Understanding customers' repeat purchase intentions in B2C e-commerce: the roles of utilitarian value, hedonic value and perceived risk

Integrating online and offline channels for online customer loyalty: the moderating role of retailer credibility

Purpose

Understanding customer behavior from the perspective of channel integration has become a major stream of research in multi-channel retailing literature. Yet, despite recent advancements in scholarship, how retailers can most effectively sustain customers in online retailing remains unclear. Scholars have suggested online–offline channel integration (OOCI) as an effective multi-channel approach for increasing online loyalty; yet, few studies have explored OOCI's influencing mechanism. This study addresses that gap by investigating how OOCI helps achieve customer loyalty online and further examines the moderating role of retailer credibility in the influencing mechanism of OOCI.

Design/methodology/approach

The research model driving this study draws upon the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model and cue consistency theory. The authors collected a sample of 259 customers in China with experience making multi-channel purchases from retailers that have implemented OOCI in online retailing. Structural equation modeling and response surface analyses were employed to conduct data analysis.

Findings

The results revealed that the relationship between OOCI and customers' online channel loyalty was mediated by customers' perceptions of the usefulness and risks of online channel usage. The results also found that congruence and incongruence between informational OOCI (IOOCI) and fulfillment OOCI (FOOCI) had different curvilinear associations with perceived online channel usefulness and perceived online channel risk. In addition, retailer credibility weakened the effects of IOOCI on perceived online channel usefulness and FOOCI on perceived online channel risk but strengthened the effect of IOOCI on perceived online channel risk and had no impact on the effect of FOOCI on perceived online channel risk.

Originality/value

Theoretical and practical implications of this study are also discussed.

Exploring the Relationship Between Social Commerce Features and Consumers' Repurchase Intentions: The Mediating Role of Perceived Value

The popularity of social media, such as WeChat and Weibo in China, has provided an opportunity to develop social commerce. Although shopping through social commerce platforms is widely favored by consumers, the factors affecting consumers' decision-making behavior in the social commerce environment remain unclear. Therefore, from the perspective of the stimulus-organism-response (SOR) theory, we construct a consumer repurchase decision model in the social commerce environment and analyze the influencing mechanism of social commerce features (interactivity, recommendations, and feedback) on perceived value (utilitarian value and hedonic value) and consumers' repurchase intention. The empirical results found that social commerce features are positively related to the generation of perceived value, which in turn drives consumers to form repurchase intentions. We also found some mediating effects of perceived value. The study's conclusions clarify the intrinsic influence mechanism of social commerce features on consumers' perceived value and repurchase intentions. In addition, it can provide some theoretical guidance for future research and business.

Does e-shopping service quality enhance customers’ e-shopping adoption? An extended perspective of unified theory of acceptance and use of technology

This research advances the knowledge in customer behavior literature by adding new exogenous and moderating variables to the UTAUT framework. It explores the relationships among e-shopping service quality (an exogenous variable), e-shopping drivers (performance expectancy, effort expectation, social influence, and facilitating conditions), e-shopping intention, and e-shopping adoption with the moderating role of offline brand trust in an e-shopping context. Structure equation modeling was performed to confirm the distinctiveness of variables and path analysis based on a sample size of 356 e-shoppers in Pakistan. The outcomes demonstrate that e-shopping drivers are influenced by e-shopping service quality. Moreover, e-shopping intention and e-shopping adoption are led by e-shopping drivers. Furthermore, the relationship between e-shopping drivers and e-shopping intention is moderated by offline brand trust. The discussion of theoretical and practical implications and study limitations are also presented.

Determinations of system justification versus psychological reactance consumer behaviours in online taboo markets

Purpose

This research aims to understand the determinants of consumers' behaviour and motivations to buy taboo items online. Two theoretical lenses, theories of psychological reactance and system justification, are invoked to frame the role of online shopping in shaping consumer behaviour in taboo markets.

Design/methodology/approach

A naturalistic inquiry paradigm was used to test a sample of 34 Saudi women who were buying taboo products online.

Findings

The determinant of such behaviour is based on differences in understanding the ritual restrictions between people, their society and their country. The four principal attitudes towards restrictions are justifying, accepting, rejecting and reacting. These attitudes frame five motivations: satisfying the restriction, to be unique, but aligned with social norms; breaking social norms; aligning one's self-image to liberal societies; and joy in challenging legal restrictions. The motives for online shopping are justification/utilitarian, to accommodate other restrictions in going to local markets; and reactance hedonic, to break restrictions. These motivations create seven different patterns of online shopping behaviour.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the literature by presenting an alternative perspective on online shopping motivations for taboo products. Furthermore, this research calls for a new socio-psychological theory for understanding the role of technology in influencing consumer behaviour in restrictive societies.

