Exploring predictors of consumer digital engagement and political consumerism in corporate political advocacy

Though a nascent field, corporate political advocacy has gained increasing attention as practitioners and scholars seek to understand how companies perform their community citizenship while motivating consumers to engage in corporate political advocacy initiatives, particularly on social media. From the perspective of lifestyle politics theory, this study used a survey (N = 913) to explore the factors that are associated with two responses to corporate political advocacy––consumer digital engagement in response to corporate political advocacy (CDE-CPA) and political consumerism (i.e., buycotting and boycotting). The findings suggested different mechanisms for CDE-CPA and political consumerism. We found that weekday social media usage is positively associated with CDE-CPA but negatively associated with buycotting. Also, extraverted individuals prefer to engage in CDE-CPA activities but not political consumerism; and emotionally stable individuals tend to engage in buycotting and high-CDE activities to support corporate political advocacy.     

What drives impulse buying behaviors in a mobile auction? The perspective of the Stimulus-Organism-Response model

The prevalence of smart devices and wireless networks has steered online traders toward mobile devices, which has promoted the rapid development of auction platforms in the mobile commerce market. Past studies have shown that about 40% of all online expenditures are impulse purchases, and that this proportion may have increased as mobile commerce has become more prevalent. However, only a few researchers have used the context of mobile auctions to explore the impulsive buying behaviors of consumers. Therefore, our study selects the mobile auction platform to explore how situational factors affect impulsive buying behavior. We integrate the S-O-R model, impulsivity traits and other external variables to establish our research model and hypotheses. Our results show that the personality factors of an impulsive buying tendency, normative evaluation, and positive affect are key determinants of impulse buying, while ubiquity, ease of use, information exchange, discounted price, and scarcity are important precursors. In addition, gender and platform categorizations are also used to classify the sample to determine the differences between groups defined by these classifications. Our results are useful to both researchers and mobile auction operators.     

基于决策树的网络客户分类方法研究

传统的网络购物只是对商品进行一个简单的分类和陈列,对于电子商务的商家并没有对网络消费者的购物数据进行深入研究探讨.针对网络购物过程中消费者选择商品的趋向性的不同,引入了基于决策树分类方法对网络客户购买商品的行为进行分析,并从决策树中挖掘出影响网络购物的主要因素以及各因素对网络购买行为的强弱影响程度.实验结果表明,此方法可以有效的对网络客户进行分类,有利于决策分析.     

Snapping and chatting away: Consumer motivations for and outcomes of interacting with Snapchat AR ad lens

Snapchat AR ad lens is one of the highly engaging and interactive ads among the plethora of social media advertising formats. Applying the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory and social media advertising engagement (SMAE) framework, two survey studies were conducted to enhance our understanding of consumers’ motivations for interacting with this unique Snapchat ad format and its subsequent effects. With the use of exploratory research, Study 1 uncovered consumers’ motivations to interact with the Snapchat AR ad lens: entertainment, aesthetics, uniqueness, curiosity, brand fan, and social interaction. Furthermore, Study 2 cemented consumers’ disclosed motivations as antecedents of attitudinal perceptions of the Snapchat AR ad lens and examined its resultant outcomes: ad engagement and purchase motivation. The results revealed that the majority of motivations had a positive effect on Snapchatters’ attitude toward the AR ad lens, which directly affected continuous ad engagement and indirectly affected purchase motivation through ad engagement. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed for scholars and practitioners.     

基于顾客购物行为网络满意度模型构建

文中以网络消费者为研究对象,从网络消费者购物行为对网络购物满意度的影响的视觉,根据顾客满意度与购物行为的相关理论,建立网络满意度与网络消费者购物行为之间的关系模型,并通过实证分析来检验模型。     

电子商务环境下的消费者行为态度研究

针对消费者涉入程度高的计算机产品,通过问卷设计获得统计数据建立消费者行为态度模型,通过对模型的假设检验进一步说明在B2C电子商务环境下,态度行为理论和技术创新扩散理论仍然有效,消费者网上购买计算机的行为意图和态度之间存在显著的相关性。对于其余占消费者可支配收入比例大的商品与服务,模型仍然具有较高的应用价值。     

