Abstract
Based on the stimulus-organism-reaction model, we study the direct effects of the three interpersonal attraction factors (perceived similarity, perceived familiarity, and perceived expertise) on purchase intention in the social commerce era, as well as the mediating roles of the normative and informational influence of reference groups in the above relationship. We apply structural equation model to the study samples consisting of 490 WeChat users. The results of empirical research indicate that the three interpersonal attraction factors have positive effects on purchase intention. Both the normative and informational influence fully mediate the effect of perceived familiarity on purchase intention, but only partially mediate the effects of perceived similarity and perceived expertise on purchase intention. The findings provided practitioners with insights into enhancing users’ intention to purchase in social commerce.
Highlights
On January 31, 2018, the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released the 41st Statistical Report on China’s Internet Development in Beijing
The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of the interpersonal interaction factors on purchase intention from the perspective of the online reference groups
Besides providing a new theoretical perspective, this paper analyzes the influence mechanism between online interpersonal interaction and consumers’ purchase intention from the perspective of reference groups, which can be viewed as a compensation for the insufficiency in the research of previous scholars
Summary
On January 31, 2018, the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) released the 41st Statistical Report on China’s Internet Development in Beijing. By December 2017, the number of Internet users in China reached 772 million, accounting for 55.8% of the total population, which exceeds the global average (51.7%) by 4.1% and the Asian average (46.7%) by 9.1%. The rapid development of digital technology and Internet has changed the traditional model of interpersonal interaction. The “Hyperpersonal Communication” model states that people who are engaged in computer-mediated communication may experience greater levels of intimacy, unity and liking than face-to-face interaction users [1]. Online interpersonal interaction demonstrates the relationships of social groups on Internet platforms. It is a practical activity that shares knowledge through digitized and symbolized information among the highly integrated societies and individuals online and in the real world
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