Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of social connectedness on social media users’ attitudes and intentions towards adopting social commerce in the technology acceptance model (TAM). Data collected from young adult social media users (n = 446) in the US support the proposed model. A structural equation model shows that social connectedness positively influences social media users’ perceptions of ease of use, usefulness, and enjoyment, which in turn, influence their attitudes and intentions towards adopting social commerce in apparel shopping. The impact of social connectedness is stronger on perceived ease of use than other TAM variables. Perceived enjoyment has the strongest impact on attitudes, and attitudes strongly influence consumer intentions for adopting social commerce for apparel purchases. Results of this study reveal that social connectedness enhances social media users’ perceptions of social commerce and positively leads to the adoption of social commerce in apparel shopping. Findings indicate that social connectedness has an indirect effect on attitudes towards social commerce through utilitarian (i.e., ease of use and usefulness) and hedonic (i.e., enjoyment) perceptions of social commerce. These findings highlight the importance of social connectedness through utilitarian and hedonic perceptions in enhancing consumers’ adoption of social commerce for purchasing apparel products.
Highlights
Over 3 billion people in the world use social media (Kemp 2018), and a recent consumer survey from eMarketer in 2017 forecasted that two-thirds of the US population will soon use two or more social networking sites in social media
To screen social media users, the following questions were asked; “Do you consider yourself to be an active user of social media?” (Yes or No), “What types of social media do you currently use?”, “What is your favorite social networking site that you most frequently use?”, and “How often do you visit the social networking site per day?” A total of 768 email invitations were sent to class lists by the course instructors, and participants were given 7 days to log onto the website to complete the survey
This study attempted to answer this question, and the results indicate that social connectedness influences social media users’ perceived ease of use, usefulness, and enjoyment of social commerce, which leads to positive attitudes towards social commerce and consumer intentions to adopt social commerce
Summary
Over 3 billion people in the world use social media (Kemp 2018), and a recent consumer survey from eMarketer in 2017 forecasted that two-thirds of the US population will soon use two or more social networking sites in social media. In a brand’s social media fan page, consumers interact with the brand and with the brand’s other customers. Consumers share their shopping experiences and recommend products and services based on their experiences. The information search and sharing processes in social media influence social media users’ behaviors (eMarketer 2017; Mangold and Faulds 2009)
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