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Article
Publication date: 3 October 2016

Gomaa Agag, Ahmed El-masry, Nawaf Sulaiman Alharbi and Ahmed Ahmed Almamy

The purpose of this paper is to identify the dimensions of e-retailing ethics from the consumers’ perspective and to develop a reliable and valid measurement instrument.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the dimensions of e-retailing ethics from the consumers’ perspective and to develop a reliable and valid measurement instrument.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a quantitative survey conducted among Egyptian consumers aged 18 and above. These were measured on a five-point Likert scale. The reliability and validity of this six-factor scale are verified using empirical data collected randomly from Egyptians’ online consumers. Structure equation modelling used to test the suggested model.

Findings

The results showed that buyer perceptions about seller ethics (BPSE) is a second order construct composed of six factors (e.g. privacy, security, reliability, non-deception, service recover, and shared value). The results also showed that the BPSE has strong predictive capability in relation to online customer satisfaction and repurchase intention.

Originality/value

This project is one of the first empirical studies that develop a reliable and valid measurement instrument of BPSE. The findings provide several important theoretical and practical implications for online retailing and academic researchers as well as making a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in the online retailing context.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 26 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 May 2019

Gomaa M. Agag, Mohamed A. Khashan, Nazan Colmekcioglu, Ahmed Almamy, Nawaf S. Alharbi, Riyad Eid, Haseeb Shabbir and Ziad Hassan Saeed Abdelmoety

Despite the increasing utilization of webpages for the purposes of information seeking, customers’ concerns have become a crucial impediment for online shopping. The purpose of…

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Abstract

Purpose

Despite the increasing utilization of webpages for the purposes of information seeking, customers’ concerns have become a crucial impediment for online shopping. The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the effectiveness of web assurance seals services (WASS) and customers’ concerns on customer’s willingness to book hotels through perceived website trust and perceived value.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was administrated to measure the study variables. Using partial least squares–structural equation modeling approach to analyze the data collected from 860 users of online hotel websites.

Findings

The results indicate that WASS influence positively on perceived website trust and negatively on consumers’ concerns. As well as, perceived value and trust play a mediating role in the link between WASS and consumers’ concerns and their intentions. Finally, perceived website trust and perceived value have greater effect on intention to book hotel for low-habit consumers.

Research limitations/implications

This study ignored the cross-culture issue as it concentrates on the customers from developing countries, so further research may need to compare between two or more than two samples from different societies that could give a significant insights. Second, this study stresses on the WASS to predict customers booking intentions that indicates significant results, so further research may need to examine the role of online reviews as a predictor of customers purchase decision as well.

Originality/value

To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first empirical research that investigates and examines the influence of the effectiveness of WASS and consumers’ concerns on consumers’ intentions through perceived value and trust. This research also investigates the moderating role of habit in the link between perceived website, perceived value and consumers’ intentions.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 33 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 December 2022

Saptarshi Bhattacharya, Rajendra Prasad Sharma and Ashish Gupta

Online shoppers feel insecure due to the various unethical practices of e-tailers. It is, therefore, crucial for online retailers to alleviate customer concerns. Extant literature…

Abstract

Purpose

Online shoppers feel insecure due to the various unethical practices of e-tailers. It is, therefore, crucial for online retailers to alleviate customer concerns. Extant literature indicates that country-of-origin (COO) cues influence consumer perception. A relatively underexplored phenomenon in an emerging market context, the COO image of the online retailer, i.e. a foreign-origin online retailer (FOOR) or an Indian-origin online retailer (IOOR), needs validation. The current study investigates customer expectations of online retailers' ethical behaviour against the backdrop of online retailer-based signals in emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers floated an online questionnaire using a seven-point Likert scale. The authors sought recipient responses in Google Forms shared via e-mails and social media connections. The authors analysed 1,018 useable responses using partial least square structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) in Smart PLS 3.

