Sejin Ha

Online apparel retailing: roles of e‐shopping quality and experiential e‐shopping motives

– The objectives of this paper are to: examine e‐shopping quality dimensions; explore how e‐shopping quality factors influence consumer shopping outcomes (e‐shopping satisfaction and e‐shopping intention); and test the moderating effects of consumer experiential e‐shopping motives on the e‐shopping quality – e‐shopping outcomes links within the context of online apparel retailing., – Data were gathered from 298 college students in the USA using a self‐administered online survey., – Among four e‐shopping quality factors identified (privacy/security, web site content/functionality, customer service, and experiential/atmospheric), web site content/functionality and atmospheric/experiential quality have significant impact on e‐shopping satisfaction contributing to e‐shopping intention, while privacy/security and customer service have significant impact on e‐shopping intention but not on e‐shopping satisfaction. Furthermore, this study provides some support for the moderating roles that experiential e‐shopping motives plays in the e‐shopping quality – e‐shopping outcomes links., – This paper shows that experiential e‐shopping motives as an individual characteristic play a role in controlling the dynamics among e‐shopping quality, e‐shopping satisfaction, and e‐shopping intention. However, the data consisting of self‐reported measures from a single segment of online retail industry warrants caution in generalization in relation to common method bias., – This paper entails useful implications for internet‐ and multichannel retail marketers delivering apparel/fashion goods to better understand the online consumer response process and determine effective e‐store management strategies that reflect the differing customer evaluation processes., – This study extends and complements the e‐tail service literature by examining whether and how experiential e‐shopping motives moderate the relationships among e‐shopping quality dimensions, e‐shopping satisfaction, and e‐shopping intention.

Understanding pro‐environmental behavior

Purpose – This study aims to investigate the differences in underlying psychological aspects regarding pro‐environmental behaviors between two distinct consumer groups: green product purchasers and green product non‐purchasers. Focusing on pro‐environmental behavior in recycling, it seeks to investigate these psychological aspects: cognitive attitude, affective attitude, social norm, personal norm, and behavioral intention.Design/methodology/approach – Using a web‐based survey, a total of 363 responses from US consumers were used for the data analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to check the measurement model, and a multiple regression and MANOVA were performed to test the proposed hypotheses.Findings – Compared to green product non‐purchasers, green product purchasers exhibited significantly higher levels of cognitive attitude, affective attitude, social norm, personal norm, and recycling intention. Also cognitive attitude, social norm, and personal norm predicted recycling intention.Rese...

Identifying the Role of Self-Congruence on Shopping Behavior in the Context of U.S. Shopping Malls

A model was developed and tested to explain the effect of self-congruence on key outcomes of shopping experience in terms of shopping values (utilitarian and hedonic values), satisfaction, and loyalty intention in the context of U.S. traditional shopping malls/centers. Self-congruence concerns the fit between a consumer’s self-concept and the image of other shoppers in the shopping malls/centers. Two sets of propositions regarding the role of self-congruence were proposed: (a) self-congruence predicts shopping outcomes and (b) self-congruence moderates the relationships among shopping outcomes. U.S. consumers (N = 508) participated in online surveys. The results showed that self-congruence significantly predicts hedonic shopping value, satisfaction, and loyalty intention. But, self-congruence does not predict utilitarian shopping value; instead, self-congruence moderates the relationship between utilitarian shopping value and satisfaction. The interrelationships among shopping outcomes (utilitarian and hedonic shopping values—satisfaction, satisfaction—loyalty intention, hedonic shopping value—loyalty intention) were also significant.

Determinants of consumer‐driven healthcare

Purpose – This study aims to examine the relationships between consumer self‐confidence in health information search and health‐related outcomes (i.e. knowledge about cancer prevention, healthcare behavior, and use of the web as a primary source for health information). The associations between self‐confidence in health information search and its predictors (i.e. health literacy and trust in health information sources) are explored as well.Design/methodology/approach – This study used the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey data. Stepwise linear regression analyses, a logistic regression analysis, and stepwise multiple regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses.Findings – The results from this study revealed that consumer self‐confidence in health information search appears to be linked with perceptions of health literacy and trust in information sources, particularly, trust in health professionals (e.g. doctors, healthcare professionals, government health agencies, family and friends...

