Backup Data: 4 Hypothesis
H1: Providing free e-book previews significantly improves participants’ purchase intentions and
purchase behavior.(提供電子書的預覽，顯著提高了參與者的購買意願和購買行為。 )
H2: Providing free e-book previews significantly improves participants’ purchase intentions and
purchase behavior, and this improvement is more marked for free books than for priced books(提
供電子書預覽，提高了參與者的購買意願和購買行為，且對於 免費書籍比對定價書籍更顯著。)
H3: Including a time reference in an e-book title will improve participants’ pur-chase intentions and
purchase behavior.(在電子書標題中包含 時間參考將提高參與者的購買意圖和購買行為。 )
H4: Including a time reference in the e-book title will improve participants’ pur-chase intentions and
purchase behavior more significantly for leisure type e-books compared with how-to type
e-books(標題包含時間參考不只提高參與者的購買意圖和行為，且 休閒型電子書比How-to型更顯
著。)
用兩招
: 1.(information technology)
讓你
(pre-view)
預覽前
15
頁
; 2.(marketing)
在標題處，加註 閱
讀本書所需時間。有助於提高
e-book
的銷售
(
消費
)
量。
40 e-books on the shelves can be browsed by the participants.(放了40本e-book放
在4個書架上，讓參加者去瀏覽(下載)選購)。共有192參加者瀏覽並下載書籍。
Abstract
This study delves into how marketing and information systems can boost e-book
consumption through two distinct strategies. It highlights the shift in book purchasing
habits due to information technologies and investigates the effect of traditional book
marketing tactics on e-books.
The research focused on the impact of a technological strategy (free e-book
previews) and a non-technological strategy (numbered time references in titles) on
the intent and decision-making of consumers in purchasing e-books. Involving 192
participants, the study employed experimental conditions to assess these strategies.
Results demonstrated that free e-book previews significantly enhanced purchase
intentions and behaviors, particularly for free e-books compared to those with a price.
Additionally, time references in e-book titles were found to positively influence
consumer purchase intentions and behaviors, especially in the leisure genre
compared to the how-to genre.
1 Introduction
The article discusses the impact of mobile devices on the publishing industry,
highlighting a shift from print books to e-books, particularly in North America.
This shift is influenced by consumer behavior adapting to new technologies,
with e-books benefiting from both technology push from publishers and pull
from consumers.
The study explores how e-readers like Kindle and iPad have transformed
reading experiences, offering features that enhance interaction with texts. It
notes a significant correlation between consumer adoption of e-reader
technology and the features these devices offer, such as digital searches and
annotations, which enrich the traditional reading experience.
1 Introduction (cont.)
The research also touches on the dual publication strategy of major
publishers, offering both print and digital formats, and examines how
different markets, like Taiwan, are adopting e-books.
Furthermore, it discusses the changing landscape of book publishing,
where self-publishing has become more accessible, albeit with varying
quality levels. The article concludes by emphasizing the importance of
marketing strategies like free e-book previews and time-reference hints in
titles to boost e-book consumption, suggesting these strategies could
increase overall e-book adoption.
2 Service-dominant logic and co-created value
Service-dominant logic, introduced in 2004 by Vargo & Lusch, offers a
framework for understanding economic and social exchanges, emphasizing
relationships, intangibility, and processes over goods. It posits that value is
not inherent in products but co-created by consumers and providers through
their interactions.
Unlike goods-dominant logic, where value is product-centric,
service-dominant logic sees value as arising from the relational interplay
between consumer and provider, where the consumer plays an active role in
determining and creating value.
This perspective shifts the focus from value-in-exchange to value-in-use,
highlighting that value is contextually experienced by the consumer.
2 Service-dominant logic and co-created value (cont.)
In this logic, consumers are seen as operant resources actively engaging
with other resources to co-create value, contrasting with traditional views of
consumers as passive targets of marketing. Information technology amplifies
this dynamic by enabling platforms for co-creation, such as online booking
systems or Amazon's Look Inside! feature, allowing consumers to preview
books before purchasing.
