Adaptation and Validation of Online Consumer Behavior, Acceptance and use of Tech, and Social Media Engagement Scales to Arabic: The case of Yemen

Abstract

Purpose–The research aims to develop a robust tool for analyzing and comprehending consumer behavior concerning online shopping in Arab countries, with a specific focus on Yemen. Given the limited availability of Arabic scales in this context, the study employsa multi-scale adaptation approach to identify the factors influencing the adoption of online shopping and the role of social media engagement in targeting potential customers.Design/Methodology/Approach –The study follows established best practices, back translation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, as well as reliability and validity assessments, to create and validate the adapted scales using AMOS and SPSS software. The investigation uncovers distinct factors within the Arabic-adopted scales compared to their original versions. Findings –The research findings shed light on the unique factors influencing online shopping adoption and social media engagement in Arab countries, particularly in Yemen. The online consumer behavior scale reveals three factors: awareness, social cognition, and online business perception, while the extended scale derived from the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology encompasses usability, price value, and adoption intention. in contrast, the social media engagement scale yields a single predominant factor. Discussion–The study's outcomes hold significant implications for shaping future models and understanding the distinct consumer behavior patterns in Yemen and similar countries. Furthermore, these insights can inform strategies to enhance the online shopping industry, ensuring it aligns with the specific needs and preferences of consumers in the region.