Motive, mode and satisfaction with e-tailing sites: a technology acceptance perspective

Abstract

[ACCESS RESTRICTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT AUTHOR'S REQUEST.] Consumers' satisfaction with the e-tailing sites plays a key role in determining the success of e-commerce, yet little research has been done on the effects of e-motive, e-mode and their interaction on e-satisfaction by taking the attributes of e-tailing site into consideration. Using data collected from an online survey, this research investigates the relationship between e-motive, e-mode, e-satisfaction and attribute preference. The results indicate that e-motives of a utilitarian nature, i.e. research and purchase, lead to a stronger preference for functional attributes of e-tailing sites such as usefulness and ease of use. Shopping motive is found to be a positive predictor of e-satisfaction. The results further reveal that online shopping modes, which determine the goal-directedness of online behavior, influence an individual's attribute preference. Overall, the findings suggest that e-tailing sites should accommodate both utilitarian and hedonic features in order to attract online shoppers regardless of their motives or the goal-directedness, or e-modes, of their online shopping. It should be noted that some of the findings contradict prior literature and add to this growing body of knowledge possibly because of the dual-framework provided by this research, which combines functional and technological schools of thought.