What is the impact of eWOM in social network sites on travel decision-making during the COVID-19 outbreak? A two-stage methodology

Social media users share a variety of information and experiences and create Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) in the form of positive or negative opinions to communicate with others. In the context of the COVID-19 outbreak, eWOM has been an effective tool for knowledge sharing and decision making. This research aims to reveal what factors of eWOM can influence travelers’ trust in their decision-making to travel during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, we aim to find the relationships between trust in eWOM and perceived risk, and perceived risk and the decision to travel. These relationships are investigated based on online customers’ reviews in TripAdvisor’s COVID-19 forums. We use a two-stage data analysis which includes cluster analysis and structural equation modeling. In the first stage, a questionnaire survey was designed and the data was collected from 1546 respondents by referring to the COVID-19 forums on TripAdvisor. Specifically, we use k-means to segment the users’ data into different groups. In the second stage, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed to inspect the relations between the variables in the hypothesized research model using a subsample of 679 respondents. The results of the first stage of the analysis showed that three segments could be discovered from the collected data for trust based on eWOM source and eWOM message attributes. These segments clearly showed that there are significant relationships between trust and perceived risk, and between perceived risk and the decision to travel. The results in all segments showed that users with a low level of trust have a high level of perceived risk and a low level of intention to travel during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, it was found that users with a high level of e-trust have a low level of perceived risk and a high level of intention to travel. These results were confirmed in all segments and these relationships were confirmed by SEM. The results of SEM revealed that visual and external information moderated the relationship between eWOM length and trust, and experience moderated the relationship between trust and perceived risk. For the moderating role of gender, it was found that the perceived risk has a higher impact on the decision to travel in the female sample.

Users' intention to continue using mHealth services: A DEMATEL approach during the COVID-19 pandemic

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has changed the way we use and perceive online services. This study examined the influence of service quality factors during COVID-19 on individuals' intention to continue use mHealth services. A decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) approach was used to identify and analyse the relationships between service quality and individuals' intention to continue use mHealth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals' direct, indirect, and interdependent behaviours in relation to service quality and continues use of mHealth were studied. A total of 126 respondents were involved in this study. The results identified several associations between service quality factors and individuals' continuous use of mHealth. The most important factor found to influence users' decision to continuously use mHealth was assurance, followed by hedonic benefits, efficiency, reliability, and content quality. The relevant cause-and-effect relationships were identified and the direction for quality improvement was discussed. The outcomes from this study can support healthcare policy makers to swiftly and widely respond to COVID-19 challenges. The findings provide fundamental insights for healthcare organisations to promote continuous use of mHealth among people by prioritising service improvements.

Multiobjective Optimization for Planning the Service Areas of Smart Parcel Locker Facilities in Logistics Last Mile Delivery

The planning of the location service areas of smart parcel locker facilities became a critical aspect of logistics last mile delivery. In e-commerce, the efficiency of delivering merchandise from retailer warehouses to customers determines the competitiveness of retailers and delivery operators. The considerable increases in e-commerce transactions and safety concerns under the COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic made home delivery services even more inefficient than before, which resulted in the considerable increase in social costs. In numerous countries, smart parcel lockers were adopted to increase delivery efficiency, decrease the risk of COVID-19 infection, and reduce the burden on society. This study proposed a multiobjective optimization mathematical model for investigating the planning of the location service areas of smart parcel locker facilities, and then the optimization mathematical model was solved using a combination of the Taguchi method (TA) and nondominant sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II). Finally, this composite approach was applied to a case study in producing favorable solutions for facility location service area planning.

A Techno-Business Platform to Improve Customer Experience Following the Brand Crisis Recovery: A B2B Perspective

A platform is a business model that allows business-to-business (B2B) participants to connect, interacts, create and exchange value. B2B exploits social media for brand building and branding is vulnerable to attacks, which leads to a brand crisis. B2B should characterise such crisis and respond proportionally to avert damage to social listening (SL). To diminish damages, the solution is to measure customer experience (CX), especially in a crisis situation. The study proposes an analytics-enabled customer experience (AeCX) platform for emotion detection in social media and measures CX after recovering from such crisis, by exploring recovery time objective (RTO), recovery point objective (RPO), techno-business features (TBF), SL and perceived risk (PR). A quantitative research methodology is used on primary data collected from 302 B2B participants. The study reveals improvement in CX and the results provide evidence that social media channels and the TBF of AeCX have become important.

