Business Administration Program, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Mahidol University (Kanchanaburi Campus), Kanchanaburi, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand.
Conservation Biology Program, School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Mahidol University (Kanchanaburi Campus), Kanchanaburi, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand.
PLoS One. 2024 Jun 7;19(6):e0304496. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304496. eCollection 2024.
As the metaverse emerges as a transformative digital realm, its adoption and integration into various aspects of society are subjects of increasing scholarly and practical interest. This research investigated the factors influencing the intention to use metaverse technology (IU) in Bangkok metropolitan areas, with a particular focus on the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) framework, alongside the role of social media marketing (SMM) and consumer engagement (CE). To verify behavioral intention, gender, age, and experience are proposed as moderating factors affecting the constructs on individuals' behavioral intention of metaverse technology usage. The study collected data from 403 Thai internet users living in Bangkok and its surrounding areas using an online questionnaire. Subsequently, the PLS-SEM method was employed to validate the research model's robustness and reliability. Structural model analysis revealed significant relationships among constructs, highlighting SMM's direct influence on UTAUT2 (β = 0.787) and CE (β = 0.211). Serial mediation analyzes demonstrated a fully mediating role of SMM influencing UI through CE (β = 0.572) and UTAUT2 (β = 0.306). Moderation analyzes revealed the association between SMM and IU, mediated through UTAUT2 and CE, is moderated by age and experience. Additionally, the integration of PLS-SEM and artificial neural network (ANN) models underscored the accuracy and predictive power of the proposed framework. The findings of this study not only contribute to academic literature but also offer practical implications for marketers aiming to navigate the metaverse landscape effectively. They emphasize the pivotal role of UTAUT2 constructs and the subtle interplay between SMM, CE, and IU in shaping successful marketing strategies.
随着元宇宙作为一个变革性的数字领域出现，其在社会各个方面的应用和整合成为了学术界和实践界日益关注的话题。本研究调查了影响曼谷大都市区使用元宇宙技术（IU）意愿的因素，特别关注扩展的接受和使用技术统一理论 2（UTAUT2）框架，以及社交媒体营销（SMM）和消费者参与（CE）的作用。为了验证行为意图，性别、年龄和经验被提议为影响个体元宇宙技术使用行为意图的结构的调节因素。该研究通过在线问卷从居住在曼谷及其周边地区的 403 名泰国互联网用户中收集数据。随后，采用 PLS-SEM 方法验证研究模型的稳健性和可靠性。结构模型分析显示了结构之间的显著关系，突出了 SMM 对 UTAUT2（β=0.787）和 CE（β=0.211）的直接影响。序列中介分析表明，SMM 通过 CE（β=0.572）和 UTAUT2（β=0.306）对 IU 的影响具有完全中介作用。调节分析表明，SMM 和 IU 之间的关系，通过 UTAUT2 和 CE 进行中介，受年龄和经验的调节。此外，PLS-SEM 和人工神经网络（ANN）模型的集成突出了所提出框架的准确性和预测能力。本研究的结果不仅为学术文献做出了贡献，还为希望有效驾驭元宇宙领域的营销人员提供了实际意义。它们强调了 UTAUT2 结构的关键作用以及 SMM、CE 和 IU 之间的微妙相互作用在塑造成功营销策略方面的作用。
