46,506 research outputs found
Investigating the Influence of Product Reviews on Perceived Uncertainty in Online Transactions
Customersâ concerns about the potential risks in online transactions hinder the development of e-commerce. Researchershave devoted a lot of effort to looking for a way to alleviate the uncertainty pertaining to these risks. Online customer reviewsdesigned to deliver information in addition to a manufacturerâs product description, have attracted researchersâ attention. Inthis study, we assume that the risks in an online transaction originate specifically from sellersâ hidden information and hiddenactions. With the aid of customer reviews of products, we want to measure how this uncertainty and these risks can bealleviated. In addition, we measure the effects of customer reviews with different argument qualities and different starratings
The Mediation Effect of Trusting Beliefs on the Relationship Between Expectation-Confirmation and Satisfaction with the Usage of Online Product Recommendation
Online Product Recommendations (OPRs) are increasingly available to onlinecustomers as a value-added self-service in evaluating and choosing a product.Research has highlighted several advantages that customers can gain from usingOPRs. However, the realization of these advantages depends on whether and towhat extent customers embrace and fully utilise them. The relatively low OPR USAgerate indicates that customers have not yet developed trust in OPRs’ performance.Past studies also have established that satisfaction is a valid measure of systemperformance and a consistent significant determinant of users’ continuous systemusage. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the mediation effect of trustingbeliefs on the relationship between expectation-confirmation and satisfaction. Theproposed research model is tested using data collected via an online survey from626 existing users of OPRs. The empirical results revealed that social-psychologicalbeliefs (perceived confirmation and trust) are significant contributors to customersatisfaction with OPRs. Additionally, trusting beliefs partially mediate the impactof perceived confirmation on customer satisfaction. Moreover, this study validatesthe extensions of the interpersonal trust construct to trust in OPRs and examinesthe nomological validity of trust in terms of competence, benevolence, andintegrity. The findings provide a number of theoretical and practical implications. 
A Conceptual Framework of Reverse Logistics Impact on Firm Performance
This study aims to examine the reverse logistics factors that impact upon firm performance. We review reverse logistics factors under three research streams: (a) resource-based view of the firm, including: Firm strategy, Operations management, and Customer loyalty (b) relational theory, including: Supply chain efficiency, Supply chain collaboration, and institutional theory, including: Government support and Cultural alignment. We measured firm performance with 5 measures: profitability, cost, innovativeness, perceived competitive advantage, and perceived customer satisfaction. We discuss implications for research, policy and practice
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The influence of national culture on the attitude towards mobile recommender systems
This is the post-print version of the final paper published in Technological Forecasting and Social Change. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2013 Elsevier B.V.This study aimed to identify factors that influence user attitudes towards mobile recommender systems and to examine how these factors interact with cultural values to affect attitudes towards this technology. Based on the theory of reasoned action, belief factors for mobile recommender systems are identified in three dimensions: functional, contextual, and social. Hypotheses explaining different impacts of cultural values on the factors affecting attitudes were also proposed. The research model was tested based on data collected in China, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. Findings indicate that functional and social factors have significant impacts on user attitudes towards mobile recommender systems. The relationships between belief factors and attitudes are moderated by two cultural values: collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. The theoretical and practical implications of applying theory of reasoned action and innovation diffusion theory to explain the adoption of new technologies in societies with different cultures are also discussed.National Research Foundation
of Korea Grant funded by the Korean governmen
Understanding Online Payment Method Choice: An Eye-tracking Study
Due to the impact of online payment on the development of e-commerce, this article seeks to deepen the current understanding about the determinants of online payment method choice. Based on an extensive literature review, we identified perceived trustworthiness of the seller and perceived product uncertainty as major determinants, and we theorize that product type, product price, and product description are antecedents of product uncertainty. In our theoretical framework, we model perceived trustworthiness of the seller and perceived product uncertainty as independent variables, which are hypothesized to predict the dependent variable, namely online payment method choice (credit card, debit card, or cash on delivery). Moreover, we define payment method characteristics (e.g., information security) and buyer characteristics (e.g., trust propensity, online shopping experience) as control variables. Also, we describe a laboratory experiment in which we test our theoretical framework. Considering the recent calls for the use of neurobiological and physiological approaches to advance information systems (IS) theorizing (see, for example, www.NeuroIS.org), we suggest using eye-tracking data to complement traditional data sources, particularly those captured through survey research. Specifically, we propose that eyetracking data can be used to measure product uncertainty, a major predictor of online payment method choice, which is associated with unconscious and automatic information processing that cannot be articulated easily through self-reports
On Rapport Uncertainty in the Sharing Economy - Extending the Categories of Uncertainty
Sharing Economy platforms enable a close physical interaction among strangers by mediating goods and services owned or provided by individuals. This close physical interaction is an inherent part of the service experience, is highly individual and thus can hardly be evaluated beforehand. This gives rise to a novel type of service uncertainty that we term as rapport uncertainty. Building on the hierarchical decomposition of service quality, we construct an uncertainty model that encompasses three uncertainty categories consumers face when sharing a resource: rapport, technical, and environment uncertainty. Our empirical study in a ride sharing context reveals that rapport uncertainty differs from other categories of uncertainty and significantly reduces the intention to transact with a service provider. Our findings illustrate how the concept of uncertainty must be extended to reflect the nature of shared service experiences. We suggest that owners of these platforms should actively manage this aspect through platform design
Exploring Consumers Risk Mitigation Strategies in E-Commerce: A Qualitative Study of High-Risk Transactions
The recent Covid-19 pandemic has led to a sharp increase in online shopping. While the promises of shopping on e-commerce platforms are vast, there are simultaneously novel and exacerbated risks compared to traditional brick-and-mortar retail purchases. Existing research outlines numerous risk dimensions associated with online shopping. In addition, scholars examine the underlying reasons for consumers' risk perceptions, such as the inability of physical quality checks. However, there is a lack of research investigating how consumers attempt to navigate and mitigate risk perceptions when confronted with a high-risk online transaction. To address this research gap, we conducted 18 semi-structured interviews with consumers who had recently performed an online transaction associated with high-risk perceptions. Our study contributes to the existing literature by identifying an affective and cognitive risk mitigation strategy and respective underlying mechanisms. Notably, we find that online social networks play a central role in shaping consumers' risk perceptions
Online Product Descriptions â Boost for your Sales?
Product descriptions are a source of information online consumers can use to reduce product uncertainty. Recent research provides evidence that consumers favor using information from other consumers, such as customer reviews, over retailer or manufacturer provided information, such as product descriptions. We complement this research and show that the presence of product descriptions significantly influences productsâ sales and that this influence decreases with an increasing number of customer reviews. We furthermore demonstrate that a product descriptionâs information amount positively affects a product\u27s sales. The number of customer reviews available for a product also moderates the effect of the information amount of a product description on sales
Antecedents and Consequents of Information Usefulness in User-generated Online Reviews: A Multi-group Moderation Analysis of Review Valence
Online reviews have become a critical component of consumersâ Web-based search queries and help them minimize uncertainty and risk associated with purchase decisions. Not only do customers perceive online reviews to be more ârealâ, but also online reviews enable opportunities for interactivity between consumers, which makes them a popular source of information when consumers make (online) purchase decisions. In this study, we examine the impact of online reviews on consumersâ beliefs, brand attitudes, and purchase intention by theoretically extending the information adoption model (IAM) with constructs from consumer research. To do so, we used data from a scenario- based online experiment and manipulated three review characteristics (currency, accuracy, and credibility) using carefully selected TripAdvisor reviews. Using a partial-least squares approach (PLS) to structural equation model (SEM), we found strong empirical support for our hypotheses that review quality and reviewer credibility drive information usefulness and that information usefulness, in turn, drives consumersâ attitudes toward and their intention to purchase from a brand. Using PLS multi-group analysis, we further explored the moderating role of review valenceâpositive versus negativeâand found significant differences in the importance of the drivers of information usefulness and its consequents. We discuss our studyâs implications for theory and practice
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