Investigating Smartphone Brand loyalty for Millennials and Gen Z

The purpose of this paper is to examine smartphone user’s brand loyalty decisions across and within generation cohorts – Gen Z and Millennials, based on customer value theory. The study discovers value perceptions for the cohorts, utilizes these for identifying distinct consumer segments within the cohorts and finally, investigates the impact of these value perceptions, on loyalty, for each of the sub-segments. A four stage analysis involving exploratory factor analysis, cluster analysis, ANOVA and MANOVA was undertaken. Three distinctive clusters were obtained within both Gen Z and the Millennials and for each of these sub-segments, the influence of the identified value perceptions, when investigated on attitudinal and behavioral components of loyalty, threw striking differences. The paper extends the current understanding of smartphone brand management, particularly from the perspective of identifying value perceptions’ based consumer segments, within the cohorts and mapping the influence of these identified perceptions on both attitudinal and behavioral components of loyalty.

ANALYZING THE EFFECT OF ONE-STOP SHOPPING ON PURCHASE INTENTION IN E-COMMERCE

Beginning with the advent of the Internet in the mid-nineties, e-commerce has started to be a viable alternative way of shopping for the consumers worldwide. Without doubt, it could be said that e-commerce has become indispensable in our lives. Recent global pandemic has increased e-commerce adoption by elderly people even further as the sole way of buying their needs. This paper studies the direct and indirect effects of product portfolio in B2C e-commerce web sites on customers’ purchase intention through perceived value and brand loyalty. SEM method was used to test the hypotheses. The results of the study indicate that product portfolio does not have a direct effect on purchase intention. However, it does have an indirect influence on purchase intention through perceived value and brand loyalty. As a result, this study validates the extant literature by confirming the mediating role of brand loyalty between the relationship between perceived value and purchase intention. The findings obtained are believed to provide significant contribution to the related e-commerce literature.

An Empirical Investigation of Consumers’ Intention for Using Ride-Sharing Applications: Does Perceived Risk Matter?

The study examines the factors impacting the willingness of non-users to use ride-sharing applications from the lens of perceived value and perceived risk. Both perceived value and risk have been proposed and conceptualized as second-order constructs containing their first-order value and risk dimensions. An online questionnaire survey was used to collect the data from 388 respondents in Bangladesh using the convenience sampling method. PLS-SEM was performed, and results revealed that perceived value positively affected non-users’ intention to engage in ride-sharing. Contrarily, consumers’ risk perception was negatively associated with their willingness to adopt ride-sharing applications. Additionally, the impact of consumers’ value perception on consumers’ intention to adopt ride-sharing services was positively moderated by perceived risk. This study leads to a comprehensive understanding of the factors related to perceived value and perceived risk dimensions and provides novel insights to entrepreneurial firms, market specialists and policymakers to reposition the service in the market and foster innovation to make the platforms more readily accessible and reliable through policy reformations. The study adds to the body of literature and enhances theoretical depth by highlighting the multi-dimensional nature of perceived value and risk from the human-centered design thinking approach, which aims to assist two-sided platforms like ride-sharing to understand the factors that influence non-users willingness to engage in ride-sharing services.

How Live Streaming Features Impact Consumers' Purchase Intention in the Context of Cross-Border E-Commerce? A Research Based on SOR Theory

Given that “cross-border e-commerce + live streaming” has become an important driver of global trade but limited attention has been paid to this area, this study examines the impacts of live streaming features on the consumers’ cross-border purchase intention from the perspectives of consumers’ overall perceived value and overall perceived uncertainty based on the SOR theory. In addition, through investigating the moderating effects of saving money, this study reveals the impacts of amazing bargains in live streaming commerce. A total of 272 samples were collected by a questionnaire survey to test the proposed research model. The results show that live streaming features significantly increase consumers’ overall perceived value and purchase intention, and significantly reduce consumers’ overall perceived uncertainty; in addition, saving money further increases the impact of live streaming features on consumers’ overall perceived value. This study provides a theoretical basis and reference for cross-border e-commerce platforms and merchants to effectively leverage live streaming to influence consumers’ perception and purchase intention.

M-shopping service quality dimensions and their effects on customer trust and loyalty: an empirical study

Purpose

The present study seeks to identify the salient mobile shopping (m-shopping) service quality dimensions as perceived by mobile shoppers (m-shoppers) and examines the linkages between the derived m-shopping service quality dimensions, customer trust and customer loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

The research instrument is developed based upon the mostly validated measures of prior studies. A pretest of the questionnaire is conducted to assess the content validity of the measurement scales. An online survey is used to collect the required data. We employ structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze data collected from 286 m-shoppers.

Findings

We identify five key m-shopping service quality dimensions: responsiveness, personalization, ease of use, aesthetics and perceived risk based on an extensive review of relevant literature. The SEM results show that all the five m-shopping service quality dimensions significantly impact, directly and/or indirectly, customer loyalty. Moreover, the results show that trust plays a partial mediating role in the effects of responsiveness and personalization on loyalty; a full mediating role in the effects of aesthetics and perceived risk on loyalty and no mediating role in the effect of ease of use on loyalty.

