ABSTRACT
The demand for online food delivery has increased considerably throughout the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consumers' habits in searching for information on and making decisions about ready-to-eat food have changed remarkably during this time. The purpose of this research is to explore consumers' use of online food delivery services (OFDS) during the pandemic via applications (apps) and the moderating role played by the consumers' perceived trust in the information. Data were collected from 246 users through e-mail and structural equation modeling using PLS-3 was used to analyze the data. We have shown 12 recent insights into OFDAs behavioral intention. We found that information and food service attributes influence the perceived usefulness of OFDS and ultimately shape the respondents' intention to use it. Behavioral intention toward OFDS and perceived trust have a considerable influence on the use of OFDA. This research offers insights into the effects of the pandemic on the food delivery market and shows the dynamics of the interrelationships among various information- and restaurant-related attributes that lead to actual use.
ABSTRACT
With the outbreak of COVID-19, Internet plus Healthcare has developed rapidly with a number of Internet plus Healthcare platforms emerging. The problem of doctor-patient trust is a key issue restricting the development of the Internet plus Healthcare, which has aroused extensive attention of scholars. The patient's perceived trust on the Internet plus Healthcare platform has the characteristics of subjectivity, ambiguity, and high perceived risk. Therefore, existing trust calculation method becomes inapplicable because these characteristics have not been considered. In order to solve this problem, this study extracts influencing factors of patient trust on the Internet plus Healthcare platform, gives a trust calculation method based on intuitionistic fuzzy set theory, and added a risk preference coefficient in order to integrate the characteristics of patients' high perceived risk into the proposed method. This method is conducive to the platform to provide patients with more accurate doctor recommendations.
ABSTRACT
In the post-COVID-19 era, promoting the healthy development of social e-commerce platforms, taking into account the coordinated development of online social networking and online consumption, enhancing the shopping and sharing atmosphere of the platform, increasing the enthusiasm of distribution members, driving consumption traffic with social traffic, and achieving low-cost publicity and promotion increase the exposure of products. The key to solving the problem is to promote consumer participation, improve user conversion, and improve customer acquisition capabilities. The study is based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) theory. It introduces the technology acceptance model (TAM) and, according to the member life cycle theory and member value mining theory, will affect consumers' social presence factors in social e-commerce shopping situations. As independent variables, perceived trust and perceived usefulness are used as mediating variables to construct a research model that shows social e-commerce affects user conversion.
ABSTRACT
PurposeThe paper aims to examine the moderating role of both the perceived value and perceived trust in the relationship between the ease of use, perceived risk, perceived usefulness and quality of website and the Palestinian millennials' behavioral intention toward online shopping. Design/methodology/approachA survey questionnaire was carried out targeting 357 Palestinian millennials. In total, 311 valid responses were processed and analyzed using PLS-SEM model fitting approach. FindingsThe findings demonstrate that the impact of ease of use, perceived usefulness and website quality on online shopping behavioral intention are reinforced by perceived value and perceived trust, while the effect of perceived risk is weakened. This implies that improving convenience and lowering non-monetary costs such as time and effort will enhance the customers' perceived value and, as a result, their shopping behavioral intention. In addition, one of the most significant barriers to online shopping is a lack of trust. Therefore, once trust is established, shopping willingness rises, and vice versa. Research limitations/implicationsAs this study focused on consumers from a developing country, it neglected the cross-cultural issue;thus, future studies may have to make a comparison of other samples from various nations to gain a deeper understanding. Furthermore, this research focused on the ease of use, perceived risk, perceived usefulness and perceived quality of the website to predict the customer's behavioral intention toward online shopping, which shows significant results, indicating that more research is needed to look at these independent variables as predictors of customers purchasing decision. Practical implicationsOnline shopping is a critical topic that has significant impact on the business world. Investigating the moderating role of perceived trust and perceived value on Palestinian millennials' online shopping behavioral intention during COVID-19 might give useful information for organizations developing policies and strategies to create direct sales using social media platforms. Furthermore, the findings might also be valuable for management studies and academics to better understand consumers' intentions when it comes to commercial internet buying. Originality/valueThe empirical nature of this paper gives a thorough explanation of the phenomena of online shopping from a developing country. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first empirical study that examines the moderating effect of perceived trust and perceived value on Palestinian millennials' online shopping behavioral intention during COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
Purpose The study aims to explore the impact of perceived utilitarian and hedonic value (PHV) on shopper attitude and impulsive online purchasing using the technology acceptance model's moderating role of perceived trust and risk. Design/methodology/approach Convenience sampling was used to collect primary data from 408 Indian online shoppers, and structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings The results indicated that cognitive absorption improved perceived usefulness (PU) and ease of use. Similarly, perceived ease of use influenced PU and PHV significantly. PU influenced utilitarian value positively. Perceived hedonic and utilitarian values significantly influenced attitude, and shoppers' online buying attitudes strongly impacted impulsive online shopping. Finally, the trust had shown to substantially moderate shoppers' attitudes toward impulsive online buying, whereas perceived risk had no such effect. Practical implications This research reveals a high degree of hedonic and utilitarian values, as well as low-risk features that might improve consumer attitudes about online impulsive behavior. Originality/value This research will aid e-retailers in building new strategies and plans to increase sales volume and strengthen relationships with online customers via the provision of trust and security throughout the purchase process.
