Psychological ownership and users’ continuous usage of domestic vs. foreign mobile payment apps: a comparison between China and the U.S

Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), this study aims to unravel how brand origin influences users’ perception of UTAUT variables via its impact on psychological ownership. Drawing on 970 samples from China and the U.S., this study shows that psychological ownership mediates the impacts of brand origin on users’ perceptions of effort expectancy, performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, and social influence. However, such mediation effects vary between Chinese and U.S. users. Specifically, Chinese users exhibit higher psychological ownership towards domestic brands than foreign brands, thereby have higher perceptions of UTAUT factors. In contrast, U.S. users report lower psychological ownership of domestic brands than foreign brands, leading to lower perceptions of UTAUT variables. A cross-cultural comparison also shows significant differences between Chinese and U.S. users regarding the effects of brand origin and psychological ownership on UTAUT variables.