Practical implications

Mobile retailers (m-retailers) can use the quality measurement tool developed in this study to detect service quality weaknesses and strengths. Based on their quality assessment, m-retailers can effectively allocate corporate resources to the important service quality attributes uncovered by this study, thereby improving their overall service quality performance and in turn expanding their loyal customer base.

Originality/value

Prior studies have demonstrated that service quality and customer trust play a pivotal role in enhancing customer loyalty in both offline and online settings. Unfortunately, no research has empirically examined the relationships between service quality dimensions, trust and loyalty in the context of m-shopping. Therefore, a major contribution of this study is to address this research gap and add knowledge to the limited body of post-adoption m-shopping research.

A Cross-Continent Analysis of the Invariance of Product Information in Cross-Border Electronic Commerce

Cross-border electronic-commerce (CBEC) is growing. However, due to differences in culture, habits, history and language among other factors, consumers in different regions may have different perception towards the same product information on CBEC platforms, which may lead to differences in their cognition of the product with implications for purchase intentions. Presently, little research has attempted to understand whether there are such differences between global consumers through the examination of measurement invariance (MI) in CBEC environments. By using multiple-group confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA), this study explored the invariance of two product information cognitions on CBEC platforms, namely product description and product awareness, among consumers in North America, Europe, Latin America and Oceania. Data was collected from users of a popular CBEC platform in China. We find no significant differences in understandings and levels of awareness of product information across the four groups of consumers.

Content versus community focus in live streaming services: how to drive engagement in synchronous social media

Purpose

Social live-streaming services are an emerging form of social media that is gaining in popularity among researchers and practitioners. By facilitating real-time interactions between video content creators (i.e. streamers) and viewers, live-streaming platforms provide an environment for novel engagement behaviors and monetization structures. This research aims to examine communication foci and styles as levers of streaming success. In doing so, the authors analyze their impact on viewers' engagement with the stream.

Design/methodology/approach

This research draws on a unique dataset collected via a multi-wave questionnaire comprising viewers' perceptions of a specific streamer's communications and their actual behavior toward them. The authors analyze the proposed impact of communication foci on viewing and donating behavior while considering the moderating role of communication style using seemingly unrelated regressions.

Findings

The results show that communication foci represent a double-edged sword: community-focused communication drives viewership while reducing donations made to the streamer. By contrast, content-focused communication curbs viewing but drives donating.

Practical implications

Of specific interest for practitioners, the study demonstrates how streaming content providers (e.g. influencers) should adjust their communications to drive engagement in the context of synchronous social media such as social live-streaming services. Beyond that, this research identifies unique characteristics of engagement that can help managers to improve their digital service offerings.

Social implications

Social live-streaming services provide an environment that offers unique opportunities for self-development and co-creation among social media users. By allowing for real-time interactions, these emerging social media services build on ephemeral content to provide altered experiences for users.

Originality/value

The authors highlight the need to distinguish between engagement behaviors in asynchronous and synchronous social media. The proposed conceptualization sheds new light on success factors of social media in general and social live-streaming services specifically. To maximize user engagement, content creators in synchronous social media must consider their communications' focus (content or community) and style (utilitarian or hedonic).

Assessing e-commerce impacts on China's CO2 emissions: testing the CKC hypothesis

This paper made the first attempt to summarize the rules from a regional perspective and use panel data to explore the carbon Kuznets curve (CKC) between e-commerce and carbon dioxide emissions. The impact of online shopping on carbon emission has mixed conclusions. No CKC tests set mainly focuses on the e-commerce sector, which can help this research determine the relationship between e-commerce and carbon emissions. From a macro point of view, we examine both developed and developing regions by testing the CKC hypothesis. We try to explain it by exploring the econometric relationship between e-commerce and CO₂ emissions. At first, we attempt to accurately measure the CO₂ emissions by carefully distinguishing the carbon emission increments caused by the primary energy resulting from the secondary energy. Then, we use panel data collected from different Chinese cities during 2001-2017. The analyzed variables are stationary at their first differences with the LLC test, IPS test, Fisher-ADF test, Fisher-PP test, CADF, and CIPS unit root tests. The analyzed variables are cointegrated by employing the Pedroni panel cointegration test, the Kao panel cointegration test, and the Westerlund panel cointegration test. Using the DOLS, we also find that increases in trade openness decrease carbon emissions while increases in foreign direct investment (FDI) and market size contribute to the level of emissions. The quadratic-shape CKC hypothesis is supported for China, Eastern China, and Western China, and it is an inverted "U" shape. The cubic-form CKC is supported for Central China, and it is an "N" shape. Our study provides important insights for enacting regional and country-level e-commerce regulations and reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

