Understanding users' switching intention of cloud storage services: A push-pull-mooring framework

Highly sensitive and private information is stored in the cloud, so understanding how and why customers choose and switch between cloud storage service providers is pivotal. However, prior studies have tended to focus on users' adoption of cloud storage services, whereas little attention has been paid to their switching intention behavior based on non-functional factors. Using the push-pull model, developed from human migration theory, and by employing a survey (n = 326), we demonstrate that the push factor (i.e., satisfaction) has a significant negative effect, while the pull factor (i.e., alternative attractiveness) has a significant positive effect on users' switching intentions. Furthermore, mooring factors such as switching costs, habitual use, and past switching experiences have a varying moderation effect on the relationship between push and pull factors and switching intentions. The results offer several important theoretical and actionable managerial implications.