Social Media and Vaccine Intention: The Case of Kuwait

Abstract

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored our heavy reliance on social media platforms for primary information. Misinformation related to the pandemic has significantly affected behaviors related to vaccine hesitancy and overall business confidence. This study uses the extended Information Motivation Behavior (IMB) model to examine the impact of pandemic-era social media usage on vaccine hesitancy and trust in e-commerce.Study design/methodology/approach: Structural equation modeling is used to assess the extended IMB model. Sample and data: Online survey data from a diverse cross-section of the Kuwaiti population during the pandemic's peak. Results: Findings highlight the substantial influence of factors such as knowledge, motivation, observational learning-driven motivation, behavioral skills, social media usage, engagement, and consumption on vaccine willingness. This, in turn, significantly impacts trust in e-commerce. Notably, social media use, consumption, and engagement have adverse effects on health behavior, with observational learning-driven motivation being the most influential.Originality/value: This study is one of the few empirical studies that examine and test the impact of e-commerce on the Kuwaiti population during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study display the shift in consumer behavior during the pandemic.Research limitations/implications: The study emphasizes the importance of accurate vaccine information dissemination on social media to counter misinformation, ultimately fostering an informed society and contributing to e-commerce growth.