Online survey and data collection
The second phase is a survey conducted via an online ques- tionnaire, using a non-probability convenience sample. No incen- tive was offered to encourage participations. Couper (2000) provides a topology for Web-based surveys that informs the approach in the non-probability sampling techniques employed here. After the pilot test, an invitation to respond to a survey on the use of apps was posted on the authors' LinkedIn, Facebook, and university message board pages. The populations under investiga- tion are apps users, from which we further identifying a sub group of hotel-app users. A convenience sample using self-selection was deployed based on respondents initially identifying themselves as “apps users”. The data collection for this study was carried out during spring 2014. The collected data was analysed using descriptive statistics, means and standard deviation, gap analysis, t- tests, and IPA.