This research proposes that the forming of a business-to-consumer (B2C) customer relationship is part of a multiphased technology adoption process where attraction is the first step in this sequence. A conceptual model, called the electronic commerce (e-commerce) attraction model (eCAM), offers a theoretical foundation for guiding two empirical studies (N D345 and N D240, respectively) investigating how initial customer perceptions of a website influence attraction toward this website. The results support the eCAM as a new theoretical lens for understanding electronic commerce-based attraction. Comparisons are made between the proposed eCAM and previously established adoption models (i.e., the Technology Acceptance Model and WebQual) as well as the discriminant validity of the constructs in these models. Results demonstrate that the eCAM provides additional insights for understanding how website design influences e-commerce attraction and adoption. The implications of these results for future research and website design are discussed.
The article presents marketing management research on the impact of Web site design influences consumer behavior in electronic commerce. Signalling theory is employed to consider if the perception of Web site quality by consumers influences their perceptions of product quality and their purchasing decisions in electronic commerce. Web site quality perceptions were found to have a significant correlation to product quality perception and purchasing decisions, and a greater influence on perceived product quality when consumers had higher information asymmetries.
With the proliferation of e-commerce, there is growing evidence that online impulse buying is occurring, yet relatively few researchers have studied this phenomenon. This paper reports on two studies that examine how variations in a website influence online impulse buying. The results reveal some relevant insights about this phenomenon. Specifically, although many participants had the urge to buy impulsively, regardless of website quality, this behavior's likelihood and magnitude was directly influenced by varying the quality of taskrelevant and mood-relevant cues. Task-relevant cues include characteristics, such as navigability, that help in the attainment of the online consumer's shopping goal. Conversely, mood-relevant cues refer to the characteristics, such as visual appeal, that affect the degree to which a user enjoys browsing a website but that do not directly support a particular shopping goal. The implications of the results for both future research and the design of human-computer interfaces are discussed.
This study reexamines the value relevance of e-commerce announcements using an event study methodology. Event studies have become an increasingly popular technique for information systems research by giving researchers a tool to measure the notoriously elusive value of information technology. We find evidence that the traditional event study methodology may not provide an accurate measure of abnormal returns during periods of high market volatility, and propose an alternative methodology. The alternative methodology does not use an estimation period, and takes into account extreme or unusual market movements in the period in which the e-commerce announcement was made. Using the alternative methodology, we find evidence of positive abnormal returns for e-commerce announcements made in the fourth quarter of 1998, but no abnormal returns to e-commerce announcements made in the fourth quarter of 2000. We also find significant differences in value depending on the type of e-commerce initiative. In 2000, e-commerce initiatives with a digital product were valued significantly more than e-commerce initiatives with a tangible product, while in 1998 no such difference existed. In 1998, business-to-business e-commerce initiatives, e-commerce initiatives with a tangible product, and e-commerce initiatives by pure-play Internet firms were valued more than similar initiatives in 2000. The study makes a significant contribution for understanding the value of e-commerce initiatives in highly volatile markets and demonstrates how market values of e-commerce changed from 1998 to 2000. Furthermore, this study shows the importance of carefully considering both the time frame examined and the methodology used when assessing the value relevance of e-commerce initiatives as to avoid inflating the magnitude of any observed effects.