This study further investigates how technological resources, like e-book
previews, and non-technological strategies, such as incorporating time
references in e-book titles, can enhance consumers' value creation and their
intention to consume e-books.
2.1 Use of e-Book previews
The article examines the influence of e-book previews on consumer purchasing decisions,
noting that price traditionally indicates quality. With e-books often being cheaper or free, this
perception is challenged. Previews enable consumers to assess content before purchase,
thereby reducing perceived risks of time and financial investment. Although effective for
physical products, the impact of previews on e-book sales is debated, with concerns that
they may offer too much free content, potentially harming sales. Limited studies suggest
previews might increase the likelihood of consumers downloading or buying e-books,
particularly when price isn't a quality indicator. The article proposes that previews
significantly enhance purchase intentions and behaviors, more so for free e-books than for
those with a price.
H1: Providing free e-book previews significantly improves participants’ purchase
intentions and purchase behavior.
H2: Providing free e-book previews significantly improves participants’ purchase
intentions and purchase behavior, and this improvement is more marked for free
books than for priced books
2.2 Use of time reference in title
This research delves into the impact of including time references in e-book titles on consumer
behavior and purchase intentions. Highlighting the duration needed to read an e-book,
especially in leisure-oriented titles, aids consumers in making informed decisions, particularly
for time-bound reading occasions like commutes or flights. Time references in titles may
convey the content's value, aiding in decision-making. However, for how-to e-books, a time
reference might suggest lower quality, potentially deterring purchases due to a consumer
heuristic that equates higher numbers with better quality. The study proposes that time
references in e-book titles can positively influence purchase intentions and behaviors,
particularly for leisure e-books, suggesting a nuanced approach to incorporating time
references based on the e-book genre.
H3: Including a time reference in an e-book title will improve participants’ pur-chase
intentions and purchase behavior.
H4: Including a time reference in the e-book title will improve participants’ pur-chase
intentions and purchase behavior more significantly for leisure type e-books
compared with how-to type e-books.
3 Research Methodology
3.1 Participants 3.2 e-Book website
The study aimed to evaluate hypotheses concerning e-book consumption by simulating an
online bookstore environment where university students could browse, download, or purchase
e-books. This experiment, targeting students aged 15 to 24 due to their high acceptance of
e-book platforms, involved 197 participants from a Northern Taiwanese university, with 192
valid responses after data cleaning. The participants were provided with "membership points"
to replicate a typical e-book purchasing scenario, mirroring common e-book websites in
Taiwan.
To conduct the experiment, a dedicated e-book website was developed by a university
bookstore, which mimicked the functionalities and purchasing mechanisms of popular
e-book platforms in Taiwan. Participants were allotted an equivalent of 6 US dollars in
membership points, enabling them to purchase up to six e-books priced at 10 points each.
This setup aimed to observe and gather data on the participants' purchasing intentions and
behaviors within a controlled online bookstore environment. The experiment's design ensured
a realistic user experience while enabling the researchers to collect specific data pertinent to
their hypotheses related to e-book consumption behaviors among university students.
3.3 e-Books
The experiment utilized 40 e-books, categorized into leisure and how-to
genres, to assess the impact of free previews and time references in titles
on purchase behavior. These e-books, from the Information Service Industry
Association of R.O.C., covered topics like gourmet food, travel, website
management, and e-commerce. Each e-book was divided into 20 to 36
sections, allowing for detailed analysis. Two experimental conditions were
applied: free preview (first 15 pages available) and time reference in the
title. The e-books were evaluated for similarity in content and style by 20
testers to ensure consistency. During the experiment, these e-books were
distributed across four shelves, each containing ten books, organized by
genre and experimental condition. The participants' interactions with these
e-books, particularly their purchase intentions and behaviors, were then
analyzed to understand the effects of the experimental conditions on e-book
consumption.
3.4 Procedures
The experiment involved 192 participants who were introduced to an online e-book
system through a 10-minute video. They engaged in two separate experiments within
this system.