Findings

The empirical study examined the influence of the consumer perception of ethics of online retailers (CPEOR) and COO on consumer purchase intention. It validated the proposed research model. The research findings inform that the CPEOR and the COO influence purchase intention through the mediation effects of trust and satisfaction. Results indicate that privacy, security, non-deception, fulfilment, customer service, FOOR and IOOR strongly predict consumer trust. In contrast, privacy, non-deception, fulfilment, customer service and FOOR strongly predict consumer satisfaction. However, security and IOOR did not influence consumer satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The study results have theoretical and practical implications for academic researchers and online retailing managers. Future studies can validate the model in different geo-demographic scenarios and e-commerce settings.

Originality/value

The study enriches the extant literature on CPEOR in the Indian context. This study is pioneering work examining consumer purchase intention by adding the COO construct to the CPEOR model.

Details

International Journal of Emerging Markets, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-8809

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 September 2022

Saptarshi Bhattacharya, Rajendra Prasad Sharma and Ashish Gupta

Consumers are worried about sharing their sensitive information during online shopping due to the e-tailer’s unethical practices and hacking-related concerns. Prior research has…

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Abstract

Purpose

Consumers are worried about sharing their sensitive information during online shopping due to the e-tailer’s unethical practices and hacking-related concerns. Prior research has established the country of origin (COO) as a trust-building cue; however, it requires empirical testing in the online retailing context. The present study aims to examine the e-tailer COO’s effect on consumer privacy, trust and purchase intention.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey floated a seven-point Likert scale questionnaire and invited the receivers to participate in the investigation over e-mails and text messages. A total of 355 usable responses were analyzed using R programming.

Findings

This study empirically validated a proposed conceptual model examining the influence of COO on consumer privacy, trust and purchase intention. The findings suggest that COO influences consumer privacy, trust and purchase intention. This study further found that the privacy practices of online retailers positively impact consumer trust. Trust acts as a mediating factor in influencing purchase intention.

Practical implications

This study offers valuable insights for advancing the research agenda and actionable inputs to e-commerce managers for alleviating consumer privacy concerns in emerging economies. Future researchers can test the proposed model in other demographic and e-commerce settings.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the present knowledge on consumer privacy in online retailing in the Indian context. This paper also examines the relationship of COO with consumer privacy, trust and purchase intention, an underexplored research area in emerging markets.

Details

Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 40 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0736-3761

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 4 December 2018

Indranarain Ramlall

Abstract

Details

The Corporate, Real Estate, Household, Government and Non-Bank Financial Sectors Under Financial Stability
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78756-837-2

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2023

Hsiao-Ting Tseng, Waqar Nadeem, M. Sam Hajli, Mauricio Featherman and Nick Hajli

Consumers may enjoy the information sharing and social support made available when a social media platform is used for pre-purchase research; however, do consumers reevaluate the…

Abstract

Purpose

Consumers may enjoy the information sharing and social support made available when a social media platform is used for pre-purchase research; however, do consumers reevaluate the privacy and security of the platform differently when ordering and payment capabilities are added? As social media systems have evolved into social commerce platforms (SCPs), individuals are often faced with whether to complete a purchase they have been researching or switch to a traditional e-commerce platform to complete the transaction. This research examines consumer trust formation in the SCP channel and how consumer interest and engagement in the channel are maintained and influence consumer decisions to purchase via the SCP.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on trust and involvement literature, a research model was conceptualized to capture consumer beliefs about SCP privacy and security and whether the SCP can be trusted, using these inputs into subsequent consumer interest, engagement and decisions on whether to use the SCP for purchasing. The research model was empirically tested using the panel data's structural equation modeling (AMOS) (n = 405). The data showed acceptable reliability and convergent validity, while the original research model provides predictive validity and theory-confirming insights.

