IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/elcore/v25y2025i3d10.1007_s10660-023-09800-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Break the flow: the impact of interruptions on users’ decision efficiency in mobile shopping

Author

Listed:
  • Xue Yang

    (Nanjing University)

  • Cheng Luo

    (Tianjin University
    Tianjin University)

  • Mengyue Yan

    (Nanjing University)

Abstract

The proliferation of mobile devices has made mobile shopping extremely popular among the digital natives. Due to the multitasking nature of mobile devices, users are often disturbed by various interruptions, such as incoming calls, SMSs and APP notifications. Prior studies suggest that interruptions likely affect users’ shopping experience and decision-making, but they find inconclusive results regarding how interruptions influence users’ behavior. Based on the flow theory and prior research on human–computer interaction, this study focuses on the interplay between the design of interruptions and human–computer interaction mode, and examines the effects of interruptions on users’ decision efficiency in a mobile shopping context. Three laboratory experiments were conducted to verify the research hypotheses. The results show that interruptions improve users’ decision efficiency and satisfaction when their content is irrelevant to users’ shopping task. When the content of interruptions is relevant to users’ shopping task, the interruptions reduce users’ decision efficiency. Furthermore, the interruptions reduce (improve) users’ decision efficiency when users browsed the mobile interface in a horizontal (vertical) manner. In general, this study makes one of the early attempts to investigate the effects of interruptions on users’ mobile shopping behavior and provides practical guidance for practitioners to design effective mobile marketing campaigns.

