M-coupon's sharing behaviour on social media: intrinsic vs extrinsic motivation

Purpose The focus of this study lies in understanding the extrinsic vs intrinsic motivators which drive the m-coupon sharing behaviour in social networking sites (SNSs). A consumer can make promotional tool (in our case m-coupons) viral if the cues trigger an apt motivation. This study fills the need gap by identifying which motivations must be focused to make a promotional tool viral by the consumer especially in an emerging economy like India. Design/methodology/approach We designed conceptual framework based on extensive literature review and employed hierarchal regression methodology to investigate the motivation to share m-coupon. Findings Sense of self-worth, Socializing and Reciprocity emerge as strong reasons for a consumer to share m-coupons amongst friends and peers in SNS. Results have shown that intrinsic motivation works very effectively when a consumer shares m-coupons in SNSs. Research limitations/implications This study has certain limitations. First, the impact of age, gender and education can also influence the results as perception evolves with age and education. Second, in our study, we have not classified m-coupons in different categories. Different types of m-coupons may have a different impact on consumers. Practical implications The paper presents findings, which are useful for marketers to develop a customer-centric viral promotional strategy. Originality/value This study is one of the few studies in integrating types of motivation with coupon proneness and coupon sharing in social media. This study has specifically targeted the emerging economy where m-coupons usage has seen a surge. Study has shown that it is the intrinsic motivation which is very crucial for encouraging consumer for participating in SNSs and share e-word of mouth amongst friends and peers.