Search results

The objective of this paper is to examine online brand relationships, and the linkage between satisfaction, trust, and loyalty on the web site level. The web site is considered to be an extension of the parent brand. It also seeks to explore the effects of offline experiences on web site‐level experiences.

Hierarchical regression analysis is applied in order to test the hypotheses. The data are based on an online survey (n=867) conducted on a Finnish consumer‐magazine web site.

The research findings support the results of earlier studies suggesting that satisfaction and trust on the web site level are determinants of web site loyalty. However, they also show that brand‐level experiences affect online satisfaction, trust, and loyalty differently, depending on the consumers' relationship with the brand. Interestingly, in this case the length of user history and registration on the web site had a negative effect on web site trust. Two of the reasons behind this type of result are believed to be the prevalent culture in web site discussion forums and the degree of fit between the parent brand and the brand extension.

The paper synthesises the literature on online and offline brand relationships and brand extension. The results of the study, which was based on a large‐scale survey, give researchers and practising managers alike valuable information on how parent‐brand experiences relate to the attitudes and commitment of customers to online brand extensions. The context of the study, i.e. the magazine publishing industry, has attracted less research attention, even though several publishers have extended their brands online.

The purpose of this paper is to suggest a model that reflects the role that web site cognitive and experiential signals, firm reputation, bricks‐and‐mortar experience, and consumer satisfaction play as determinants of trust in the web site, taking into account the moderating effect of consumer‐perceived risk when buying online.

The investigation uses quantitative research methods. Data collected from interviews with 507 Spanish online buyers are analysed through structural equation modelling.

Internet users who buy online more frequently can trust a web site only based on their previous satisfaction, whereas users who perceive more risks need to perceive that the firm has a good reputation and bricks‐and‐mortar experience apart from other signals such the quality of the service.

The results show interesting implications for online vendors, who should apply different commercial strategies to potential buyers according to the level of perceived risk.

This study empirically considers several signals that electronic retailers send to the market in order to create buyer trust and satisfaction, while most studies on signals have been theoretical and normative or have not contemplated so many signals simultaneously. Besides, this paper has extended knowledge of the process of the generation of customer trust in online contexts for different types of users according to their level of perceived risk.

The purpose of this paper is to develop, test and argue in support of the parsimonious, yet explanatory, collectivistic religion affiliated trust model in e‐commerce.

This article develops an integrated model by using consumer religio‐centrism and religious commitment to identify the collectivistic religion respondents and its impact on initial trust on web‐site. The sample 81 respondents consist of foreign and Chinese Muslim students from various departments of Chongqing University. The research model was then tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques. The statistical approach incorporates path analysis, factor analysis, and linear regression into a theoretical causal model for analysis of latent constructs and measurable variables.

The main finding of this paper is to show that initial trust in a web‐based retailer is influenced by culture, at least as represented by affiliation to a religion. Within a collectivist culture, identification with the Muslim religion, it has been shown that in‐group trust effects can transfer to the web context. Muslim respondents in this study were found to be more trusting of a Muslim site compared to a neutral site.

To date, this is the first research that has been conducted to analyze trust factor from a religion point of view by using structural equation modeling in entire Islamic e‐commerce research.

The purpose of this study is to measure the perception and the behavioural intention of web-users who interact with a virtual agent on a web site. The author wants to measure the added value of this technology in terms of providing e-service and measure web-users' desire to have a concrete experience with a firm after experiencing its web site.

The author integrated a virtual agent on a restaurant's web site and conducted an online survey. The author asked respondents to interact with the virtual agent and then fill in the questionnaire. The author used the expanded version of the technology acceptance model (TAM) for measuring the intention of potential customers to accept a new technology and for evaluating the characteristics of the virtual agent. In order to measure the e-service quality, the author adapted items of WebQual to restaurant industry. As the author had several latent variables, the author used partial least squares (PLS), a variance-based structural equation modeling method.

Results show that the utilitarian and hedonic values of the virtual agent increase significantly the desire of potential clients to experiment the restaurant. Hedonic value seems to play a major role. This is a crucial factor for restaurant and hotel industries which can be considered as hedonic industries.

This research can help firms to manage relationships with current and potential clients through their web site. The nature of the company plays an important role in the success of the virtual agent's implementation. Even if in the case the author applied the virtual agent to a hedonic industry, a lot of companies in other sectors can benefit from having a virtual agent, especially if the company in question is service-oriented (e.g. bank, airline, etc.).

