Exploring viewer participation in online video game streaming: A mixed-methods approach

Unprofessional or Admirable? Determinants of Purchasing Behavior in Government Officials' Livestreamed Shopping

As a new form of poverty governance, government officials' livestreaming e-commerce of agricultural and sideline products has been booming since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in 2019. However, exploring the determinants of consumer purchase intentions in the context of government officials' livestreaming is still limited. Drawing on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework, this study develops a research model to examine the effect of platform factor (information quality), user factor (bullet screen mutuality), and streamer factors (streamer trustworthiness, streamer expertise, and streamer responsiveness) on perceived information usefulness and arousal, which in turn affect purchase intention. This study also integrates impulsiveness as a moderator. We use structural equation modeling to analyze 430 samples. Our results show that perceived information usefulness and arousal have a significant positive influence on purchase intention. Moreover, impulsiveness moderates the relationship between perceived information usefulness and purchase intention and between arousal and purchase intention. Livestreaming features and streamer characteristics can activate these two mechanisms. This study provides theoretical contributions to livestreaming and the S-O-R literature, as well as practical insights into livestreaming government officials.

The Impacts of Mobile Wallet App Characteristics on Online Impulse Buying: A Moderated Mediation Model

The adoption of cashless payment methods compels impulse buying. This research studies impulse purchase behavior by focusing on E-wallet app characteristics, a field where empirical research is still scarce. This paper is aimed at developing and testing a theoretical model to examine a moderated mediation model of mobile wallet app characteristics and impulse buying through perceived enjoyment moderated by mobile wallet user experience. An online survey acquired 208 valid responses from active E-wallet users. The framework was empirically analyzed by using Smart PLS-SEM. Findings indicate that perceived interactivity and visual appeal have positive relationships with perceived enjoyment and impulse buying, respectively. Perceived enjoyment is positively associated with impulse buying, and perceived enjoyment mediates the relationship between visual appeal and impulse buying. The impacts of perceived interactivity on perceived enjoyment and impulse buying are moderated by user experience. Moreover, user experience moderates the relationship between visual appeal and perceived enjoyment. This study identifies differences in consumer behavior between more experienced and less experienced E-wallet users. More experienced E-wallet users emphasize the app’s interactivity, while less experienced users pay more attention to the app’s appealing design. Practical implications are offered for E-wallet system developers and designers to attract new users and, at the same time, retain existing users.

Improving consumer stickiness in livestream e-commerce: A mixed-methods study

With the continuous development and improvement of Internet media technologies in China, the influence of livestream e-commerce is becoming increasingly prominent, and an increasing number of people are engaging in consumption activities in this field. It is important to study consumer stickiness in livestream e-commerce to promote economic structure adjustment and innovation-driven development. Therefore, in this study, we adopted the expectation confirmation theory (ECT) as the theoretical framework and analyzed the ECT and stickiness. The study considered satisfaction as the previous influencing factor of user and consumer stickiness, replaced the continuance intention in the expectation confirmation model with consumer stickiness as the explanatory variable, introduced the variable of perceived playfulness as the value perception after user experience, and established a consumer stickiness factors model. A total of 262 valid questionnaires were collected in this study, and SmartPLS analysis along with interviews were used to justify the limitations of data analysis. The results of the study demonstrated a significant effect of perceived usefulness and confirmation on satisfaction, a significant effect of confirmation on perceived usefulness, a significant effect of satisfaction on stickiness, and a significant effect of confirmation on perceived playfulness. Based on findings from the data analysis and interviews, we further proposed rationalized recommendations, and aimed to provide some theoretical guidance for future research on live streaming.

The Moderating Effect of Occupational Burn-Out on the Link of Career Competencies to Career Sustainability Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Method Study

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most employees face increasing career-related stress, particularly those who work in multinational corporations (MNCs), because the international travel constraints prevent them from going back to their families. Hence, it is imperative to investigate the critical impact of employees' occupational burnout (OB) on career-related outcomes. In response, this research explores the moderating effect of OB on the relationships between career competencies (CCs) and career sustainability (CS). To achieve a more comprehensive understanding of relevant issues, we adopted a mixed-method research design that includes both qualitative and quantitative analyses. Findings indicate that all the three dimensions of CCs (i.e., reflective, communicative, and behavioral career competencies; RC, CC, and BC) were positively related to CS; moreover, OB negatively moderated the individual relationships of CC and BC with CS. The main contribution of this study is to enrich the existing career literature by addressing the critical moderating role of OB in the links of CC and BC individually with CS. Practical implications are also discussed in this study.

Why Do Viewers Engage in Video Game Streaming? The Perspective of Cognitive Emotion Theory and the Moderation Effect of Personal Characteristics

Video game streaming (VGS) has attracted millions of users and shown unprecedented growth globally. With technological development, these appealing media have largely influenced the sustainable development of society and the economy. VGS creates a pleasant atmosphere and provides various novel features to please the viewers, induce positive emotions, and facilitate users’ engagement. Integrating several personal characteristics as moderators, this study applied cognitive emotion theory to explore the antecedent of viewers’ engagement in VGS. Using 308 empirical data, the research results reveal that broadcaster attractiveness and the para-social relationship are positively associated with the viewers’ positive emotion, which eventually leads to engagement. In addition, personal characteristics play significant roles as moderators between VGS features and the viewers’ positive emotions. The results provide theoretical implications for VGS research and useful insights for VGS platform managers and policymakers to enable a sustainable profit model and the growth of VGS.