Affiliation:
1. School of Business & Technology University of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire UK
2. The Business School for the Creative Industries University for the Creative Arts Epsom UK
3. Newcastle Business School Northumbria University Newcastle upon Tyne UK
4. Department of Economics and Business Sciences University of Florence Florence Italy
Abstract
AbstractThis study explores the affordances of “scan and go” apps and their influence on the flow experience of retail customers to provide a unique insight into user–technology interaction. Through a constructivist ethnographic approach, the research examines how users' socially constructed perceptions and interpretations shape these interactions, and it emphasizes the role of the material and social environment. The research innovatively conceptualizes affordances as a flow process; it introduces an affordances flow funnel that encompasses three distinct stages: perceived affordances, actualized affordances, and affordance dichotomy. By following this process, the study improves understanding of user emotions and behaviors that range from apathy to excitement, from gratification to provocation, and from abandonment to absorption. Findings underline the importance of equipping users with support to navigate technological and environmental constraints, thereby ensuring successful affordance actualization. The research contributes to the literature by revealing a new affordance type, namely affordance dichotomy, and offers valuable insights for marketers and developers to enhance user experiences and absorption behavior. Recognizing its focus on scan and go apps within supermarket contexts, the study invites future research to extend this understanding to different contexts and technologies.
Subject
Marketing,Applied Psychology