An empirical study on consumer first purchase intention in online shopping: integrating initial trust and TAM

To understand the first purchase mechanism in online shopping, this study established an integrated model of initial trust and TAM. According to the analysis results, initial trust beliefs were significantly influenced by initial trust bases such as company reputation, structural assurance, and trusting stance, and initial trust beliefs indirectly influenced the first purchase intention through consumer attitude. In TAM constructs, only perceived usefulness directly influenced the usage attitude of online shopping systems, then indirectly influenced the first purchase intention. These results imply that online consumers consider perceived ease of use as a basic requirement for system design. It was also found that there is a time cushion between the time of first purchase and the time of belief formation. On the whole, these results reinforced the theory that a relationship between belief (trust and perceived usefulness) and intention was better explained when it was mediated by attitude.     

Understanding consumer intention to participate in online travel community and effects on consumer intention to purchase travel online and WOM: An integration of innovation diffusion theory and TAM with trust

The growing presence of online travel communities is leading to great developments in the travel industry. Grounded in the innovation diffusion theory (IDT) and the technology acceptance model (TAM), this paper seek to develop and empirically test a comprehensive framework to examine the antecedents of customers' intention to participate in online travel community. Using SEM to analyse the data collected from a sample of 495 members, the results indicate that innovation diffusion theory and TAM with trust provide an appropriate model for explaining consumers' intention to participate; this intention in turn has a positive influence on intention to purchase and positive WOM. Furthermore, religiosity plays an important role in understanding consumers' behavioural intention. The results offer important implications for online service provider and are likely to stimulate further research in the area of online travel community.     

Factors affecting members' trust belief and behaviour intention in virtual communities

In this research we investigate whether antecedent factors of participant trust and institutional trust significantly influence members' trust belief towards virtual communities. Further, we investigate how members' trust levels affect their behaviour intention. A model of factors that affect members' trust in virtual communities is constructed. We analysed 625 valid online questionnaires obtained from virtual communities related to travel, games, and computer information. The findings suggest that benefit attraction and shared value have significant positive effects on building participant trust, and monitoring has a significant positive effect on building institutional trust. Trust building influences both members' stickiness in virtual communities and their willingness to share information. This research suggests that the extent to which members trust community-based website environments significantly influences their practical behaviour in such environments.     

Factors affecting reposting behaviour using a mobile phone-based user-generated-content online community application among Chinese young adults

Mobile phone-based user-generated-content (UGC) online community applications have gained increasing popularity among young generations. However, factors that may affect usage behaviour regarding the applications are not fully investigated. In this study, we employed the Technology Acceptance Model as the basis to explore factors that are able to predict user reposting behaviour with the applications. University students (N?=?322) completed a self-reported questionnaire for measuring the studied constructs after they experienced a high-fidelity prototype of a mobile UGC online community application. Results from path analysis demonstrated that perceived usefulness and attitude towards usage were significant determinants of user reposting intention, with 23% of its variance explained. Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and information credibility directly predicted attitude towards usage and accounted for 45% of its variance. Perceived ease of use exerted influence on both perceived usefulness and information credibility. The findings can enhance our understanding of factors that contribute to user reposting behaviour and provide insight into design and implementation strategies to increase the likelihood of user intention to repost information using mobile UGC online community applications.     

What drives consumer knowledge sharing in online travel communities?: Personal attributes or e-service factors?

Consumer voluntary sharing of e-service knowledge in an online community is of great value to both business and consumers. This study develops and tests a research model integrating two personal attributes (consumer innovativeness and subjective knowledge) and two e-service factors (perceived ease of use and usefulness) in predicting consumer voluntary knowledge sharing in an online community. Data were collected using a web-based survey of 364 airline travelers recruited through an online travel community in China. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to analyze the data. The results reveal that personal factors are stronger drivers of knowledge sharing than e-service factors. This study advances consumer knowledge sharing in online communities, and has implications for enhancing a firm’s e-service strategies.     