Factors influencing the adoption of mobile commerce applications in Cameroon

As smartphone penetration continues to double in Sub-Saharan Africa, many businesses are looking into this channel for conducting their business activities. In Cameroon, all the top e-commerce giants have deployed smartphone applications to facilitate m-commerce activities. However, little is known about the factors that influence m-commerce adoption in the country. As such, this study had as objective to determine the key factors that influence consumer’s adoption of m-commerce applications in Cameroon. Using data from 372 respondents, a modified version of the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) was validated in the Cameroon context. The findings showed that social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivations, perceived risk and perceived trust were significant predictors of the behavioural intention to adopt m-commerce applications. Also, the results showed that consumers who had a high intention to adopt m-commerce were more likely to recommend the technology to others. For researchers, the study depicts the relevance of extending existing technology acceptance models like the UTUAT2 with appropriate factors in different technological and geographical context. For practitioners, the study identifies customer-specific and environmental factors that m-commerce providers in Cameroon and other regions with similar characteristics could consider when designing and implementing strategies for attracting consumers to use their m-commerce applications.     

The interplay of online shopping motivations and experiential factors on personalized e-commerce: A complexity theory approach

The present study aims to examine purchase behavior in personalized online shopping by employing complexity theory, based on customers’ online shopping experience and online shopping motivations. To address its objectives, a conceptual model is proposed along with research propositions. The research propositions are validated through a survey on 401 customers’ experience with online shopping, by using the data analysis tool fsQCA (fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis). The results, indicate nine configurations of online shopping experience and online shopping motivations that lead to high purchase intentions. This study takes a step further the literature of online shopping and the theoretical ground of how customers’ online shopping experience combines with their online shopping motivations in order to predict and explain increased intention to purchase. The findings offer implications for both researchers and online retailers, regarding the development of new theories in personalized e-commerce and the provision of personalized services.     

Identifying relevant segments of AI applications adopters – Expanding the UTAUT2’s variables

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a future-defining technology, and AI applications are becoming mainstream in the developed world. Many consumers are adopting and using AI-based apps, devices, and services in their everyday lives. However, research examining consumer behavior in using AI apps is scant. We examine critical factors in AI app adoption by extending and validating a well-established unified theory of adoption and use of technology, UTAUT2. We also explore the possibility of unobserved heterogeneity in consumers’ behavior, including potentially relevant segments of AI app adopters. To augment the knowledge of end users’ engagement and relevant segments, we have added two new antecedent variables into UTAUT2: technology fear and consumer trust. Prediction-orientated segmentation was used on 740 valid responses collected using a pre-tested survey instrument. The results show five segments with different behaviors that were influenced by the variables of the proposed model. Once known, the profiles were used to propose apps to AI developers to improve consumer engagement. The moderating effects of the added variables—technology fear and consumer trust—are also shown. Finally, we discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of our findings and propose priorities for future research.     

Facilitation of consumer loyalty toward branded applications: The dual-route perspective

Although many brands develop mobile applications (apps) to build relationships with consumers, most branded apps fail to retain consumers’ loyalty. This study examines the facilitation of consumer loyalty toward branded apps (continuance intention, in-app purchase intention, and word-of-mouth intention) from the dual-route perspective. One route is the affective (relationship) route, where brand benefits (functional benefits, experiential benefits, symbolic benefits, and monetary benefits) drive parasocial interactions between consumers and the brand, which, in turn, influences branded app loyalty. The other route is the utility route, where system characteristics (system quality and information quality) affect perceived usefulness, which, in turn, facilitates branded app loyalty. An online survey was conducted, and the research model was empirically tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. The findings support the dual-route perspective according to which both affective and utilitarian paths facilitate branded app loyalty. The key theoretical contribution of this study is that it moves beyond the utilitarian path and finds the affective (relationship) path to give a more complete picture of the facilitation of consumer loyalty in the branded app context. A strategy is provided to suggest to practitioners how to design branded apps to facilitate consumer loyalty.     

Consumer preferences of attributes of mobile payment services in South Korea

The widespread diffusion of mobile devices has led to a new method of value transfer that retains the features of mobile devices: mobile payments. Many researchers have investigated consumers’ responses to mobile payment services, which is a key indicator of the success of a service, and have examined determinants of consumer adoption. Although many studies have addressed consumer adoption of mobile payment services, only the general and abstract factors affecting adoption (e.g., perceived usefulness) have been intensively investigated. However, these studies have rarely examined the idiosyncratic and concrete aspects of mobile payment services. To improve our understanding of why consumers adopt certain mobile payment services, this study investigated consumers’ evaluations of the explicit attributes of the services. Three hundred seventy-three consumers of mobile payment services participated in an online conjoint survey. Their preference structure was generated from a conjoint analysis including five service attributes (mobile payment platform, assurance policy, mileage program, authentication method, and affiliated stores), which were identified through a literature review and focus group discussion. The results showed that an assurance policy is the most critical factor influencing consumers’ choices, and a mileage program is considered to be as imperative as the platform. We also compared the findings by two consumer clusters (safety seekers vs. platform adherers), which were classified by preference. Because this study examines concrete and specific attributes of mobile payment services beyond abstract and general adoption factors, it provides insights into consumers’ actual adoption of services.     