ABSTRACT
The live streaming e-commerce market continues to grow with the rapid increase in contactless communication due to COVID-19. Live streaming e-commerce goes beyond the confines of traditional e-commerce of simply selling goods or services. It supplies information and allows synchronous information exchange between the online viewer (consumer) and the Internet celebrity, who influences the consumers information behavior and ultimately contributes to the long-term profit generation of the company. From online commerce to new retail and live streaming, China has been at the forefront of innovation in online commerce worldwide. Therefore, this study focuses on investigating the influences of live streaming e-commerce quality, such as service quality (SEQ), information quality (IQ), and system quality (SQ), on consumer purchase intention in China by applying the extended model of technology acceptance. Furthermore, this study analyzes the paths through which the live streaming e-commerce quality affects the consumer purchase intention, based on paths of perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEU), perceived trust (PT), and perceived value (PV). To analyze this study, the data were collected from 231 customers who had used live streaming e-commerce apps in China (e.g., TikTok, Taobao, and Jingdong) and empirical analysis was applied. The results were summarized as follows: SQ is positively related to PU and PT. Similarly, IQ is positively related to PEU and PT. In addition, SEQ is also positively related to PU and PEU. Moreover, SQ affected the PV through PU and PT significantly and ultimately influenced consumer PI. Also, the path in which SEQ affects PU, which in turn affects PV, and ultimately PI, was found. This study found out the paths of how the live streaming E-commerce quality affects the consumer purchasing intention and contributes to the research field of e-commerce and consumer behaviors. Additionally, the results of this study give useful marketing suggestions for relevant financial institutions and enterprises.
ABSTRACT
PurposeThis study aims to identify key factors that affected US respondents’ dining behavior at restaurants during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachDue to the lack of a prior framework or model to test customers’ perceptions of dining-out behavior during this unprecedented time, this study used a mixed-methods approach, conducting two focus group discussions to generate potential restaurant attributes, followed by a US-based survey using an online panel. Using structural equation modeling, this study tested eight developed propositions.FindingsThe findings of this study indicated that the three key factors (i.e. restaurant dining environment, communication and hygiene and contactless features) made customers feel comfortable dining in the restaurant during the pandemic. Out of these three factors, only the restaurant dining environment and communication and hygiene were essential predictors for customers’ perceived trust toward the restaurant, leading to their willingness to pay more. This study used two moderators, customers’ perceived risk and support for restaurants to examine how they affected customers’ perceived trust and willingness to pay, respectively.Practical implicationsThis study provides both theoretical and practical implications to the current body of knowledge in customers’ dining-out behavior and the development of operational strategies for restaurants to accommodate customers’ changing dining-out behavior due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To develop a holistic conceptual framework, this study incorporates two COVID-19-focused measurement items, perceived risk and support of the restaurant, to identify their moderating roles in the relationships among the five proposed measurement items. This study provides restaurant operators with insights into the altered dining-out behavior of their customers due to the COVID-19 pandemic and prepares them for the post pandemic environment.Originality/valueDuring the unprecedented pandemic situation, few customers are willing to dine in restaurants. As local and national governments lifted the mandated COVID-19 protocols, restaurants opened their business slowly to cater to customers in compliance with the centers for disease control’s health and safety regulations. It is of utmost importance for restaurant operators to accommodate their customers’ needs when they dine in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a paucity of research that has examined customers’ comfort level when dining in restaurants and customers’ preferred dining environment during the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Purpose This study aims to identify key factors that affected US respondents' dining behavior at restaurants during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach Due to the lack of a prior framework or model to test customers' perceptions of dining-out behavior during this unprecedented time, this study used a mixed-methods approach, conducting two focus group discussions to