Factors affecting online group buying intention and satisfaction: A social exchange theory perspective

This study investigates factors that affect consumer continuous use intention toward online group buying and the degree that reciprocity and reputation of social exchange, trust, and vendor creativity affect consumer satisfaction and intention toward online purchasing. Data from 215 valid samples was obtained using an online survey. The research model is assessed using partial least squares (PLS) analysis. The results show that the intention to engage in online group buying is predicted collectively by consumer satisfaction, trust, and seller creativity. Consumer satisfaction with online group buying is predicted primarily by trust, followed by consumer reciprocity. The proposed research model explains 67.7% of variance for satisfaction and 39.7% of variance for intention to engage in online group buying. The results suggest that reciprocity, trust, satisfaction, and seller creativity provide considerable explanatory power for intention to engage in online group buying behavior.     

How does background music tempo work for online shopping?

This research examines the impact of background music tempo, an emotional stimulus, on consumer attitude in online shopping. The authors conducted two empirical studies based on the same experimental design. The results of both studies supported the study’s main hypothesis: background music tempo positively affects consumer arousal. It also suggests that product category moderates the influence of arousal on pleasure such that a positive effect occurs when shopping online for hedonic products but not for utilitarian products. In addition, consumer trust mediates the positive influence of pleasure on purchase intention. The authors also discuss the managerial implications of the empirical results.     

Towards an understanding of the consumer acceptance of mobile wallet

This study seeks to validate a comprehensive model of consumer acceptance in the context of mobile payment. It uses the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model with constructs of security, trust, social influence, and self-efficacy. Structural equation modeling is used to construct a predictive model of attitudes toward the mobile wallet. Individuals’ responses to questions about attitude and intention to adopt/use a mobile wallet were collected and analyzed with various factors modified from UTAUT. While the model confirms the classical role of technology acceptance factors (i.e., perceived usefulness and ease of use are key antecedents to users’ attitude), the results also show that users’ attitudes and intentions are influenced by perceived security and trust. In the extended model, the moderating effects of demographics on the relations among the variables were found to be significant. The proposed model brings together extant research on mobile payment and provides an important cluster of antecedents to eventual technology acceptance via constructs of behavioral intention to use and actual system usage.     

Understanding trust and perceived usefulness in the consumer acceptance of an e-service: a longitudinal investigation

E-services remain characterised by uncertainty despite their proliferation. Consumer trust beliefs are therefore considered an important determinant of e-service adoption. However, the research has not yet considered the potentially dynamic nature of these trust beliefs or how early-stage trust might influence later-stage adoption and use. To address this gap, this study draws on the theory of reasoned action and expectation–confirmation theory in a longitudinal study of trust in e-services. We examine how trust interacts with other consumer beliefs such as perceived usefulness (PU) and how these beliefs together influence consumer intentions and behaviours concerning e-services at both the initial and latter stages of use. The empirical context is online health information services. Data collection on a student population occurred during two time periods approximately five weeks apart. The results show that PU and trust are important at both the initial and latter stages in the consumer acceptance of online health services. Consumers’ actual usage experiences modify perceptions of usefulness and influence the confirmation of their initial expectations. These results have implications for our understanding of the dynamic nature of trust and PU as well as their roles in the long-term sustainability of e-services.     

Age differences in perceptions of online community participation among non-users: An extension of the Technology Acceptance Model

This study examined age differences in perceptions of online communities held by people who were not yet participating in these relatively new social spaces. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), we investigated the factors that affect future intention to participate in online communities. Our results supported the proposition that perceived usefulness positively affects behavioral intention, yet it was determined that perceived ease of use was not a significant predictor of perceived usefulness. The study also discovered negative relationships between age and Internet self-efficacy and the perceived quality of online community websites. However, the moderating role of age was not found. The findings suggest that the relationships among perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and intention to participate in online communities do not change with age. Theoretical and practical implications and limitations were discussed.     