Findings

Results confirm that consumer perceptions of privacy and security play a crucial role as decision criteria, informing their judgments of whether a new social commerce channel can be trusted enough to conduct purchases. Further, consumer trust supports their interest in the SCP, resulting in enduring and enhanced behavioral use and, to a lesser extent, purchase intent. Still, a majority of this sample declined to purchase using the SCP and rather preferred to transact on tried and trusted traditional e-commerce sites.

Originality/value

This study is among the first to examine trust formation in new SCPs, where consumers are deciding to expand their engagement level from social and informational to commercial.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2023

Stephen McCarthy, Wendy Rowan, Carolanne Mahony and Antoine Vergne

Social media platforms are a pervasive technology that continues to define the modern world. While social media has brought many benefits to society in terms of connection and…

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Abstract

Purpose

Social media platforms are a pervasive technology that continues to define the modern world. While social media has brought many benefits to society in terms of connection and content sharing, numerous concerns remain for the governance of social media platforms going forward, including (but not limited to) the spread of misinformation, hate speech and online surveillance. However, the voice of citizens and other non-experts is often missing from such conversations in information systems literature, which has led to an alleged gap between research and the everyday life of citizens.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors address this gap by presenting findings from 16 h of online dialog with 25 citizens on social media platform governance. The online dialog was undertaken as part of a worldwide consultation project called “We, the internet”, which sought to provide citizens with a voice on a range of topics such as “Digitalization and Me,” “My Data, Your Data, Our Data” and “A Strong Digital Public Sphere.” Five phases of thematic analysis were undertaken by the authors to code the corpus of qualitative data.

Findings

Drawing on the Theory of Communicative Action, the authors discuss three dialogical processes critical to citizen discourse: lifeworld reasoning, rationalization and moral action. The findings point toward citizens’ perspectives of current and future issues associated with social media platform governance, including concerns around the multiplicity of digital identities, consent for vulnerable groups and transparency in content moderation. The findings also reveal citizens’ rationalization of the dilemmas faced in addressing these issues going forward, including tensions such as digital accountability vs data privacy, protection vs inclusion and algorithmic censorship vs free speech.

Originality/value

Based on outcomes from this dialogical process, moral actions in the form of policy recommendations are proposed by citizens and for citizens. The authors find that tackling these dark sides of digitalization is something too important to be left to “Big Tech” and equally requires an understanding of citizens’ perspectives to ensure an informed and positive imprint for change.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 33 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2022

A. Bhuvaneskumar, V.J. Sivakumar and Nancyprabha Pushparaj

The present study aims to determine and benchmark the performance of socially responsible companies (SRCs) in India based on the financial, value-added and combined performance…

Abstract

Purpose

The present study aims to determine and benchmark the performance of socially responsible companies (SRCs) in India based on the financial, value-added and combined performance indicators by addressing the climate change problems at the grass-root level.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study has used the traditional financial, value-added and combined performance indicators to evaluate and rank the performance of 14 SRCs under the Bombay stock exchange (BSE)-Greenex sustainability index. The technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) algorithms calculate performance scores and assign weights to the indicators from 2015 to 2019. Further, the Altman Z-score methodology has been applied to understand the SRCs propensity toward bankruptcy behavior. The parametric t-test is also performed on the outcomes of TOPSIS scores under different categories of indicators to check the statistical significance.

Findings

The performance scores of the TOPSIS algorithm indicate that the financial indicators of SRCs govern the firm performance significantly over the value-added indicators (VAIs). Further, parametric t-test results validate the outcomes of the performance scores by exhibiting that there is no significant difference between the traditional financial and VAIs at a 5% significance level. However, a few SRCs overall performance rankings have improved significantly after including VAIs. Moreover, the Altman Z-score results also reveal that most of the SRCs evaluated in the study are stable, showcasing consistent performance and absent from bankruptcy behavior.

