Effects of platformization strategy on continuance intention of mobile messaging apps

As mobile messaging apps (e.g., WhatsApp) are becoming increasingly popular with the widespread adoption of smart phones, competition to gain a larger user-base gets more intense among app providers. To win the competition by leveraging their user bases, messaging app providers pursue a platformization strategy through which they offer a variety of services (e.g., games, shopping, etc.) to their messaging app users. The main objective of this study is to gauge the effect of the platformization strategy on the messaging app users. To do so, we first identify several factors (e.g., perceived network size, innovativeness, service variety and convenience to locate services) that can characterise the platformization strategy. We then develop a research model that focusses on the effects of the factors on users' intention to continue to use messaging apps. This research model is tested with data collected from 148 users through an online questionnaire survey. The results of data analysis using structural equation modelling through partial least square (PLS) approach suggest that perceived network size and perceived innovativeness of services have significant effects on the users' continuance of intention to use mobile messaging apps.