In Experiment 1, participants browsed and read eight categories of e-books,
differentiated by genre (how-to or leisure) and whether they offered a free preview
service. After browsing, they completed a survey on their purchase intentions and then
were instructed to buy three e-books using their allocated membership points.
Experiment 2, followed a similar structure, focusing on whether the e-book titles
included a time reference. Participants again browsed through four types of e-books,
completed a purchase intention survey, and then purchased three e-books.
This methodical approach was designed to assess the impact of free previews and time
references in titles on the purchase behaviors of the participants.
3.4 Procedures
● SD (standard deviation，符號σ）: 這是指樣本的 標準差，也就是樣本的變異程度，越大表示樣本的數值
越分散，越小表示樣本的數值越集中。
● SEM （standard error of the mean）: 這是指 樣本平均值的標準誤差，也就是樣本平均值的變異程度，越
大表示樣本平均值越不準確，越小表示樣本平均值越接近母體平均值。
● t value: 這是指 t 檢定的統計量，也就是樣本平均值與假設值的差距除以樣本平均值的標準誤差，越大表
示樣本平均值與假設值越不相符，越小表示樣本平均值與假設值越相近。
● p value: 這是指 t 檢定的 p 值，也就是在假設值為真的情況下，觀察到樣本平均值或更極端的機率，越小
表示樣本平均值與假設值越不相容，越大表示樣本平均值與假設值越合理。
4. Research results
The research examined how free
e-book previews and time
references in titles affect
participants' intentions and
actual behaviors regarding
e-book downloads and
purchases. Analysis was
differentiated by e-book types:
free or priced and how-to or
leisure, showing varied impacts
of these variables on consumer
behavior in the digital reading
context.
4.1 Experiment 1: free e-book preview
Experiment 1 evaluated the impact of free e-book
previews on purchase intentions and behaviors,
confirming the reliability and validity of the research
instrument through high Cronbach’s alpha values
and factor loadings. A significant positive effect on
purchase intentions and behaviors was observed
when free previews were offered, with 71% of
participants selecting two or more e-books with
previews.
The study differentiated between free and priced e-books, revealing that free
previews significantly influenced the purchase intentions for free e-books but not for
priced ones.
4.1 Experiment 1: free e-book preview (cont.)
Notably, a higher percentage of participants downloaded multiple free e-books
with previews compared to priced e-books, indicating a more substantial impact
of free previews on free e-books. These findings support the hypothesis that
free e-book previews enhance purchase intentions and behaviors, particularly
for free e-books.
4.1 Experiment 1: free e-book preview (cont.)
4.1 Experiment 1: free e-book preview (cont.)
4.2 Experiment 2:time reference in title
The focus was on the effect of including a time
reference in e-book titles on participants' purchase
intentions and behaviors. The reliability analysis
showed strong consistency in the data, with factor
loadings confirming the construct validity.
A significant positive impact on purchase intentions
was observed when time references were included
in e-book titles. Specifically, 66% of participants
chose two or more e-books with time references for
downloading or purchasing.
Further analysis differentiated between how-to and leisure e-books, revealing a more
substantial impact on leisure e-books compared to how-to e-books.
The findings indicate that time references in e-book titles significantly enhance both purchase
intentions and behaviors, with a more pronounced effect for leisure e-books, supporting the
experimental hypotheses.
4.2 Experiment 2:time reference in title
5 Discussion
The discussion highlights the significance of providing a free preview service for
e-books, particularly free ones, as a strategic approach to enhance download and
purchase behaviors. This practice is aligned with the service-dominant logic aiming
to create memorable consumer experiences, akin to browsing in a bookstore.
The research indicates that such previews serve as a competitive mechanism for
authors and publishers to boost e-book distribution and consumption.
Additionally, the inclusion of a time reference in e-book titles emerged as a
preferred feature among consumers, significantly impacting their purchasing
decisions.