The effect of virtual sales agent (VSA) gender – product gender congruence on product advice credibility,trust in VSA and online vendor,and purchase intention

Online vendors are increasingly using virtual sales assistants (VSA), either in the form of an animated picture or a photograph of a real person, to help customers with their product-related information needs. Currently, what is known is that the use of a VSA in an online web shop results in positive outcomes such as trust and purchase intention. What remains unknown, however, is whether or not VSA gender-product gender congruence has a positive effect on customers' attitude towards the product-related advice, the VSA, and the online vendor and on customers' online purchase intention.To determine the hypothesized effect of VSA gender-product gender on variables such as trust and purchase intention, a 2 (VSA gender: male vs female)–×–3 (product gender: male, female, and neutral) experiment with 183 inhabitants (between the age of 18 and 30) of the Netherlands was implemented. Results of the multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) reveal that congruence between VSA gender and product gender (e.g. female VSA providing advice about a feminine product) positively influences customers' belief in the credibility of the product-related advice, their trust in the VSA and the online vendor, and their purchase intention. The separate main effects of VSA gender and product gender on the aforementioned dependent variables, however, are not statistically significant. Furthermore, customers' gender did not serve any moderating function in the relationship between VSA gender-product gender congruence and the dependent variables.     

An investigation of the effect of online consumer trust on expectation, satisfaction, and post-expectation

This study proposes a framework regarding the relationship between consumer trust, satisfaction, expectation, and post-expectation in the context of electronic commerce. In particular, the framework draws together from three theories: social exchange theory, expectation-confirmation theory, and post-acceptance model of IS continuance. Following the longitudinal pre-purchase and post-purchase stages, this study provides a theoretical framework combining trust, expectation, satisfaction, and post-expectation (i.e., perceived usefulness) and tests the proposed model empirically using Internet consumer behavior data collected via two rounds of Web surveys. The empirical findings suggest that both consumer’s trust and expectation have positive influences on consumer’s satisfaction; a significant and positive relationship is detected between consumer’s trust and expectation; customer’s satisfaction and perceived usefulness as post-expectation belief are important predictors of repurchase intention. In consequence, the study provides a framework explaining the subsequent relationships of trust, expectation, confirmation, satisfaction, post-expectation, and repurchase intention (i.e., consumer trust → expectation → confirmation → satisfaction → post-expectation → repurchase intention) across pre-purchase and post-purchase stages. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.     

Information security – Professional perceptions of knowledge-sharing intention under self-efficacy,trust, reciprocity,and shared-language

Knowledge sharing is an important component of knowledge management systems. Security knowledge sharing substantially reduces risk and investment in information security. Despite the importance of information security, little research based on knowledge sharing has focused on the security profession. Therefore, this study analyses key factors, containing attitude, self-efficacy, trust, norm of reciprocity, and shared language, in respect of the information security workers intention to share knowledge. Information security professionals in virtual communities, including the Information Security Professional Association (ISPA), Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), Society of Information Risk Analysts (SIRA), and LinkedIn security groups, were surveyed to test the proposed research model. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique were used to analyse the data and evaluate the research model. The results showed that the research model fit the data well and the structural model suggests a strong relationship between attitude, trust, and norms of reciprocity to knowledge sharing intention. Hypotheses regarding the influence of self-efficacy and reciprocity, to knowledge sharing attitude were upheld. Shared language did not influence either the attitude or intention to share knowledge.     

Precursors of trust in virtual health communities: A hierarchical investigation

Lack of trust can have a negative influence on consumers’ willingness to share and adopt information in virtual health communities. However, not much is known about factors that influence the development of trust in such communities. This paper examined precursors of trust in virtual health communities. Data were collected from 361 users of virtual health community sites in South Africa. Structural equation modelling using version 23 of AMOS was used to analyse the data. The findings show that information usefulness, community responsiveness and shared vision have significant influence on consumers’ overall trust in health-related virtual communities. The findings, however, show differences in the extent to which precursor variables influence different dimensions of overall trust. The study provides insights that can help managers of such sites to effectively foster the development of trust in their communities.     

Empathy and online interpersonal trust: A fragile relationship

The rapid growth of personal email communication, instant messaging and online communities has brought attention to the important role of interpersonal trust in online communication. An empirical study was conducted focusing on the effect of empathy on online interpersonal trust in textual IM. To be more specific, the relationship between empathic accuracy, response type and online interpersonal trust was investigated. The result suggests both empathic accuracy and response type have significant influence on online interpersonal trust. The interaction between empathic accuracy and response type also significantly influences online trust. Interestingly, the results imply a relationship between daily trust attitude and online interpersonal trust. People who are more trusting in their daily life may experience more difficulty in developing trust online. There is also some evidence to suggest that different communication scenarios may have an influence on online trust.     

