IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v17y2019i1p110-d300854.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Exploring Doctors’ Willingness to Provide Online Counseling Services: The Roles of Motivations and Costs

Author

Listed:
  • Jiahe Chen

    (Department of Computer Science, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China)

  • Yi-Chen Lan

    (School of Business, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW 2751, Australia)

  • Yu-Wei Chang

    (Department of Business Management, National Taichung University of Science and Technology, Taichung City 404, Taiwan)

  • Po-Ya Chang

    (Department of Leisure Industry and Health Promotion, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei City 112, Taiwan)

Abstract

With the impetus of information communication technology (ICT), emerging eHealth has attracted increasing number of doctors’ participation in online health platforms, which provide various potential benefits to doctors. However, previous studies on eHealth have seldom distinguished different service modes provided by doctors. In addition, the bulk of the literature has considered doctors’ motivations based solely on online environments. To fill this gap, this study combines expectancy theory and the Bagozzi, Dholakia, and Basuroy (BDB) model to examine the relationships between anticipated outcomes, performance expectations, and effort intentions from online and offline perspectives. Doctors’ behavioral intentions are further divided into two categories: the willingness to offer free services and paid services. Using SmartPLS, this study conducts structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze 311 sample data. The results show that extrinsic motivations (i.e., extrinsic rewards, expected relationships, and image) and intrinsic motivation (i.e., a sense of self-worth) significantly influence the desire to serve patients well, which in turn positively affects the willingness to offer free services and the willingness to offer paid services. Moreover, counseling time is confirmed as the main cost, which negatively moderates the relationships between desire and behavioral intentions. The findings provide theoretical insights for eHealth and provide practical suggestions to develop marketing strategies for online health platform providers.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiahe Chen & Yi-Chen Lan & Yu-Wei Chang & Po-Ya Chang, 2019. "Exploring Doctors’ Willingness to Provide Online Counseling Services: The Roles of Motivations and Costs," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-12, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2019:i:1:p:110-:d:300854
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/1/110/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/1/110/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ming-Tien Tsai & Hsiu-Ching Chang & Nai-Chang Cheng & Chung-Chang Lien, 2013. "Understanding IT professionals’ knowledge sharing intention through KMS: a social exchange perspective," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 47(5), pages 2739-2753, August.
    2. Ira Puspitasari & Alia Firdauzy, 2019. "Characterizing Consumer Behavior in Leveraging Social Media for E-Patient and Health-Related Activities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-17, September.
    3. Yuan Tang & Yu-Tao Yang & Yun-Fei Shao, 2019. "Acceptance of Online Medical Websites: An Empirical Study in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(6), pages 1-22, March.
    4. Ming-Yan Wang & Peng-Zhu Zhang & Cheng-Yang Zhou & Neng-Ye Lai, 2019. "Effect of Emotion, Expectation, and Privacy on Purchase Intention in WeChat Health Product Consumption: The Mediating Role of Trust," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-19, October.
    5. Gee W. Bock & Young-Gul Kim, 2002. "Breaking the Myths of Rewards: An Exploratory Study of Attitudes about Knowledge Sharing," Information Resources Management Journal (IRMJ), IGI Global, vol. 15(2), pages 14-21, April.
    6. Michael R Mullen, 1995. "Diagnosing Measurement Equivalence in Cross-National Research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 26(3), pages 573-596, September.
    7. Xing Zhang & Shan Liu & Xing Chen & Yeming Gong, 2017. "Social capital, motivations, and knowledge sharing intention in health Q&A communities," Post-Print hal-02312039, HAL.
    8. Junjie Zhou & Tingting Fan, 2019. "Understanding the Factors Influencing Patient E-Health Literacy in Online Health Communities (OHCs): A Social Cognitive Theory Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-12, July.
    9. Wei Le & Po-Ya Chang & Yu-Wei Chang & Jiahe Chen, 2019. "Why Do Patients Move from Online Health Platforms to Hospitals? The Perspectives of Fairness Theory and Brand Extension Theory," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-13, October.
    10. Sims, Julian M., 2018. "Communities of practice: Telemedicine and online medical communities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 126(C), pages 53-63.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Zhang, Xi & Wei, Xin & Zhang, Te & Tan, Yahe & Xu, Dongming & Ordóñez de Pablos, Patricia, 2023. "How platform-based internet hospital innovation affects doctors’ active stress coping efforts: The conservation of resource theory perspective," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    2. Karolina Pogorzelska & Ludmila Marcinowicz & Slawomir Chlabicz, 2023. "A Qualitative Study of Primary Care Physicians’ Experiences with Telemedicine during the COVID-19 Pandemic in North-Eastern Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-15, January.