generate potential restaurant attributes, followed by a US-based survey using an online panel. Using structural equation modeling, this study tested eight developed propositions. Findings The findings of this study indicated that the three key factors (i.e. restaurant dining environment, communication and hygiene and contactless features) made customers feel comfortable dining in the restaurant during the pandemic. Out of these three factors, only the restaurant dining environment and communication and hygiene were essential predictors for customers' perceived trust toward the restaurant, leading to their willingness to pay more. This study used two moderators, customers' perceived risk and support for restaurants to examine how they affected customers' perceived trust and willingness to pay, respectively. Practical implications This study provides both theoretical and practical implications to the current body of knowledge in customers' dining-out behavior and the development of operational strategies for restaurants to accommodate customers' changing dining-out behavior due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To develop a holistic conceptual framework, this study incorporates two COVID-19-focused measurement items, perceived risk and support of the restaurant, to identify their moderating roles in the relationships among the five proposed measurement items. This study provides restaurant operators with insights into the altered dining-out behavior of their customers due to the COVID-19 pandemic and prepares them for the post pandemic environment. Originality/value During the unprecedented pandemic situation, few customers are willing to dine in restaurants. As local and national governments lifted the mandated COVID-19 protocols, restaurants opened their business slowly to cater to customers in compliance with the centers for disease control's health and safety regulations. It is of utmost importance for restaurant operators to accommodate their customers' needs when they dine in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is a paucity of research that has examined customers' comfort level when dining in restaurants and customers' preferred dining environment during the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
Contemporarily, almost all the global IT giants have aimed at the smart home industry and made an active strategic business layout. As the early-stage and entry-level product of the voice-enabled smart home industry, the smart speakers have been going through rapid development and rising fierce market competition globally in recent years. China, one of the most populous and largest markets in the world, has tremendous business potential in the smart home industry. The market sales of smart speakers in China have gone through rapid growth in the past three years. However, the market penetration rate of related smart home devices and equipment still stays extremely low and far from mass adoption. Moreover, the market sales of smart speakers have also entered a significant slowdown and adjustment period since 2020. Chinese consumers have moved from early impulsive consumption to a rational consumption phase about this early-stage smart home product. Trust in the marketing field is considered an indispensable component of all business transactions, which plays a crucial role in adopting new technologies. This study explores the influencing factors of Chinese users' perceived trust in the voice-enabled smart home systems, uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the interaction mechanism between different variables, and establishes a perceived trust model through 475 valid samples. The model includes six variables: system quality, familiarity, subjective norm, technology optimism, perceived enjoyment, and perceived trust. The result shows that system quality is the essential influence factor that impacts all other variables and could significantly affect the perceived trust. Perceived enjoyment is the most direct influence variable affected by system quality, subjective norm, and technology optimism, and it positively affects the perceived trust in the end. The subjective norm is one of the most distinguishing variables for Chinese users, since China has a collectivist consumption culture. People always expect their behavior to meet social expectations and standards to avoid criticism and acquire social integration. Therefore, policy guidance, authoritative opinions, and people with important reference roles will significantly affect consumers' perceived trust and purchase intention. Familiarity and technology optimism are important influential factors that will have an indirect impact on the perceived trust. The related results of this study can help designers, practitioners, and researchers of the smart home industry produce products and services with higher perceived trust to improve consumers' adoption and acceptance so that the market penetration rate of related products and enterprises could be increased, and the maturity and development of the voice-enabled smart home industry could be promoted.