:sec>\n                  <jats:title>Originality\/value<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\u2013 The study is among the first to introduce cognitive dissonance theory to explain e-service switching behavior. A number of new hypotheses are proposed, tested and supported. The results of the study illustrate the use of cognitive dissonance as an alternative perspective of understanding users\u2019 switching behavior in a real-world free-choice situation.<\/jats:p>\n               <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1108\/imds-05-2015-0170","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2016,5,4]],"date-time":"2016-05-04T04:19:24Z","timestamp":1462335564000},"page":"801-820","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":38,"title":["Modeling consumer switching behavior in social network games by exploring consumer cognitive dissonance and change experience"],"prefix":"10.1108","volume":"116","author":[{"given":"Yong","family":"Liu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Business, Department of Information and Service Economy, Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland"}]},{"given":"Hongxiu","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Turku School of Economics, Information Systems Science, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, University of Turku, Turku, Finland"}]},{"given":"Xiaoyu","family":"Xu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Taobao (China) Software Co., Ltd., Hangzhou, China"}]},{"given":"Vassilis","family":"Kostakos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Comag, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland"}]},{"given":"Jukka","family":"Heikkil\u00e4","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Turku School of Economics, Information Systems Science, Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, University of Turku, Turku, Finland"}]}],"member":"140","reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"2025072819420056000_b1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1177\/002224377301000106","article-title":"Consumer dissatisfaction: the effect of disconfirmed expectancy on perceived product performance","volume":"10","author":"","year":"1973","journal-title":"Journal of Marketing Research"},{"issue":"2","key":"2025072819420056000_b2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"200","DOI":"10.1177\/109467059922007","article-title":"The service provider switching model (SPSM): a model of consumer switching behavior in the services industry","volume":"2","author":"","year":"1999","journal-title":"Journal of Service Research"},{"issue":"1","key":"2025072819420056000_b3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"96","DOI":"10.1177\/0092070304267928","article-title":"Migrating\u2019 to new service providers: toward a unifying framework of consumers\u2019 switching behaviors","volume":"33","author":"","year":"2005","journal-title":"Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science"},{"issue":"2","key":"2025072819420056000_b151","first-page":"31","article-title":"Cognitive dissonance and the marketing of services: some issues","volume":"8","author":"","year":"2008","journal-title":"Journal of Services Research"},{"issue":"7-8","key":"2025072819420056000_b5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"327","DOI":"10.1016\/j.im.2012.06.002","article-title":"User switching of information technology: a theoretical synthesis and empirical test","volume":"49","author":"","year":"2012","journal-title":"Information & Management"},{"issue":"3","key":"2025072819420056000_b6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"384","DOI":"10.1037\/h0041006","article-title":"Postdecision changes in the desirability of alternatives","volume":"52","author":"","year":"1956","journal-title":"The Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology"},{"key":"2025072819420056000_b7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Brehm, J.W.\n           and Cohen, A.R. 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