The influence of social capital on knowledge creation in online health communities

This study investigates how social capital influences knowledge creation in online health communities (OHCs), based on social capital theory. The study proposes that three social capital dimensions, namely trust, shared language, and network density, affect OHC members’ externalization and combination of knowledge creation, and that these in turn lead to membership continuance intention (MCI). Trust also directly contributes to MCI in the model. Three hundred fifty-three members from eight existing US based OHCs participated in surveys. The results provide overall support for the proposed model. Among the three dimensions of social capital, network density plays a critical role in developing both externalization and combination of knowledge creation. Externalization of knowledge in turn affects members’ MCI. Supplemental analysis shows that trust and shared language influence OHC members’ knowledge creation indirectly via network density.

Designing loyalty programs that matter to customers

This study explores a model proposing a customer loyalty program as an identity marketing tool that evokes customers identity salience (ones perception that a loyalty program membership is important to his/her identity). The results of a Web-based experiment indicate that identity salience is heightened by (1) the uniqueness and exclusiveness of a loyalty program (distinctiveness), and (2) by the fit between the function of the programs rewards and the customers identity goal (identity congruence). The heightened identity salience, in turn, positively influences the customers attitude toward the retailer, satisfaction with the loyalty program and the perceived quality of his/her relationship with the retailer.

E-tail Evolution: Motives and Behavioral Intentions of E-shopper Segments

Abstract With the expansion of Internet penetration and consumers’ continuous efforts to discover new ways to use the Internet, marketers strive to gain a competitive advantage by understanding the factors driving consumers to shop online and identifying target consumer segments. Despite the growing interest among researchers and retail marketers, still, there is a general lack of research on, and a need to improve understanding of, the drivers of consumer e-shopping behavior and e-shopper groups for apparel products. According to McGuire’s (1974) model of motivation theory, human motives driven by unfulfilled needs lead goal oriented behavior such that people strive to achieve subjective satisfaction and gratification regardless of the type of motive. Marketing research has explored various shopping motives which mainly encompass goal-directed and experiential shopping motives. In addition to traditional shopping motives, this study considers shoppers’ beliefs about technology use as e-shoppers are both consumers and technology. Taking shopping motives and technology use-related beliefs into account simultaneously would help better understand consumers’ e-shopping motives and e-shopper segments exhibiting different apparel online shopping behaviors. In exploring these aspects, this study addresses the following research questions: (1) what are the key motives driving customers to shop for apparel products? (2) what are the unique segments of online consumers based on the shopping motives? And (3) how can different patterns of behavior be explained by different e-shopper segments? Online surveys were administered to college students at a large, midwestern university in the U.S. Using the context of browsing for/purchasing apparel products online, 298 usable responses were gathered. First, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with shopping motive items was performed to identify e-shopping motives and yielded 12 factors. The factors include six functional factors (convenience, ease of use, economic value-seeking, usefulness, security/privacy, and merchandise assortment) and six nonfunctional motives (company reputation, home shopping, informative service, company clientele, customer service, and hedonic value). Three of the functional motives relate to beliefs about technology; ease of use, usefulness and privacy/security, and one functional motive, hedonic value represents the experiential aspect of online apparel shopping. Second, in order to develop a shopper typology based on the 12 e-shopping factors identified, cluster analysis was performed. The analysis revealed five e-shopper segments: apathetic, accommodating, demanding, convenience-oriented recreational, and technology-oriented shopper segments. Last, MANOVA was conducted to examine differences across the five e-shopper clusters with respect to attitude toward and intention to perform online apparel shopping. The results indicated significant differences in e-shopping behavioral intention across the five clusters with respect to both attitude toward e-shopping and intention to shop online. This empirical examination of motives driving online shopping behaviors extends our understanding of a variety of underlying dimensions and provides new apparel shopper profiles for the Internet format. Findings that online consumers have utilitarian (functional) as well as hedonic (nonfunctional) shopping motives empirically validate the multidimensionality of shopping motives pertinent to the Internet shopping context. Given that online shopping behaviors are likely to be driven by product/service acquisition (marketing) motives and/or technology use (i.e., Internet) beliefs, investigating both simultaneously sheds light on online shopping motive literature. By taking both aspects into consideration, this study revealed three unique motives underlying Internet shopping that encompass beliefs about technology (ease of use, usefulness, and security/privacy) and one motive, hedonic pertinent to experiential features of online shopping. Findings firstly revealed the technology-oriented shopper group who is motivated to shop online due to its ease of use, usefulness, informative service, and security/privacy. The emergence of this new segment of online consumers warrants additional research. There are differences in the online shopper classifications generated in this study relative to those in prior research. Differences were also found in e-shopping behavioral responses of the various online shopper segments. Two groups, the convenience-oriented recreational shoppers and the technology-oriented shoppers showed more favorable attitudes and greater intention toward online shopping than the apathetic group. This study provides managerial implications for online apparel retailers. First, most of the five groups were motivated by security/privacy and this suggests to retailers the importance of ensuring a secure shopping environment for their customers. The convenience-oriented recreational shopper and the technology-oriented shopper, exhibiting the most favorable attitude and the highest intention to shop online, seem to be attractive target customers for online retailers. Assuring time and place convenience, courteous and informative customer service, and managing e-store sites in a way that helps shoppers perceive the stores are convenient, easy to use and useful are key tactics to attract and retain patronage of these two groups. The demanding shopper, one of the largest e-shopper segments can be attracted by emphasizing promotional offers or sales on branded products, high-quality customer services, and fun shopping experiences.