Online consumer review and group-buying participation: The mediating effects of consumer beliefs

This paper aims to examining the extent to which online consumer review (OCR) influences consumer beliefs and participation in online group-buying. We design a conceptual model and propose several hypotheses to articulate the relevant causal relationships in line with the social exchange theory and the theory of institution-based trust. The empirical results unveil that OCR significantly influences consumer perceptions in terms of perceived effectiveness, perceived structure assurance, and familiarity with intermediary, while consumer satisfaction and trust in intermediary significantly mediate the relationships between consumer perceptions and continuance use of online group-buying. The present study advances the theoretical understanding of the impact of consumer review and the mediating effects of consumer beliefs in the context of online group-buying. The findings make contributions to research and practice with managerial implications for the application of social media in electronic commerce and mobile commerce.     

一种基于深度学习的电子商务满意度评估方法

随着电子商务的崛起,越来越多的消费者选择通过网购来获取所需的商品。消费者评论信息中包含了对商品、物流等电子商务各方面的满意程度,这就使得在线商品评论信息成为研究电子商务满意度的重要参考依据。因此充分分析商品评论中的消费者满意程度,具有巨大的商业价值和社会价值。本文从意见挖掘的角度出发,提出了一种基于深度学习的电子商务满意度评估方法,旨在为消费者进行网购决策时提供一些指导建议。     

Elements of information ecosystems stimulating the online consumer behavior: A mediating role of cognitive and affective trust

Information makes consumers aware of what is on the market, their producers, and their prices, which is important for making informed purchasing decisions. Information to influence customer decision-making in online purchasing environments is becoming increasingly focused, but the diverse mechanisms of information ecosystems for building trust are little recognized. Therefore, the current study fills a research gap in consumer behavior by explaining the effect of determinants on purchasing and recommendation behavior from the perspective of information ecosystem elements. This study proposed a theoretical model combining the stimulus-organization-response (S-O-R) model, the effect hierarchy model, and the information ecosystem theory. The 372 valid responses were collected through a structured questionnaire and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Theoretical and empirical evidence support the mediation role of cognitive and affective trust in explaining online physician ratings and consumer behavior. The results revealed that the novel technology and functions should be introduced into the online physician review platform to enhance information quality and perceived similarity between receivers and senders. Practitioners should focus more on developing cognitive and affective trust, which will benefit the rapid growth of online shopping. Based on the outcomes, this study offers some valuable suggestions for policymakers.     

Segmenting consumers based on social media advertising perceptions: How does purchase intention differ across segments?

Digitalization, personalization and globalization shape how companies contact and communicate with their consumers who have different needs and wants. In these highly competitive heterogeneous markets, it becomes crucial to reach consumers in an easy, low-cost and more targeted manner. Social media advertising is one of the effective ways of attracting potential customers, retaining attention of current customers and influencing them through persuasive content. Despite its plentiful and obvious advantages, the variation among consumers’ responses to social media advertising remains as a major challenge. Hence, this study aims to identify different consumer segments based on the social media advertising features, discover differences in their individual traits, and examine variation among those segments in terms of the factors that predict their purchase intentions. By utilizing cluster analysis, consumers are segmented according to their perceptions regarding social media advertising features: perceived relevance, performance expectancy, hedonic motivation, informativeness, and interactiveness. It is revealed that consumers are grouped under three segments, namely: “susceptible”, “dispassionate”, and “impervious”. It is found that there are statistically significant differences among these segments in terms of being easily persuaded, impulse buying tendency, self-confidence, and social network proneness in which consumers in “susceptible” segment are more easily persuaded, have high level of self-confidence, have more impulse buying tendency, and are more prone to social networks when compared to other groups. It is also discovered that there are differences among these segments in terms of the factors that determine their purchase intentions for the products presented in social media advertising. The purchase intention of consumers in “susceptible” segment for products exhibited in social media advertising, is determined by perceived relevance, ease of being persuaded, self-confidence and social network proneness. On the other hand, the purchase intention of consumers in the “dispassionate” segment is shaped by informativeness, ease of being persuaded, and social network proneness. Finally, the purchase intention of consumers in “impervious” segment is influenced by hedonic motivation, perceived relevance, impulse buying tendency, and ease of being persuaded. Nevertheless, when the whole sample is considered, it is observed that consumers’ purchase intentions for the products and services presented in social media advertising are influenced by the following factors: perceived relevance, performance expectancy, informativeness, impulse buying tendency, ease of being persuaded, and social network proneness. Understanding differences across segments can help companies design, manage and convey their social media advertising campaigns to their target audience in a convincing, timely, effective, and efficient way, which in turn, let them gain competitive advantage in highly volatile and dynamic markets.     

