Gratifying the Gratification: Pragmatic Approach Toward E-Shopping Behavior

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to investigate the role of Consumers’ Electronic Attitude and Online Purchase Intention towards Electronic Shopping Gratification. This paper also measures the mediating effects of Social Commerce on Online Purchase Intention towards Electronic Shopping Gratification. A conceptual framework - “BeeBen e-Gratification Model” that formulates the structure of regarded constructs is proposed after reviewing the extant literature. The primary data are collected from the Gen Y respondents enrolled at an eminent educational institution in South India. The research instrument employed for this study is a standardized questionnaire. The authors preferred Snowball Sampling, which is a non-probability sampling design, due to the inaccessibility of central repository of online shoppers’ database. After eliminating and revising double-barreled and misleading statements, 276 entirely filled questionnaires remained. The hypotheses are tested using multiple linear regression analysis – stepwise, mediating effects- path analysis, and structural equation modeling (SEM) with maximum likelihood estimation. In the later of this article, the managerial implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.

Keywords: Consumers’ e-Attitude, Online Purchase Intention, Social Commerce, and e-Shopping Gratification.