Research and Application of Improved Clustering Algorithm in Retail Customer Classification

Clustering is a major field in data mining, which is also an important method of data partition or grouping. Clustering has now been applied in various ways to commerce, market analysis, biology, web classification, and so on. Clustering algorithms include the partitioning method, hierarchical clustering as well as density-based, grid-based, model-based, and fuzzy clustering. The K-means algorithm is one of the essential clustering algorithms. It is a kind of clustering algorithm based on the partitioning method. This study’s aim was to improve the algorithm based on research, while with regard to its application, the aim was to use the algorithm for customer segmentation. Customer segmentation is an essential element in the enterprise’s utilization of CRM. The first part of the paper presents an elaboration of the object of study, its background as well as the goal this article would like to achieve; it also discusses the research the mentality and the overall content. The second part mainly introduces the basic knowledge on clustering and methods for clustering analysis based on the assessment of different algorithms, while identifying its advantages and disadvantages through the comparison of those algorithms. The third part introduces the application of the algorithm, as the study applies clustering technology to customer segmentation. First, the customer value system is built through AHP; customer value is then quantified, and customers are divided into different classifications using clustering technology. The efficient CRM can thus be used according to the different customer classifications. Currently, there are some systems used to evaluate customer value, but none of them can be put into practice efficiently. In order to solve this problem, the concept of continuous symmetry is introduced. It is very important to detect the continuous symmetry of a given problem. It allows for the detection of an observable state whose components are nonlinear functions of the original unobservable state. Thus, we built an evaluating system for customer value, which is in line with the development of the enterprise, using the method of data mining, based on the practical situation of the enterprise and through a series of practical evaluating indexes for customer value. The evaluating system can be used to quantify customer value, to segment the customers, and to build a decision-supporting system for customer value management. The fourth part presents the cure, mainly an analysis of the typical k-means algorithm; this paper proposes two algorithms to improve the k-means algorithm. Improved algorithm A can get the K automatically and can ensure the achievement of the global optimum value to some degree. Improved Algorithm B, which combines the sample technology and the arrangement agglomeration algorithm, is much more efficient than the k-means algorithm. In conclusion, the main findings of the study and further research directions are presented.

Exploring customers' responses to online service failure and recovery strategies during Covid-19 pandemic: An actor-network theory perspective

While the debate on online service failure and recovery strategies has been given considerable attention in the marketing and information systems literature, the evolving Covid-19 pandemic has brought about new challenges both theoretically and empirically in the consumption landscape. To fully understand customers' responses to service failure during a crisis we asked 70 millennials from three European Countries-Italy, France, and the UK-to describe their responses to service failure during the Covid-19 pandemic (30 completed a 4-week diary and 40 completed a 4-week qualitative survey). Drawing on phenomenological, constructivist, and hermeneutical approaches, and utilizing an actor-network theory perspective, the current study proposes a new framework for understanding customers' responses to online service failure and recovery strategies during the Covid-19 pandemic. Conclusions highlight implications for theory, policy, and management practice through extending comprehensions of service failure recovery processes by examining how marketing policies generate different social impacts during a crisis situation which facilitate the achievement of customer satisfaction and positive outcomes.

Understanding post-adoption behaviour in the context of ride-hailing apps: the role of customer perceived value

Purpose

Despite the perceived role of customer value in post-adoption behaviour in the context of ride-hailing apps such as Uber, there has been limited research on the subject. This paper seeks to enrich the understanding of the relationships between customer perceived value, particularly hedonic value and economic value, customer satisfaction and continued use intentions of ride-hailing apps.

Design/methodology/approach

This analysis is based on field data collected from 567 users of ride-hailing apps in Ghana. Data collected from the survey were analysed using the partial least square (PLS) approach to structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

The paper provides evidence that hedonic value, as well as economic value, positively predicts customer satisfaction and continued use intentions of ride-hailing apps. Further analysis reveals customer satisfaction directly predicts continued use intentions in addition to partially mediating the influence of customer perceived value on continued use intentions of ride-hailing apps. Finally, the findings suggest that hedonic value has a stronger impact on continued use intentions than economic value, while economic value has a greater impact on satisfaction than hedonic value.

Originality/value

The study contributes to post-adoption behaviour research by providing evidence on the relationships among the study constructs in a developing country context. Overall, the findings will stimulate future empirical debates on the subject and guide practitioners in decision-making concerning customers' usage of ride-hailing apps.