Predictors of television and online video platform use: A coexistence model of old and new video platforms

Recognizing that new and old media coexist in media markets, the overarching aim of this study is to investigate how the perceived characteristics of online video platforms and consumer-related factors affect consumer intention to use the Internet and television to watch video content. The primary theoretical foundations are the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the technology acceptance model (TAM). By extending TAM and TPB into other constructs, the present study aims to provide richer explanations for consumers’ choice of a video platform in the competitive video marketplace. This study used a survey method to collect data. A total of 1500 adults throughout the US who use the Internet were employed for the sample of the main survey. For the analysis to test hypotheses, 388 responses were used. This study found that the more consumers perceive online video platforms differ from television in satisfying their needs, the more likely they are to use online video platforms. The relative advantage and compatibility of online video platforms decrease the likelihood of using television.     

Risk and opportunity for online purchase intention – A moderated mediation model investigation

What is the risk and opportunity for online purchase intention? This study focused on online purchase intention to explore the relationships on the proposed theoretical model for an electronic commerce environment in Taiwan. This study found electronic word-of-mouth plays a fully mediated role between perceived risk and online purchase intention. Online involvement plays a moderated mediating role in the proposed theoretical model. Perceived risk of online purchase intention through electronic word-of-mouth is stronger at low degrees of online involvement than at higher degrees of online involvement for Taiwan’s online consumers. This study concludes online operators might consider encouraging online consumers to participate in online information with a high degree of involvement. Thus, although perceived risk is a risk for online consumers and is harmful to online purchase intention, online operators should turn risks into opportunities for electronic commerce by effectively using the power of online involvement and e-WOM.     

The associate impact of individual internal experiences and reference groups on buying behavior: A case study of animations,comics, and games consumers

Among the entertainment and media market, it can be observed that animations, comics, and video games (hereinafter abbreviated as ACG) have the highest output value and most market influence. Moreover, ACG also incorporates various industries and creates many derivative products. As the ACG industry emphasizes acousto-optics, imagery, and storylines, personal impressions derived from consumer experiences will influence consumer decisions. In addition, the ACG industry is mainly marketed towards younger age groups, with younger people being the main consumers; as such, these consumers’ decisions are more easily affected by peer behavior.This study aims to analyze the effects of internal cognitions and external influences on buying behavior of ACG consumers by applying the uncomplicated decision tree data mining algorithm. We analyze and develop the target attributes on measures of customer loyalty for ACG industry to set up the decision trees from the collected questionnaire data. The decision tree data mining method is applied to analyze the hidden association rules between the target attributes (i.e., consumer loyalty) and the critical influencing factors of consumer’s internal impressions and external influences for ACG consumers. The results and suggestions of this paper can be used as a reference for enterprises in the ACG industry to help with business policies concerning products’ extensional design, marketing, and CRM, and to further strengthen customer satisfaction and loyalty, thus increasing company profits.     

Dissecting movie performance across multiple distribution channels: An elastic justification theory perspective

The recent emergence of multiple channels such as Internet protocol television (IPTV) and online video-on-demand (VOD) has transformed sequential movie distribution structures into simultaneous ones. We analyze the drivers of movie performance success in terms of box office, IPTV, and online VOD services amid these changed market conditions. We use elastic justification theory and consider diverse consumer risks to explain how movie consumers exhibit different behaviors for different movie channels when facing different degrees and types of risk. We classify the antecedents of movie selection into justifiable (risk-hedging) factors such as viewer rating, scenario familiarity, star power, and country of origin and unjustifiable (tempting and appealing) factors, including expert rating and genre. By considering various types and degrees of risk in each channel based on elastic justification theory, this study offers insights that should lead to more effective movie distribution across channels. This study is a first step toward paving the way for advanced movie distribution strategies for producers and distributors.