An exploration of the cognitive-affective model of satisfaction in a shopping context: A test of competing models

The objective of this study is to develop a model of satisfaction in a retail shopping context, integrating the stimuli (S)-organism (O)-response (R) paradigm and satisfaction model. The study proposed two alternative models of satisfaction, which suggest that (1) satisfaction is created by emotional reaction to the mall and disconfirmation of the expectation separately (affect independent model) or (2) satisfaction comes from the emotions generated by disconfirmation of the expectation of the mall (affect-mediating model). The results support the affect independent model. Two retail attribute factors – Ambient and Variety – have direct influences on both affective and cognitive responses.

Consumer Use of the Internet for Health Management

ABSTRACT Although health information search might be the most common motive that consumers have for using the Internet for healthcare, they also use the Internet for other purposes such as healthcare management. To date, most research on consumer use of the Internet for healthcare has focused on consumers’ search for health information, while focusing less on other activities of consumers on the Internet. The purpose of this study was to examine how Internet-related characteristics (Internet experience and trust in the Internet) and individual-related traits (confidence in self healthcare and general health status) were associated with consumers’ use of the Internet for different purposes, such as healthcare management. Using a subsample of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) 4 Cycle 3 data, ordered probit regressions were conducted to test the hypotheses. The results of the study further suggest useful implications for public health policy makers, marketers, and healthcare businesses in terms of factors to consider in the successful implementation of healthcare promotion and management in the computer-mediated environment of the Internet.

Consumer use of the Internet and the Knowledge Gap in Healthcare

Researchers believe that consumer-driven healthcare, which emphasizes the active role of patients, results in a leveling of the asymmetrical relationship between physicians and general consumers in terms of healthcare information and knowledge (Goldsmith 2000). The Internet has clearly facilitated the dramatic change in consumers searching, acquiring, and seeking for health information (Calabretta 2002; Cullen 2006). Despite the dramatic increase in health information available through the Internet and many health opinion leaders’ positive expectations about the role of health information on the Internet (Goldsmith 2000), it has been reported that “;nearly half of all American adults—90 million people—have difficulty understanding and acting upon health information”; (IOM 2004, 1). More importantly, underserved populations such as ethnic minorities, lower socioeconomic groups, and less educated people have limited access to Internet health information, not only because of limited access to Internet services and computers but also because of lack of technology, communication, physical, and/or literacy skills (Eng et al., 1998). In order to explore this possible disparity, the present study explores whether inequalities in levels of health knowledge are reduced or exacerbated by personal (motivation) and contextual factors (Internet use and trust in the Internet).