How Loyal are You? Continuance Intention and Word of Mouth in Free/Libre Open Source Software

Free/Libre Open Source Software (FLOSS) has begun to attract increasing numbers of non-technical end-users. Drawing upon information systems (IS) post-adoption research and other relevant research including IS success, consumer behavior, and FLOSS, the current proposed study will open a necessary but unexplored new research agenda: non-technical end-users’ continued FLOSS usage behaviors and examine the phenomenon by proposing a model. The study will further examine the proposed model by comparing two distinct user populations (i.e., regular loyal users vs. dedicated loyal users), and identify the factors that are more prominent in the dedicated loyal user population. The research will also conduct a case study on an exemplary community-led marketing campaign (i.e., Spreadfirefox.com) to examine how the practice of word of mouth is made more effective through its dedicated loyal users’ active contributions. In addition to its theoretical contribution to FLOSS research, the research will generate a range of practical implications for FLOSS communities as to how they can achieve a much stronger loyal user base and benefit from their contributions.