Practical implications

The study has practical implications as follows: (1) to facilitate a clear understanding of investors and portfolio managers in selecting appropriate companies under socially responsible investing (SRI); (2) to provide portfolio diversification insights for domestic and international investors besides advocating the necessity of investing in better performing sustainable companies to safeguard their investments against the future uncertainty and (3) the study results would benefit the regulatory bodies to frame appropriate sustainability policy interventions at the organization level.

Originality/value

In the context of ambiguous inferences on the performance of SRI, no prior study has been conducted to assess the performance of SRCs in the Indian version of sustainability index BSE-Greenex.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. 30 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2016

Gomaa M. Agag and Ahmed A. El-Masry

The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a model that focuses on the cultural and religiosity drivers and satisfaction outcomes of consumer perceptions about online…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a model that focuses on the cultural and religiosity drivers and satisfaction outcomes of consumer perceptions about online retailers’ deceptive practices. It specifically investigates: the role of cultural orientation and religiosity in forming consumer ethical ideology; the link between the consumer’s ethical ideology and his/her perceptions regarding the deceptive practices of online retailers; and the effect of perceived deception on consumer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a quantitative survey conducted among 468 Egyptian consumers aged 18 and above. These were measured on a five-point Likert scale. To test the hypothesized relationships among the constructs of the model, structural equation modelling was employed.

Findings

The study confirmed that power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and religiosity are important in forming idealistic attitudes, while both individualism and masculinity lead to an egoistic attitude. Idealism was observed to have a positive association with consumer perceived deception, while egoism was found to negatively affect consumer perceived deception. Finally, it was revealed that the perceptions of consumer about the deceptive practices of online retailing decrease consumer satisfaction.

Originality/value

This research puts together in a single model both antecedents and outcomes of the perceptions of consumer about the deceptive practices of online retailing; concurrently examines the role of cultural orientation, religiosity, and ethical ideology of the consumer in forming ethical attitudes and responses; focuses on the instrumental role of cultural characteristics on consumer ethical perceptions from the perspective of the individual, rather than the society as a whole; and provides useful examination of the effects of perceived deception on consumer satisfaction.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 26 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2021

Tamanna Dalwai and Mahdi Salehi

This research examines the influence of business strategy and intellectual capital on firm performance and bankruptcy risk of Oman's non-financial sector companies.

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Abstract

Purpose

This research examines the influence of business strategy and intellectual capital on firm performance and bankruptcy risk of Oman's non-financial sector companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The data comprises 380 firm-year observations collected from 2015 to 2019 for the non-financial sector companies listed on the Muscat Securities Market. This study measures business strategy using the Miles and Snow typologies and Porter's strategies as alternative measures. The study uses the Granger-causality test to measure the bi-directional causality between independent and dependent variables. The authors use alternative measurements of business strategy and 2SLS/IV estimation to validate the OLS results.

Findings

According to the Miles and Snow typologies, most of Oman's non-financial firms were analyzers. The empirical results show a negative relationship between business strategy and return on equity (ROE), suggesting defender-type strategy leads to an increase in firm performance. The OLS results show no influence of A-VAIC on firm performance and Altman-Z score. The structural capital efficiency is positively associated with ROA, and Altman Z score consistent with the hypothesized relationship. The Granger causality test shows no inference of causality between any independent and dependent variables except for Z score and CEE.

Research limitations/implications

The business strategy results from the firm performance and bankruptcy risk models are valuable to the researchers from an emerging market and non-financial companies' perspective. Oman's diversification strategy of its economic activities through non-financial sector companies receives an impetus through the findings of this study. As this study is limited to Oman's non-financial sector companies, future research on business strategy impact can be extended to the financial sector, other GCC, and emerging countries.

Originality/value

The findings of this study contribute to the sparse literature on business strategy in an emerging market like Oman. This study enriches the knowledge of business strategy typologies proposed by Miles and Snow, and Porter. It also contributes to the extant literature on firm performance and bankruptcy risk.

Details

Asian Review of Accounting, vol. 29 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1321-7348

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