Psychological contract-based Consumer Repurchase behavior On Social commerce platform: An Empirical study

Abstract

Social commerce, integration of social media and e-commerce, provides potential opportunities for consumers to talk about their ideas and exchange product-related information on online shopping platforms. Given the substantial prospects related to business opportunities and consumers’ perceptions, this study explores the factors driving fulfillment of the psychological contract in social commerce platforms. This research proposes, examines, and proves a theoretical model for the post-purchase behavior of the consumers, through an empirical investigation of online questionnaire-based data, gathered from 367 consumers in a cross-sectional setting. Results show that the fulfillment of psychological contract, consumer loyalty, and affective commitment fully mediate the impact of consumer trust on platform and repurchase intention. The level of commitment toward the consumer by the platform is strongly related to the degree of consumer trust, which is reciprocated through re-purchase intentions. This study offers essential theoretical implications with regards to the social exchange theory, attribution theory, and an moderating effect of the platform empathy on consumers’ trust-psychological contract fulfillment relationship. Likewise, this research has significant implications for practitioners and managers.