    3. Eugene Song & Jae-Eun Lee & Seola Kwon, 2021. "Effect of Public Empathy with Infection-Control Guidelines on Infection-Prevention Attitudes and Behaviors: Based on the Case of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-18, December.
    4. Eugene Song & Hyun Jung Yoo, 2020. "Impact of Social Support and Social Trust on Public Viral Risk Response: A COVID-19 Survey Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-14, September.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Qiuju Yin & Haoyue Fan & Yijie Wang & Chenxi Guo & Xingzhi Cui, 2022. "Exploring the Peer Effect of Physicians’ and Patients’ Participation Behavior: Evidence from Online Health Communities," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-16, February.
    2. Jiacheng, Wei & Lu, Liu & Francesco, Calabrese A., 2010. "A cognitive model of intra-organizational knowledge-sharing motivations in the view of cross-culture," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 220-230.
    3. Chieh-Peng Lin, 2007. "To Share or Not to Share: Modeling Tacit Knowledge Sharing, Its Mediators and Antecedents," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 70(4), pages 411-428, February.
    4. Tan, Justin, 2001. "Innovation and risk-taking in a transitional economy: A comparative study of chinese managers and entrepreneurs," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 16(4), pages 359-376, July.
    5. Zhenjiao Chen & Yaqing Liu, 2020. "The Effects of Leadership and Reward Policy on Employees’ Electricity Saving Behaviors: An Empirical Study in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-15, March.
    6. Femke Hilverda & Margôt Kuttschreuter, 2018. "Online Information Sharing About Risks: The Case of Organic Food," Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(9), pages 1904-1920, September.
    7. Aurora I. Maynez Guaderrama & Judith Cavazos Arroyo & Santiago Ibarreche Suarez & Jose Pablo Nuno de la Parra, 2012. "Trust, Commitment And Intention To Share: Influencing Variables To Transfer Knowledge Within Organizations?, Confianza, Compromiso E Intencion Para Compartir: ¿Variables Influyentes Para Transferir C," Revista Internacional Administracion & Finanzas, The Institute for Business and Finance Research, vol. 5(5), pages 21-40.
    8. Nguyen Dang Tuan, Minh & Nguyen Thanh, Nhan & Le Tuan, Loc, 2019. "Applying a mindfulness-based reliability strategy to the Internet of Things in healthcare – A business model in the Vietnamese market," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 54-68.
    9. Hyeon Gyu Jeon & Kun Chang Lee, 2020. "Emotional Factors Affecting Knowledge Sharing Intentions in the Context of Competitive Knowledge Network," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-23, February.
    10. Abdul Qadir & Muhammad Farooq, 2018. "Impact of Evaluation Apprehension on Knowledge Sharing Intention through Attitude and Perceived Behavioural Control," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 8(6), pages 795-811, June.
    11. Hofmans, J. & Pepermans, R. & Loix, E., 2009. "Measurement invariance matters: A case made for the ORTOFIN," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 667-674, August.
    12. Li, Haiyan, 2020. "Role of overseas ethnic and non-ethnic ties and firm activity in the home country in the internationalization of returnee entrepreneurial firms," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(1).
    13. Xiaolei Zou & Xiaoxi Chen & Fengling Chen & Chuxin Luo & Hongyan Liu, 2020. "The Influence of Negative Workplace Gossip on Knowledge Sharing: Insight from the Cognitive Dissonance Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-17, April.
    14. Erna Grcic-Residovic & Ensar Mekic, 2022. "The Influence Of Instagram Likes On Consumer Attitude And Purchase Intention Of E-Commerce Users In Bosnia And Herzegovina," Economic Review: Journal of Economics and Business, University of Tuzla, Faculty of Economics, vol. 20(1), pages 3-16, May.
    15. Saeed Samiee & Constantine S. Katsikeas & G. Tomas M. Hult, 2021. "The overarching role of international marketing: Relevance and centrality in research and practice," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(8), pages 1429-1444, October.
    16. Jinjie Li & Jiayin Qi & Lianren Wu & Nan Shi & Xu Li & Yuxin Zhang & Yinyin Zheng, 2021. "The Continued Use of Social Commerce Platforms and Psychological Anxiety—The Roles of Influencers, Informational Incentives and FoMO," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-19, November.
    17. Hult, G. Tomas M. & Keillor, Bruce D. & Hightower, Roscoe, 2000. "Valued product attributes in an emerging market: a comparison between French and Malaysian consumers," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 206-220, July.
    18. Dorine Maurice Mattar, 2021. "An Organizational Change With Quarantined Members," SAGE Open, , vol. 11(1), pages 21582440209, January.
    19. Chitra Singla & Ludvig Levasseur, 2023. "The role of family in unfolding the process of external corporate venturing in small family businesses," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 61(1), pages 105-126, June.
    20. Sajjad Jasimuddin & Jun Li & Nicholas Perdikis, 2015. "Linkage between geographic space and knowledge transfer by multinational enterprises: a structural equation approach," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 54(3), pages 769-795, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2019:i:1:p:110-:d:300854. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.