A Study of Young Chinese Intentions to Purchase "Online Paid Knowledge": An Extended Technological Acceptance Model

Under the catalysis of knowledge anxiety and cognitive surplus, knowledge sharing platforms has experienced rapid growth, which has accelerated the integration of knowledge resources online. As with all new successful and sustainable business products, the consumers will play an important role in the future development of online paid knowledge. Therefore, we constructed an extended technological acceptance model by examining factors that influence young Chinese people's willingness to pay for online paid knowledge. The study surveyed 405 young Chinese participants, in which the extended technological acceptance model was tested by using structural equation modeling. Findings indicate that perceived ease of use is positively associated with perceived usefulness and associated attitudes, whereas perceived usefulness and attitude is positively associated with purchase intention. Perceived risk and group conformity are found to indirectly affect consumers' willingness to pay. The study advances the current body of knowledge by empirically testing the impact of perceived risk and the role of cultural influence (group conformity) on purchasing intention. Finally, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Understanding FinTech Platform Adoption: Impacts of Perceived Value and Perceived Risk

FinTech platforms are one of the most important elements in the rapidly digitized world’s economy. This study investigates the factors that affected individuals’ acceptance of FinTech services, especially on internet wealth management platforms. The current research extends the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) published by MIS Quarterly with integrated financial consumption attributes (i.e., perceived value and perceived risk) alongside the core construct of UTAUT. Data were collected from an established survey company. The empirical results indicate that perceived value, perceived risk, and social influence are strongly related to individuals’ FinTech adoption intention, whereas performance expectancy, effort expectancy, and perceived risk affect individuals’ perceived value, which in turn influences adoption intention. The proposed FinTech adoption model could contribute to information technology (IT) adoption research by extending the UTAUT in which individuals’ performance expectancy and effort expectancy affect their adoption intention indirectly through perceived value. Finally, the implications of the proposed new model for future research and FinTech practice are discussed.

Rethinking a Designers’ Rule of Thumb: Influence of Information Seeking and Consumption Goals on Mobile Commerce Interface Design

We investigated whether adding product information in mobile commerce improved consumers’ attitudes toward a product and whether this relationship was moderated by consumption goals. We conducted two field experiments in which we recruited parents in Korea and the USA and asked them how they evaluated two childcare hybrid products (HPs) newly developed by Samsung Electronics designers. The results revealed that participants exposed to additional information about the HPs evaluated them more favorably than those who were not exposed. However, this relationship disappeared when a consumption goal was activated. Our findings establish a dynamic relationship between information seeking and consumption goals, asking designers to rethink their rule of thumb in the mobile commerce context.

Behavioral Economics in Information Systems Research: Critical Analysis and Research Strategies

Theories of decision-making have long been important foundations for information systems (IS) research and much of IS is concerned with information processing for decision making. The discipline of behavioral economics (BE) provides the dominant contemporary approach for understanding human decision-making. Therefore, it is logical that IS research that involves decision making should consider BE as foundation or reference theory. Surprisingly, and despite calls for greater use of BE in IS research, it seems that IS has been slow to adopt contemporary BE as reference theory. This paper reports a critical analysis of BE in all fields of IS based on an intensive investigation of quality IS research using bibliometric content analysis. The analysis shows that IS researchers have a general understanding of BE, but their use of the theories has an ad hoc feel where only a narrow range of BE concepts and theories tend to form the foundation of IS research. The factors constraining the adoption of BE theories in IS are discussed and strategies for the use of this influential foundation theory are proposed. Guidance is provided on how BE could be used in various aspects of IS. The paper concludes with the view that BE reference theory has the potential to transform significant areas of IS research.

Institutional Pressures and Megaproject Social Responsibility Behavior: A Conditional Process Model

Megaproject social responsibility (MSR) is a critical factor regarding the sustainable delivery of megaprojects and MSR behavior to implement MSR. However, the questions of which factors effectively promote MSR behavior and how these factors work remain underexamined. Thus, this study aims to examine how the external institutional pressure and internal factors composed of relational behavior and pure altruistic values affect MSR behavior. On the basis of a conditional process analysis conducted on a set of survey data from various organizations involved in megaprojects in China, the results revealed that the higher the degree of mimetic pressure, the higher the degree of MSR behavior. Concurrently, relational behavior mediates the relationship between normative pressures and MSR behavior. Relational behavior also drives MSR behavior, and pure altruistic values moderate the relationships between institutional pressures and MSR behavior. These findings also provide practical suggestions for policymakers on the implementation and governance of MSR.

