7. Implications for theory and prac

7. Implications for theory and practice
The results of this study highlight several implications for academic researchers, as
well as for the smartphone industry. As to practical advancement, the findings of this
study offer two major implications to smartphone service providers. First, the most
apparent differences between users in Korea and the USA are in motivation type,
specifically usability versus aesthetics. While both values are required for a full
understanding of the role of smartphones in peoples’ daily lives, aesthetic and usability
influence the use and adoption of smartphones differently between the two countries.
This study highlights the importance of aesthetic value, which represents a paradigm
shift from usability to aesthetics, and this result should be carefully considered by the
smartphone industry, especially in the Korean market, where aesthetic quality was
shown to be most predictive. Globally, smartphone users expect and seek hedonic
aesthetics in addition to utility and usability. In addition to the pragmatic dimension of
usability that fulfills users’ functional needs, aesthetics comprise the design and
hedonic dimension that focuses on fulfilling users’ artistic and visual needs.
Second, Korean and US users have different value structures that affect overall
attitudes, intentions, and satisfaction. The results suggest that the industry should
identify the specific smartphone services desired by individual countries or at least by
a regional culture. In order to increase the levels of smartphone user satisfaction in
different countries, localized strategies must consider the cultural characteristics
unique to each country. The two models show interesting and contrasting results:
perceived aesthetic with perceived enjoyment in Korea vs perceived usability with
perceived quality in the USA. This contrast implies that the smartphone users in the
two countries have different experiences with and expectations of smartphone
services. Derivative research questions may be more specific and practical for the
industry, such as: