Web Design Attributes in Building User Trust, Satisfaction, and Loyalty for a High Uncertainty Avoidance Culture

In this study, we attempt to evaluate the user pref6 erences for web design attributes (i.e., typography, color, content 7 quality, interactivity, and navigation) to determine the trust, sat8 isfaction, and loyalty for uncertainty avoidance cultures. Content 9 quality and navigation have been observed as strong factors in 10 building user trust with e-commerce websites. In contrast, inter11 activity, color, and typography have been observed as strong de12 terminants of user satisfaction. The most relevant and interesting 13 finding is related to typography, which has been rarely discussed 14 in e-commerce literature. A questionnaire was designed to collect 15 data to corroborate the proposed model and hypotheses. Further16 more, the partial least-squares method was adopted to analyze the 17 collected data from the students who participated in the test (n 18 = 558). Finally, the results of this study provide strong support to 19 the proposed model and hypotheses. Therefore, all the web design 20 attributes were observed as important design features to develop 21 user trust and satisfaction for uncertainty avoidance cultures. Al22 though both factors seem to be relevant, the relationship between 23 trust and loyalty was observed to be stronger than between satis24 faction and loyalty; thus, trust seems to be a stronger determinant 25 of loyalty for risk/high uncertainty avoidance culture

Localization of Crowdfunding Platforms : The Influencing Role of Culture, Institutions and Geography

Master's thesis Business Administration BE501 - University of Agder 2019This master thesis examines the role played by culture, geography and institutions onEuropean crowdfunding platform’s decision to localize their content towards international markets. The authors conducted a binary logistic regression analysis is based on 470 observations of platform-country dyads collected from 269 European crowdfunding platforms and supplemented by additional sources of macro level indicators. Of the eleven hypotheses, social trust, geographical distance, high-context culture, rule of law and the investment orientation on platform have an effect on the decision to localize the platforms. IT infrastructure and the cultural dimensions of individualism, uncertainty avoidance, as well as a compounded variable of cultural distance, did not impact the same decision. The study’s findings are limited contextually to European crowdfunding platforms offering lending, equity, donation and reward-based models. Other micro-factors or countries of operation may exhibit different patterns than what is presented in this thesis. The study is one of the first in the field of localization andcrowdfunding, opening up for new discussions and insights. The results constitute and challenge the pre-existing theory on website localization. This thesis’ findings suggest that the context of this research is of significant impact as cultural adaptation has been highlighted to be one of the key factors to succeed in foreign markets in other industries

Uncertainty Avoidance and Consumer Perceptions of Global e-Commerce Sites: A Multi-Level Model

47 pagesOnline purchasing is a decision-making process that involves inherent uncertainty. Yet consumer tolerance for uncertainty differs across cultures, requiring e-vendors to decide whether to adapt websites to different cultures when operating globally. We examine the effect of Hofstede’s cultural dimension of uncertainty avoidance (UA) on consumer perceptions of e-loyalty. Viewing information quality, trust, and system quality as uncertainty reduction mechanisms, UA is hypothesized to moderate relationships involving these constructs in a recognized model of IS success. Specifically, we posit that relationships involving these constructs will be stronger for consumers from high UA cultures. Using data drawn from over 3,500 actual consumers from 38 different countries, and controlling for the impact of other cultural dimensions, results suggest that UA moderates the effects of information quality on perceived usefulness, and of trust on e-loyalty, but not system quality relationships. We discuss practical implications of our research, in regard to designing websites intended for global use

Students’ perceptions of and loyalty towards internet banking: the case of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The contribution of this study based on the development of a cross-cultural universal framework, which is moderated by the culture dimension (uncertainty avoidance) and examines the factors influencing the individuals’ attitudes and behaviour and, ultimately, the individuals’ loyalty towards Internet banking across different countries (KSA and the UK). The study will contribute towards filling the gap in Internet banking literature by: 1) examining customers’ loyalty as a dependent variable of intention; 2) invariant acceptance of customers across the UK and KSA cultures; 3) and integration of the cultural dimension (i.e. uncertainty avoidance) and demographics (i.e. gender and experience) as factors of invariance across the groups. The framework is based on a number of constructs adopted from the validated theories in information systems (IS), psychology and marketing literature perspectives. Specifically from a psychology perspective, using Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) constructs, Attitude, Intention, Subjective Norms, Self-efficacy and Actual Behaviour (i.e. intention towards loyalty) were integrated. From a technological perspective, using Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) constructs, Perceived Usefulness and Perceived Ease of Use were integrated. Besides these constructs, the model also integrates constructs of privacy, security, communication, customers’ experience, Internet banking reputation, trust and loyalty from IS, as well as a marketing perspective. To examine the hypothetical relationships within the conceptual model, this study applied the positivist philosophical approach with quantitative methodology. Out of 1000 questionnaires distributed amongst undergraduate students in UK and KSA, 532 were useable, i.e. 53%. Due to the multilevel stages of the conceptual model, structural equation modelling (SEM), based on analysis of moment structure (AMOS), was applied to analyse the data. In addition, invariance analyses were applied to see the differences across the groups (i.e. moderation effect). Initially, sixteen hypotheses were developed in the model but due to the merger of three constructs (i.e. trust, security and privacy ) into one construct (i.e. trust), and the deletion of three constructs (i.e. communication, customers’ experience and Internet banking reputation) at the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) process, eleven hypotheses were finally retained for examination. The modification indices (MI) suggested three new paths, and hence, the addition of these new hypotheses brought the number up in total to fourteen hypotheses. The results suggest that the conceptualised model was able to fit with the data in both UK and KSA sample. Within the KSA sample, the model explained 45% variance in customer loyalty, but 60% in UK sample. From the path relationships perspectives, out of fourteen hypotheses ten were supported in the KSA and nine were supported in the UK. The results confirm the study’s argument that customer loyalty is the main construct of individuals’ behavioural intention to accept Internet banking. Within specific countries’ context, after behavioural intention, perceived ease of use was a more important predictor of loyalty in the KSA (i.e. b= 0.28); whereas perceived usefulness was a more important predictor of loyalty (i.e. b= 0.27) in the UK. Furthermore, it was noticed that subjective norm towards behavioural intention, perceived usefulness and ease of use was only significant in the KSA sample. The invariance analysis across the countries revealed significant differences between the KSA and the UK for nine hypotheses. Furthermore, invariance analysis also revealed significant differences across the cultural dimension of uncertainty avoidance (i.e. high and low), and the demographical variable of gender (i.e. male and female). Contrary to this, no difference was found for the demographic variable of experience (i.e. high and low). Based on these results, theoretical and practical implications are advised.King Khalid Universit

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

An Investigation of Online Navigation Patterns of Consumers Across Cultures

Researchers have been interested in understanding the online purchase intentions of consumers. It’s interesting to see why consumers differ in the way they navigate the Internet. However, it’s still not very well explored as to what role a country\u27s cultural variables play in online purchase behavior of its users. The goal of this dissertation is to identify the determinant variables of online buying behavior of users from different cultural environments. Hofstede\u27s cultural dimensions are used to understand some of the differences. This study also conceptualizes attitudes toward search on mobile devices vs. desktops. The search behavior on mobile devices is analyzed based on demographic profiles of the e-shoppers. In Chapter 1, the background of the research is set by looking into the web adoption patterns for multiple needs, and the distinction is made between the users’ behaviors focused on actual use of the services offered versus the internet access for general purpose i.e., without any specific service in mind. This helps segment the consumers based on demographic variables and the social context of the user. The primary factors affecting the internet penetration rate in different countries are looked into too. This gives an important perspective of the key foundation of the e-commerce industry i.e., access to Internet to the populace — which forms the superset of potential buyers. The effects of high education, per capita income and telephone connectivity are explored. It\u27s intuitive to see that credit card penetration level will have a positive correlation with the online purchase rate. In this research, it is found that countries with low credit card penetration have less e-commerce even though the cash on delivery option is available there. In chapter 2, the consumer behavior in different countries is analyzed through the lens of Hofstede\u27s cultural dimensions – Uncertainty avoidance (UAI), Individualism vs. Collectivism (IDV), Masculinity (MAS) and Long-term orientation (LTO). We use the browsing behavior data of the top 5 e-commerce websites of 45 countries obtained through the Alexa website. In order to approach a conceptualization of cultural dimensions with regards to the web, we work with Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and consider how cultures might affect user interface design. It is found that consumers from countries that are high on uncertainty avoidance search for longer durations. In addition to that, consumers from countries high on collectivism are more likely to come to a shopping website from social media websites as compared to that from search engine websites. With the data collected from Globalwebindex platform, the online purchasing drivers for 36 countries are also explored and it is found that the social network\u27s influence on purchase decision is more for countries with low IDV scores and the chances to buy on social network are less for users of high IDV countries. Similarly, we find that users from countries with low UAI and high IDV are more likely to use private browsing window during the online purchase as it protects the users\u27 browsing behavior data on e-commerce websites. And it\u27s also found that users from countries low on IDV are more likely to write post-purchase online reviews. The results support the conjecture that examining the cultural dimensions and customers\u27 attitudes for online shopping is critically important for e-commerce players intending to make their mark in the global arena. They should consider these different types of online buying behaviors when it comes to web design. In chapter 3, we attempt to model consumer choice behavior towards web search engines, taking into account users\u27 demographic and cultural dimensions too. The factors that contribute towards the choice of a consideration set of web search engines are explored—using consideration set theory. The choice of the number of web search engines is modeled, taking into account three different categories of variables i.e., ‘who’ – which includes consumer characteristics including cultural dimensions, ‘what’ – which includes information search characteristics and ‘why’ – which includes attitudinal characteristics. Results of the study indicate that \u27Age\u27 and \u27Uncertainty Avoidance\u27 have significant effect on choice of number of search engines by consumers. Attitudinal characteristics don\u27t contribute significantly towards explaining the choice behavior towards web search engines but information search parameters are significant in that regard. In chapter 4, the roles of uncertainty avoidance and the demographic variables are identified in online purchase behavior of mobile-only-internet-users (MOIU) vs. desktop-internet users. It is found that the countries with high IDV scores have higher percentage of MOIU and UAI has no effect irrespective of the fact that internet access with mobile devices offers less data privacy. The more individualistic nations have better infrastructure, they have more opportunities to use other mobile devices like iPad and laptop to access the Internet. So, they are less likely to be mobile only. The effect of income per capita on a PPP (Purchasing Power Parity) basis has no significant effect on MOIU. An explanation for it could be the one mentioned above—the required infrastructure not being in place for potential users to access the Internet on desktops. In addition to that, it is found that the effect of IDV scores and the age of users— on MOIU number—are significant too. Also, the young users, aged between 25 – 35 years, are much more likely to fall into the MOIU category, irrespective of which country they are from. In chapter 5, we conclude with our findings and identify the limitations and the future research directions

The Role Of Customers' Cultural Values In Developing E-loyalty: Empirical Study On Bsm Kudus Branch

Objective of the study this paper is to discuss result of the study which examines effects of customers' cultural values in developing e-loyalty in globalization era and integrative model which based on relationship marketing theory. These customers' cultural values include personal relationship, long-term relationship, credibility among organizations, and English capability. Design/methodology/approach in this study is using triangulation approach consisted of survey on 17 customers, interview with manager, and instrument data processing of 200 respondents based on Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), its result shows that there is significant relation among customers' cultural values in developing e-loyalty of Sharia banking especially in BSM Kudus Branch. Knowledge provided in this paper is expected to be able to help bank manager in handling issues of decreasing customers' e-loyalty of Sharia banking by cultural approach

Understanding loyalty in multichannel retailing: the role of brand trust and brand attachment

Purpose. The purpose of this paper it to understand loyalty in the multichannel retail context. The paper analyses the interplay between offline and online loyalty and the direct and indirect effects on loyalty of brand trust and brand attachment, in a cross-cultural study. Design/methodology/approach. Online survey answered by 761 multichannel apparel shoppers in two countries (UK and Spain). SEM multigroup analysis is performed to test the hypothesized relations and the role of culture as a moderating variable. Findings. Online loyalty is largely driven by offline loyalty, which is also positively affected by brand trust and brand attachment. These relationships hold across the two different cultures. Research limitations/implications. The findings confirm the validity of applying the theory of cognitive dissonance to explain multichannel shopping behaviours. We did not find culture affects the relationships in our model; however, the validity of these findings should be tested considering other cultural variables different from nationality. Practical implications. Multichannel retailers should focus on building trust and attachment towards the brand if they want to get online and offline loyalty. The efforts to build stronger bonds between the customer and the retail brand translate into higher loyalty, particularly towards the offline channels. Originality/value. This paper extends the literature on the interactions between online and offline behaviour by focusing on the power of the brand to build strong customer bonds. Our model considers the role of brand attachment together with brand trust in offline and online loyalty simultaneously

Group influence on blogs design behaviour

Issues of national culture influence on web design behaviour have been rampant and stimulating on static web pages across the globe. The emergence of a new breed of publication-type web page brought about by the advancement of web technology however, saw a different species of online communication groups. Bloggers as these groups are called; used blogs as their communication and publication tool to distinguish themselves from other websites and online social media users. Since bloggers are groups that are recognised and credited to cultivate their own culture, the idea that national culture has an influence on blogs design behaviour and preferences may have been weakened. Bloggers groups themselves would be the influential factor that determines design preferences of bloggers in a network of blogs. To address the issue, this paper has conducted an assessment on blogs from six countries using content analysis method, national culture traits and SIDE model to ascertain design features characteristics and behaviour. Results from both the global and local blogs in each country showed that blogs design preferences in one country differ between both the global and local bloggers. Furthermore, global bloggers design preferences in countries under observation are found to be similar to one another