The use of cents-off coupons by consumers is a widespread phenomenon and is well documented on the marketing literature. Recently, technological advances have made it possible for coupons to be distributed electronically with the use of an interactive medium like the World Wide Web. E-coupons are paperless, newly emerging electronic coupon version of traditional coupons and now available on the Internet through the World Wide Web. This article applies the theory of planned behavior to e-coupon usage.
This study proposes alternative perspectives on the theory of reasoned action. Specifically, this study adds OAT (attitude toward Internet search) and PBC (perceived behavioral control) factors to the constructs in the theory of reasoned action. Data collected by questionnaires were analyzed with structural equation modeling. Concerned not only with to understand coupon usage behavior but also with its sensitivity to a new forms of coupon distribution, we consider access to electronic coupon forms in order to classify subjects into categories of potential users or nonusers of such coupons. Also coupon usage intensity has to be measured as a classification variable.
The results show that PBC and OAT are important determinants of intention to use e-coupons. But PBC is not a significant direct predictor of intention to use traditional coupons. E-coupon usage is explained by the theory of planned behavior better than by the theory of reasoned action whereas traditional coupon usage is understood better vice versa. And the differential gain in e-coupon usage due to the availability of e-coupons is significantly higher for light users those who are exposed to e-coupon than for heavy users those who are not exposed to e-coupon.