The study observed a marked preference for leisure e-books over how-to e-books,
although the latter also saw considerable engagement when time references were
used. These findings suggest a broader acceptance and expectation of preview
services and time references in e-books, advising authors and publishers to adopt
these strategies to enhance consumer engagement and sales.
6 Conclusions
This study highlights the growing trend of e-book publication and consumption,
noting the variability in e-book quality due to the increase of individual publishers.
It underscores that many e-books are free, eliminating price as an indicator of
quality.
● The research shows that providing a free e-book preview allows consumers
to assess quality before downloading or purchasing, which is particularly
valuable when price is not a determinant.
● Additionally, incorporating a numbered time reference in e-book titles has
been shown to boost consumption.
The study suggests that authors and publishers should adopt these strategies to
enhance e-book engagement. It also touches on various factors that influence
consumer participation in co-creation activities, suggesting that future research
could expand on these aspects to further understand e-book consumption
dynamics.
Abstract
The article investigates the integration of Information Technology and Marketing to
enhance e-Book consumption, focusing on the impact of free e-book previews and time
references in titles on consumer behavior.
本文研究了資訊科技與行銷的整合以促進電子書
消費，並著重於免費電子書預覽和標題中的時間參考對消費者行為的影響。
● Independent variables: the provision of free previews and the inclusion of time
references. 自變數：提供免費預覽並包含時間參考。
● Dependent variables: are purchase intentions and behaviors. 因變數：是購買意圖和
行為。
Experimental methodology: 實驗方法：
● Free previews significantly increase purchase intentions and behaviors, especially
for free e-books. 免費預覽顯著增加了購買意願和行為，尤其是免費電子書。
● Including time references in titles also positively affects consumer behavior,
particularly for leisure e-books. 在標題中包含時間參考也會對消費者行為產生正面影響
，尤其是休閒電子書。
理論架構
The theoretical framework combines:
● Service-dominant logic 服務主導邏輯。
● Marketing strategies 行銷策略。
● Emphasizing value co-creation 強調價值共同創造。
Research Contribution 貢獻： To understanding how technological and
non-technological strategies can enhance e-book marketing. 了解科技和非技
術策略如何增強電子書行銷。
Future directions 未來的方向: could explore the broader implications of
these strategies on digital content consumption and the co-creation
experience.可以探索這些策略對數位內容消費和共同創作體驗的更廣泛影響。
三種理論：
● SDL 服務主導邏輯（service-dominant logicL）是一種在行為經濟學中，用來解釋不同行為主體
之間透過交換創造價值的理論框架。它是一種主導邏輯，強調所有的交換都可以視為服務對服
務的交換，即行為主體互相為對方提供自己的知識和技能，並從對方的知識和技能中受益。
SDL的核心觀點是，人類應用自己的能力為他人創造價值，並通過服務交換實現價值共創。
SDL由 Vargo 和 Lusch 在 2004 年提出，並不斷得到其他學者的發展和延伸。
● MS 行銷策略（marketing strategies）是一種涵蓋企業或組織如何定位其品牌形象和產品或服
務在市場中，如何吸引新的客戶或消費者，如何分配行銷的預算和資源，以及如何執行不同的
行銷活動的計畫。行銷策略決定了企業如何傳達其價值主張，即企業為什麼值得客戶或消費者
的信任和選擇。一個完整的行銷策略涵蓋了行銷的四個要素：產品（product）、價格（price）、地
點（place）、和促銷（promotion）。
● VCC 價值共創（value co-creation）是一種描述多個行為主體之間通過協作和互動來創造價值
的概念。它強調價值的創造不是由單一的行為主體（如企業或消費者）完成的，而是由多個行為
主體（如企業、消費者、合作夥伴、社群等）共同參與和貢獻的。VCC的核心思想是，行為主體之
間的資源整合和服務交換是價值創造的過程，而價值的實現則取決於行為主體的使用和體驗。
VCC的研究涉及多個領域，如服務科學、創新與技術管理、行銷與消費者研究等。