How can virtual communities create value for business?

Virtual communities include everything from discussion boards to massive multiplayer online role-playing games and virtual realities such as Second Life. The business world has assumed that virtual communities can be leveraged to provide access to consumers and consumer data. The benefits of this assumption have not always been realized. The purpose of this article is to understand why some business ventures into virtual communities fail and others succeed. Why do virtual communities support certain types of business activities and not others? Which firm activities are the best candidates to benefit from being positioned in virtual communities? The theories of social contracts and trust explain how firms can successfully participate in virtual communities. The theories have implications in the context of transaction-oriented, interest-oriented, relationship-oriented, and fantasy-oriented communities. The value chain provides an instructive background to understand which firm activities are candidates for being included in virtual communities. Success in virtual communities depends on an attitude of contribution, dedication of resources, building a critical mass, and matching community and business needs. Because many social technologies are in the disillusionment stage of the hype cycle, further research in the business use of virtual communities is needed to guide business practices as we move to full adoption.     

Perceived derived attributes of online customer reviews

The influence of online customer reviews (OCRs) on customers' purchase intention has recently gained considerable attention, in both academic and business communities. Technology allows customers to freely and easily post their comments and opinions online about any product or service; this type of customer review can have a significant effect on customers' purchase decisions. Previous studies, however, have mainly focused on the influence of the virtual attributes of OCRs such as volume and valence on consumers' intentions, while limited attention has been paid to understanding the effects of the derived attributes. This study, thus, aims to understand the impact of the perceived derived attributes of OCRs on customer trust and intention. This study develops a – Perceived Derived Attributes (PDA) - model, based on the inclusion of perceived control from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) with the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), in order to investigate the effects of OCRs on customers’ purchasing intention. A total of 489 responses to a survey were collected from users of amazon.com. The findings from this study suggest that customer trust in an e-vendor and their intention to shop online are significantly affected by perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use and perceived enjoyment of OCRs. Furthermore, the sense of control derived from OCRs significantly affects customer intention and significantly affects customer trust in e-vendors, particularly for customers who frequently check OCRs before making a purchase. Clearly, those attributes of OCRs are linked to the development of the shopping environment, which consequently can affect sales.     

Enhancing the impact of online hotel reviews through the use of emoticons

Online consumer reviews (OCRs) have received increasing scrutiny in recent years. The present study focuses on the effect of OCRs on consumers’ perceptions and attitudes, when pictorial representation of consumer emotions is used in online hotel reviews. A 2?×?2 experimental study is designed to examine the effect of two independent variables: review valence (positive vs. negative) and emoticons use (no emoticons vs. emoticons). Research findings show that positive OCRs result in more positive attitude and higher booking intention. Interestingly, the presence of emoticons in negative reviews strengthens the review credibility and usefulness, but attenuates consumers’ attitude towards the hotel and their booking intention. Managerial implications and research opportunities are discussed.     

潜在网络购物者与有经验者购买意愿比较研究*

感知风险和信任缺失被认为是阻碍网络购物发展的主要因素。以技术接受模型为理论基础,将感知风险和信任引入模型,把消费者分为潜在网络购物者和有经验网络购物者两大类,采用结构方程模型方法对影响我国消费者网络购物意愿的因素进行实证对比研究。实证结果表明：消费者感知网络购物有用性对其购买意愿的影响路径系数高于信任和风险因子对购买意愿的路径系数;感知风险对网络购买意愿有直接的负向影响;对于潜在消费者群体,信任显著影响其网络购物意愿,但对有购物经验的消费者群体信任却对网络购买意愿没有显著影响。     

The social influence of online collaborative community: the moderating effect of achievement

Online collaborative communities become particularly influential in contemporary Internet economy. However, these communities are often characterised by limited liability. Following the perspective of social influence, this study examines the impacts of three social influence modes in online collaborative communities of a famous online game. The moderating role of a player’s game achievement is also explored. Our results show that community identification is the most influential on online game continuance intention, especially for high achievement players. Community value congruence is likely to affect online game continuance intention for low achievement players. The impact of community normative influence on online game continuance intention appears to be curvilinear. This is more obvious for low achievement players. Implications for research and practice are also discussed.