Gamification and reputation: key determinants of e-commerce usage and repurchase intention

Nowadays, companies know that keeping customers engaged is essential to increase their loyalty. The main goal of this study is to understand the impact of gamification and reputation on the intention of repurchase in e-commerce. Gamification corresponds to the regular usage of game elements in non-game context. This study purposes a theoretical model indicating the determinants of repurchase intention. Here we present an empirical study (survey collected data) within a real e-commerce usage context. Data were analysed with SEM/PLS method. Results indicate a positive impact of trust on the intention to use of e-commerce, on buy frequency and on repurchase intention. Ease of use, usefulness of e-commerce platforms affect intension to use. We verified the impact of reputation on trust, as well as the impact of gamification on the effective use of the e-commerce platforms. Results indicate that gamified e-commerce websites determine usage and use positively influences repurchase intention in e-commerce context.

To Dine, or Not to Dine on a Cruise Ship in the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Tripartite Approach towards an Understanding of Behavioral Intentions among Female Passengers

Given that cruise line companies are rushing to restart their operations with modified dining services, the aim of this research is to establish a conceptual framework that precisely outlines female passengers’ behavioral intentions towards dining on cruise ships in the time of the COVID-19 crisis. It does so by extending the theory of reasoned action (TRA) by including the social servicescape of the cruise ship dining experiencescape (stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) paradigm) and perceived health risk from COVID-19 (the prospect theory). The developed theoretical framework based on this tripartite approach has predictive power for intentions. Its effectiveness and comprehensiveness are also demonstrated. Despite the positive effect of the social servicescape on attitude and emotions and the positive attitude of female cruise travelers, the negative effect of the perceived health risk from COVID-19 appears to be the dominant factor that ultimately discourages the behavioral intentions of female cruise passengers towards dining on a cruise ship in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The present research provides a crucial guiding framework that helps cruise academics and operators to maximize existing and potential passengers’ favorable decisions and behaviors for cruise ship dining.

Gamified money: exploring the effectiveness of gamification in mobile payment adoption among the silver generation in China

Purpose

This study investigates the use of gamification in promoting the silver generation's adoption of mobile payment technology through the gamified cultural practice of gifting red packets. It considers the effectiveness of using gamification in a cultural context to promote technology acceptance among older adults. This crossover between digital technology and cultural traditions brings unique gaming elements to the adoption of technology.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon technology acceptance Model (TAM) and prospect theory, a research model is evaluated using structural equation modeling. Data were collected via survey from elderly consumers who are current users of WeChat but are yet to use its mobile payment functions.

Findings

The results reveal the perceived effectiveness of gamification is determined by the perceived enjoyment of the game and contributes to users' attitude development, directly and through its perceived usefulness. Perceived risks were identified as a barrier to converting positive attitude into adoption intention.

Research limitations/implications

The findings contribute to the conceptualization and understanding of the effectiveness of gamification in technology adoption, specifically among the silver generation.

Originality/value

In contrast with previous gamification studies on gamified experience, this study introduces a new conceptualization of the perceived effectiveness of gamification and its measurement. This study validates game engagement as being effective in encouraging seniors to adopt a technology. In an era of an aging population where digitization is a norm, improving the digital literacy and digital inclusion of elders by encouraging them to adopt technology is essential to developing a more accessible and inclusive social environment.

Customer Behavior on Purchasing Channels of Sustainable Customized Garment With Perceived Value and Product Involvement

Online shopping for customized garments has become the fastest-growing field of the Chinese eBusiness market. Most consumers not only limit themselves to buying standardized garments but also want to buy garments customized to their preferences. This phenomenon has pushed the fashion textile and apparel industry to change its supply chain operations to meet the customization demand. Besides, the fashion textile and apparel industry also want to study how different channel factors will affect consumers' perceived value and further influence consumers' purchasing decisions. We initiated this study and empirically tested more than 200 experienced consumers. This study collaborated with a fashion textile and apparel company that aims to implement customized product lines soon. Based on the perceived value theory and risk management theory, we investigated whether product involvement and channel identification on supply chain design will affects potential customized product consumers' purchasing decisions. The findings reveal that channel recognition affects consumer decisions by having a positive impact on their perceived value. The perceived risk and shopping channel involvement of consumers have a negative impact on their perceived values and channel selections. In addition, product involvement has a moderating effect on the relationship between channel's perceived risk, perceived values, and channel selections as well.