According to the author's knowledge, virtual agents have never been applied to restaurant/hotel industries before. The results of this research significantly advanced the understanding of the impact of virtual agents, especially in the hospitality industry. Moreover, the author applied the TAM to the characteristics of virtual agent, which is very new for the academic world. Finally, the framework the author presented in this research could be used as a basis of measurement of virtual agent effectiveness.

Consumers are increasingly connected to each other through electronic devices. Consequently, the potential for online retailer (hereafter, e‐tailer) initiated communications delivered through electronic media to inspire viral‐like e‐WOM processes among consumers is also expanding. Microblog postings and e‐mails may impact consumers' perceptions of retail web sites (e‐servicescape). These perceptions may trigger other outcomes (i.e. greater trust, patronage, or e‐WOM) that redound to e‐tailers' interests. The first purpose of this paper is to expand online e‐tailers' (e‐tailers') understanding of how and whether microblog postings affect consumers' e‐servicescape perceptions. The second purpose is to investigate how and whether e‐servicescape perceptions influence consumers' trust in e‐tailers' web sites, patronage of e‐tailers, and propensity to engage in e‐WOM about e‐tailers' messages.

By integrating the e‐servicescape construct with the Network Coproduction Model of WOM theory, a model is developed. This model examines how e‐communication efforts affect consumers' perceptions of e‐servicescape, trust, e‐tail patronage and e‐WOM. Each relationship is investigated through a consumer survey.

Findings suggest: microblog postings may have a negative impact on consumers' e‐servicescape perceptions; retail web site's usability, financial security, customization, and entertainment value positively affect consumers' trust; and consumers' trust positively impacts retail patronage and e‐WOM intentions.

Prescriptive insights for managing microblogging in ways that more favorably influence consumers' perceptions of e‐tailers' e‐servicescapes – and subsequently consumer trust in, patronage of, and e‐WOM about the retailer and its web site – are developed.

The paper is the first to integrate word‐of‐mouth theory with e‐servicescape to test a model examining how microblog postings affect e‐servicescape perceptions, consumer trust, consumer retail patronage, and e‐WOM intentions.

India has a large internet savvy population that is not only accessing the internet but also buying online. With a revolution in the very basics of transaction from a physical store format to a non‐store one, the retail industry has begun to understand the indispensability of the internet as a medium of transaction. However, the rate of diffusion and adoption of the new phenomenon amongst consumers is still relatively low. Trust on online transactions is one of the key barriers to vendors succeeding in online transactions. A lack of trust discourages consumers from participating in online buying. With the internet advancing new opportunities, it is important to understand the factors that generate trust of Indian consumers in the online buying system. The purpose of this paper is to explore the determinants of trust in online buying behavior of consumers. This paper is a theoretical attempt at conceptualizing “trust” as a construct, in the context of online buying and testing it empirically. The objective of the study is to explore the critical online trust‐creating factors that influence the online buying decision of people, and to establish their causal impact, if any, through developing an integrated model.

The study, descriptive, diagnostic, and causal in nature, was conducted in the context of online buying of railway tickets in India. In the first phase, a pilot survey was conducted on a sample of 100 users of the online railway reservation. After having tested the survey instrument for validity and reliability, the second phase of the study was conducted on a sample of 327 users of online railway reservation facilities. A series of multiple regressions analyses was conducted to determine the causal impacts of critical consumer trust parameters on online reservation of railway tickets by users in the Indian context. The analysis of demographics based on gender and age groups was also made to capture the cross‐comparisons of critical online trust‐related attributes.

The factor analysis had grouped the items into four constructs with a total of 11 items. The item total correlations to each construct were found significant. All the critical online trust based constructs were found to have a significant impact on the intention of buyers of booking/purchasing railway tickets online in India. The analyses of demographics established that all the critical consumer trust‐based attributes to online buying intention have no significant differences for gender, whereas for age groups some of the attributes were found significant and others were not.

The process of online trust formation among the potential buyers depends on a host of factors. This present study has only explored a select number of constructs and remains a major limitation. Notwithstanding this limitation, there are significant theoretical implications for critical online trust constructs of consumers on online buying behavior in the Indian context.

