Social Influence and mPOS Use: The Effects of Gender

Abstract

Mobile points of sale become popular as countries migrate to cashless approaches. Small and medium enterprises embrace the technology, and users are attracted to it due to its benefits compared to traditional points of sale. However, scant literature refers to its use in emerging countries despite the relevance of small companies for such economies. This research presents a model of mobile point of sale use in Mexico based on a survey of graduate and undergraduate students. The study uses structural equation modeling to relate variables such as awareness and social influence with gender interaction. Results indicate that social influence influences awareness of the technology and is higher in males than in females. This study suggests that the mobile point of sale service providers in Mexico should consider social influence in their advertising. As users, men should be aware that social influence may influence their decision to use the technology.

Keywords

• mobile point of sale
• cashless
• technology use
• awareness
• social influence
• gender