Suggested Citation

  • Xue Yang & Cheng Luo & Mengyue Yan, 2025. "Break the flow: the impact of interruptions on users’ decision efficiency in mobile shopping," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 25(3), pages 2155-2175, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:elcore:v:25:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s10660-023-09800-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10660-023-09800-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10660-023-09800-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10660-023-09800-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniella M. Kupor & Zakary L. Tormala, 2015. "Persuasion, Interrupted: The Effect of Momentary Interruptions on Message Processing and Persuasion," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 42(2), pages 300-315.
    2. Wendy Liu, 2008. "Focusing on Desirability: The Effect of Decision Interruption and Suspension on Preferences," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 35(4), pages 640-652, August.
    3. Jonathan W. Palmer, 2002. "Web Site Usability, Design, and Performance Metrics," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 13(2), pages 151-167, June.
    4. Jeffrey L. Jenkins & Bonnie Brinton Anderson & Anthony Vance & C. Brock Kirwan & David Eargle, 2016. "More Harm Than Good? How Messages That Interrupt Can Make Us Vulnerable," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 27(4), pages 880-896, December.
    5. Gerardo A. Okhuysen & Kathleen M. Eisenhardt, 2002. "Integrating Knowledge in Groups: How Formal Interventions Enable Flexibility," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(4), pages 370-386, August.
    6. Bettman, James R & Zins, Michel A, 1979. "Information Format and Choice Task Effects in Decision Making," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 6(2), pages 141-153, Se.
    7. Leif D. Nelson & Tom Meyvis & Jeff Galak, 2009. "Enhancing the Television-Viewing Experience through Commercial Interruptions," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 36(2), pages 160-172.
    8. Hoffman, Donna L. & Novak, Thomas P., 2009. "Flow Online: Lessons Learned and Future Prospects," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 23-34.
    9. Christopher L. Newman & Elizabeth Howlett & Scot Burton, 2016. "Effects of Objective and Evaluative Front-of-Package Cues on Food Evaluation and Choice: The Moderating Influence of Comparative and Noncomparative Processing Contexts," Journal of Consumer Research, Oxford University Press, vol. 42(5), pages 749-766.
    10. Mollen, Anne & Wilson, Hugh, 2010. "Engagement, telepresence and interactivity in online consumer experience: Reconciling scholastic and managerial perspectives," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(9-10), pages 919-925, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Yang Zhao & Yixuan Li & Ning Wang & Ruoxin Zhou & Xin (Robert) Luo, 2022. "A Meta-Analysis of Online Impulsive Buying and the Moderating Effect of Economic Development Level," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 1667-1688, October.
    2. Morgan-Thomas, Anna & Veloutsou, Cleopatra, 2013. "Beyond technology acceptance: Brand relationships and online brand experience," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(1), pages 21-27.
    3. Pagani, Margherita & Racat, Margot & Hofacker, Charles F., 2019. "Adding Voice to the Omnichannel and How that Affects Brand Trust," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 89-105.
    4. Arijit Bhattacharya & Manjari Srivastava, 2020. "A Framework of Online Customer Experience: An Indian Perspective," Global Business Review, International Management Institute, vol. 21(3), pages 800-817, June.
    5. Arghashi, Vahideh & Yuksel, Cenk Arsun, 2022. "Interactivity, Inspiration, and Perceived Usefulness! How retailers’ AR-apps improve consumer engagement through flow," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    6. Jamie Carlson & Natalie Jane Vries & Mohammad M. Rahman & Alex Taylor, 2017. "Go with the flow: engineering flow experiences for customer engagement value creation in branded social media environments," Journal of Brand Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 24(4), pages 334-348, August.
    7. Arpita Khare & Saumya Dixit & Subhro Sarkar, 2020. "Factors affecting website continuance intention: a study of Indian travel websites," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 243-271, June.
    8. Gao, Lingling & Bai, Xuesong, 2014. "Online consumer behaviour and its relationship to website atmospheric induced flow: Insights into online travel agencies in China," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(4), pages 653-665.
    9. Cowan, Kirsten & Spielmann, Nathalie & Horn, Esther & Griffart, Clovis, 2021. "Perception is reality… How digital retail environments influence brand perceptions through presence," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 86-96.
    10. McLean, Graeme & Al-Nabhani, Khalid & Wilson, Alan, 2018. "Developing a Mobile Applications Customer Experience Model (MACE)- Implications for Retailers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 325-336.
    11. Martin, Jillian & Mortimer, Gary & Andrews, Lynda, 2015. "Re-examining online customer experience to include purchase frequency and perceived risk," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 25(C), pages 81-95.
    12. Chen, Yi-Mu & Hsu, Tsuen-Ho & Lu, Yu-Jou, 2018. "Impact of flow on mobile shopping intention," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 281-287.
    13. Rose, Susan & Clark, Moira & Samouel, Phillip & Hair, Neil, 2012. "Online Customer Experience in e-Retailing: An empirical model of Antecedents and Outcomes," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 88(2), pages 308-322.
    14. Xiaoxu Dong & Huawei Zhao & Tiancai Li, 2022. "The Role of Live-Streaming E-Commerce on Consumers’ Purchasing Intention regarding Green Agricultural Products," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-13, April.
    15. Kareklas, Ioannis & Muehling, Darrel D. & King, Skyler, 2019. "The effect of color and self-view priming in persuasive communications," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 33-49.
    16. Minguez, Ana & Javier Sese, F., 2022. "Why do you want a relationship, anyway? Consent to receive marketing communications and donors’ willingness to engage with nonprofits," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 356-367.
    17. Christine Tan Nya Ling Author_Email: nltan@mmu.edu.my & Gwee Kai Jing & Ng Tuan Hock & Lim Ying San, 2011. "Predictors Of Business-To-Consumer Electronic Commerce Usage Among Online Consumers In Malaysia," 2nd International Conference on Business and Economic Research (2nd ICBER 2011) Proceeding 2011-154, Conference Master Resources.
    18. Agnès Helme-Guizon & Fanny Magnoni, 2019. "Consumer brand engagement and its social side on brand-hosted social media: how do they contribute to brand loyalty?," Post-Print hal-03591683, HAL.
    19. Moriuchi, Emi & Takahashi, Ikuo, 2022. "The role of perceived value, trust and engagement in the C2C online secondary marketplace," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 148(C), pages 76-88.
    20. Miguel Godinho de Matos & Pedro Ferreira, 2020. "The Effect of Binge-Watching on the Subscription of Video on Demand: Results from Randomized Experiments," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 31(4), pages 1337-1360, December.

    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:spr:elcore:v:25:y:2025:i:3:d:10.1007_s10660-023-09800-7. 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: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.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.