Investigating Mobile Apps Post-Adoption Behaviour: A Grounded Theory Investigation

Research on information systems has often focused on various post-adoption behaviour, examining how users adapt to using IT artefacts. This study explores such post-adoption practices specifically for discontinuing mobile applications (apps) use. Instead of investigating a particular user’s behaviour, we focus on participants' lived experiences with discontinuing app use. We employed an inductive grounded theory research approach, collecting data through semi-structured interviews with 38 participants. We identified two key types of post-adoption behaviour, engagement practices comprising workaround and reframing and disengagement practices comprising discontinuance and deferring. Using Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT), we demonstrated how negative disconfirmation can be managed through post-adoption behaviour. Our main theoretical contribution extends EDT to include a new category of disengagement practices called “deferring.” Our findings also provide valuable practitioner insights for app retention strategies.