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A cross-cultural study of E-commerce-Exploring factors that influence individual to buy

Bohn, L.M. (2005) A cross-cultural study of E-commerce-Exploring factors that influence individual to buy.

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Abstract:This is a cross-cultural study that aims to investigate the factors that influence individuals to buy through the Internet or to avoid e-commerce and whether these factors play the same role in different cultures. The original sample consisted of 103 international students from 35 different nationalities studying in the east of The Netherlands. Based on the cultural dimensions of Hofstede, participants were classified as low or high UAI (Uncertainty Avoidance) and as low or high IDV (Individualism - Collectivism). The final sample consisted of 24 low and 28 high UAI participants and 26 low and 24 high IDV participants. The outcome is that 'better prices' is the main factor influencing e-commerce adoption for all cultures. However, there is disagreement regarding to the second most mentioned factor. For low UAI and high IDV is 'availability', whereas for low IDV and high UAI is 'convenience'. Conversely, there is agreement related to factors influencing individuals to avoid e-commerce: worries about privacy/security on the Internet. Moreover, offering privacy guarantees on the Internet is very important for all individuals independent of their cultural values. It is remarkable that cultures adopt e-commerce influenced by different factors but avoid e-commerce influenced by the same kind of factors.
Item Type:Essay (Master)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:05 communication studies
Programme:Communication Studies MSc (60713)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/57790
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