Cosmetology advertising perspectives: application of ethical theories during COVID-19 crisis

In a pandemic, there are no egalitarians because all citizens cannot treat equally, and a failure to consider ethical concerns before taking action led to a massive and preventable loss of life. As a result of the pandemic, there is a strong ethical or moral imperative to consider how to help the most generous people usage healthy products. Utilitarianism and Kantian have become popular ethical theories that state the right actions that layout clear and actionable principles. This paper reviews (1) how Utilitarianism and Kantianism theories could produce benefit arguments on ethical purchases of cosmetic products from an advertising context, (2) how these theories contributed in the context of COVID-19 to help reduce any harmful health issues via advertising, and (3) Utilitarianism and Kantian theories have proven useful during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to case studies of cosmetics products and advertising in Western and Asian contexts. In addition to these two ethical theories, this paper discussed other issues. The purpose is not to argue which theory is the only relevant ethical theory but to contend with pure utilitarianism. Kantian's finding was similar to the topic argument in other ways. However, both theories reviewed as the most effective way to help societies identify and perceive the necessary costs of goods values. Before adopting utilitarian or Kantian theories, the community must clearly understand these two theories' merit values in product advertising. In such a crisis, ethical theories practices should implement in all areas because ethical challenges would determine whether or not advertisers around the world adhered to ethical standards in devising new and innovative marketing strategies, practices, or tactics for the transition to this new norm.

Understanding virtual reality continuance: an extended perspective of perceived value

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated research model that can explain current users' continuance intention regarding the adoption of virtual reality (VR).

Design/methodology/approach

This study builds a new research model based on the perceived value theory. The model and the hypotheses formulated are tested using partial least squares analysis with 295 respondents.

Findings

Both utilitarian value and hedonic value have positive impacts on VR users' continuance intention. Among the four constructs reflecting VR device and service-related attributes, content quality and ease of use have significant impacts on the utilitarian value and hedonic value. Visual attractiveness is positively associated with hedonic value while portability affected only utilitarian value.

Practical implications

To increase users' retention of VR, VR service providers should focus developing high-quality VR content, and VR device manufacturers should consider both ease of use and visual attractiveness of VR devices.

Originality/value

This study is the first empirical study to investigate user adoption of VR devices and services synthetically, as most of prior studies related to VR adoption mainly focused on VR devices or specific services.

Consumer Attitudes and Purchase Intentions toward Food Delivery Platform Services

With the advent of the Online to Offline (O2O) era, the rise of various food delivery platforms not only provides consumers with more choices, but also allows restaurant operators to reach more potential consumers and increase their additional revenue. This study is based on theory of planned behavior (TPB), and includes the ‘utilitarian value’ and ‘hedonic value’ as research variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to verify the research hypotheses, and to analyze consumers’ purchase intentions toward online food delivery platforms. An online survey was also conducted, and a total of 1300 questionnaires were distributed. After excluding invalid questionnaires with incomplete answers, a total of 1082 questionnaires were deemed valid, and the effective recovery rate was 83.23%. The research results were as follows: (1) the attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control of consumers will have a significant positive effect on utilitarian value and hedonic value; (2) the utilitarian and hedonic values have a significant positive effect on purchase intention; and (3) the utilitarian and hedonic values have a mediating effect on attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and purchase intention. Based on the above results, food delivery platform operators can identify the key factors that drive consumers to use their services in order to formulate effective management strategies and create greater business opportunities for their organizations.

Influence of Perceived Risk Dimensions on e-Shopping Behavioural Intention among Women—A Family Life Cycle Stage Perspective

The relationship between perceived risk and behavioral intention (BI) in e-shopping, based on family life cycle (FLC) stages, has been analyzed in this work. Although FLC stages are considered to have a better predictive ability than age, few e-shopping studies have concentrated on understanding its effects. This study, as a pioneering effort, has divided Indian women based on nine FLC stages and has studied the role of ten dimensions of perceived risk on BI to shop online across each life cycle stage. Results show that different facets of risks had distinct effects on purchase behavior among women belonging to different FLC stages. In effect, this study shows the importance of splitting people based on FLC stages in e-marketing and its value in making marketing decisions.

Exploring E-Commerce Big Data and Customer-Perceived Value: An Empirical Study on Chinese Online Customers

The purpose of this study is to make good use of the massive amount of online user comment data to explore and analyze the dimensions of customer-perceived value and the importance of each dimension, given the background of China’s huge e-commerce market. We compiled a web crawler program to collect online comment data from online reviews. The crawled data were pre-processed and content analysis were performed. A customer-perceived value dictionary was constructed based on the extraction of frequent terms, literature review, and expert opinions. We re-identified the dimensions of customer-perceived value to include four key dimensions and corresponding subdivisions. Both the rationality and operability of the dimension model of customer-perceived value were validated and applied. Thereafter, the importance of various dimensions and the impacts of customer-perceived value dimensions on customer loyalty were analyzed and discussed. The empirical research results reveal that all four dimensions of customer-perceived value play an important role in customer-perceived value and that the patterns and degrees of the role of each dimension are rather different. Further, only certain parts of the dimensions of customer-perceived value have an impact on customer loyalty, and the degree of the impact differs substantially.