Consumer Perceptions of Business-to-Consumer Relationships in Electronic Retail Environments: A Means–End Chain Approach

Abstract

ABSTRACT This work examines the perceptions of consumers' relationships with commercial organizations in electronic environments. Perceptions of a range of common electronic business-to-consumer Internet retailers were examined using personal construct theory operationalized by means–end chain analysis. These approaches have a long tradition of being used to identify personally meaningful constructs by tracing the common attributes of their online experience with their consequences and ultimately the personal values that they pertain to. The study reveals 8 major themes that conceptualize consumers' perceptual orientations of their relationships with online retailers: personalization, engagement and experience, convenience, design/ease of use, trustworthiness, ability to inform, reliability, and specificity/variety. The findings bear witness toward consumers' propensity to sustain relationships online based on site attributes. The research presents several managerial implications and identifies areas for further research.