By examining the various dimensions explored and established in this study, the concerned authority can develop a better understanding of consumer needs and expectations. Academicians and researchers can use this study for assessing consumer trust towards online reservation of railway tickets in the Indian context, and identifying such attributes that would lead to the generation of online consumer trust towards online reservation of railway tickets. It provides insight into the impact of trust in online buying and the relationship between trust and buying behaviour. The policy decision makers of railway authority may also use the findings of this study as a resource, while constructing, managing, and evaluating their marketing strategies in the Indian context.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze key factors that could influence the choice of digital newspapers: usability of newspaper web sites, reputation, trust, privacy and familiarity.

A survey on the Internet was applied. The scales were validated and refined, after which the hypotheses were tested by way of a structural equation model.

The results support an intense effect of usability and familiarity with web sites on the choice of electronic newspaper. However, reputation, privacy and trust in the web sites do not influence significantly the final choice of digital dailies. This is due to the readers who do not perceive risk and costs derived by choosing mistakes or giving data, because the change of news supplier is really fast and easy.

The main aspects which justify digital newspaper reading should be considered by the management in order to develop its use. Also, newspaper firms should make efforts to improve the levels of usability of their web sites. Moreover, digital dailies should develop strategies in order to ensure the loyalty of readers who could be familiarized with the new medium.

This is one of the first studies that analyze online press reader behavior on the Internet. The paper identifies the main factors related to web sites that affect reading newspapers on the Internet.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics of virtual social networks (VSNs) and to determine their salient attributes, including those that influence flow experience, trust and electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) behaviors affecting users’ purchase intentions, and to provide important strategic implications contributing to the Internet marketing literature.

Using a self-administered questionnaire, the data (n = 167) are collected from two Iranian Internet social networking sites, namely, facenama.com and cloob.com . Using LISREL 8.5, hypothesized relationships are examined through structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis.

According to the results of the study, despite all assumptions and studies to the contrary, eWOM behaviors in VSNs are derived from neither users’ flow experience nor their trust in VSNs, but they are mostly caused by VSNs’ attributes, from which four are investigated in this study, namely, communication and social relationships, entertainment, information disclosure and ease of use. Nevertheless, according to the results, VSN attributes also influence trust and flow experience, trust in a VSN environment influences users’ flow experience and eWOM in VSNs has significant impact on users’ purchase intentions. The findings also revealed that the level of education of a user affects how much he trusts the VSN environment.

The author examined flow experience, trust, eWOM behavior, purchase intentions and the VSNs’ attributes to verify their relationships, providing a better understanding of an effective indirect marketing in VSNs. The results also have important implications for researchers.

While flow experience, trust, word-of-mouth (WOM) behaviors and purchase intentions have been separately studied in Web sites, e-shopping malls and blogs, little research has sought to identify the existence of these elements within VSNs, their correlations with one another and how they are affected by VSNs’ attributes.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a better picture of factors influencing behavioral decisions in online shopping by identifying different targets of trust and discussing their antecedents and outcomes.

Online survey data from 242 ihergo members were used to test the proposed model, and structural equation modeling with partial least squares was performed to analyze the measurement and structural models.

The findings show that the four types of trust identified in this study are critical determinants of perceived risk and attitude. In addition, the majority of the antecedents are found to be associated with their respective types of trust.

The research extends the theory of reasoned action and prior research to discuss four types of consumer trust, as well as their respective antecedents and subsequent consequences. The result is a more descriptive model that better explicates consumers’ decision-making processes in online shopping.

Given the intense competition between online shopping sites, web site managers should strive to provide a safe and user-friendly shopping environment. In addition, the vendor can enhance trust by encouraging satisfied customers to provide positive endorsements.

This study is possibly the first of its kind, in identifying the four types of trust and their respective antecedents in the context of an online group-buying auction, and thus serves to enrich the existing literature concerning trust-building factors.

The purpose of this paper is to employ a cross-cultural perspective to propose and empirically evaluate four models focusing on the role of satisfaction and trust in the formation of online travel purchase intentions.

A proposed model is compared with three alternative models of the relationships among, and impact of, independent variables on purchase intentions. Data from South Korea and UK are used to examine the proposed relationship and select the best model among four alternative models.

Results suggest that there are significant differences as well as similarities across consumers in South Korea and the UK. Customized information has a direct affect on both satisfaction and trust. The effect of satisfaction on purchase intentions is mediated by attitude toward web site only in the UK sample, while it has direct and indirect effects on purchase intentions in the South Korean sample. However, the relationship between trust and purchase intentions is not supported in both data sets.

This study proposes four alternative models that include customized information as a key variable influencing purchase intentions. Hierarchical structural model analysis is utilized to evaluate these models and select the best fitting model.