Assessing the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on M-Commerce Adoption: An Adapted UTAUT2 Approach

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted consumers’ lives and their shopping patterns, leading them towards mobile commerce. To address current shopping circumstances, an adapted UTAUT2 model aims to integrate trust and perceptions of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on consumers’ behavioral intention to rely on m-commerce during this period. The study proposes a research model which is investigated with the help of structural equation modelling in AMOS. Using the framework of a cross-sectional study, data were collected from an emerging market in Romania, where internet speed ranks 4th worldwide and where the yearly increase in internet and social media users is approximately 10%. By using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling, the research validates the applicability of UTAUT2 in examining consumers’ behavioral intent of using m-commerce during a pandemic. Hedonic motivation is the strongest predictor of consumers’ behavioral intentions to continue using m-commerce. The findings contribute to understandings of consumers’ behavior with m-commerce in an emerging market, extending knowledge based on the adapted UTAUT2 model and allowing for comprehension of the key role of trust and social influences in affecting consumers’ perceptions of the COVID-19 outbreak in relation to shopping patterns.

The Impact of Consumers’ Loneliness and Boredom on Purchase Intention in Live Commerce During COVID-19: Telepresence as a Mediator

“…Consumers’ loneliness and boredom positively predicted purchase intention in live commerce. When consumers feel loneliness and boredom, they are motivated to shop through live commerce, consistent with previous research findings ( Lidholm et al, 2017 ; Jiang et al, 2018 ; Lee and Zelman, 2019 ; Yang et al, 2021 ; Vinerean et al, 2022 ). Telepresence mediates consumer loneliness, boredom and purchase intention ( Lim and Kim, 2017 ; Gao and Li, 2019 ; Ongsakul et al, 2020 ).…”

“…develop an addiction to excessive shopping (El Hedhli et al, 2016;Lidholm et al, 2017;Vinerean et al, 2022). Therefore, this study hypothesized that: H3: Consumer boredom in the COVID-19 period can have an impact on purchase intention.…”

“…As a result of the common idea that going shopping may both ease boredom and put importance into otherwise mundane events ( Sundström et al, 2019 ). Therefore, to compensate for the lack of social interaction in real life, people increase their purchase intention and even develop an addiction to excessive shopping ( El Hedhli et al, 2016 ; Lidholm et al, 2017 ; Vinerean et al, 2022 ). Therefore, this study hypothesized that:…”

Does User Preference Matter? A Comparative Study on Influencing Factors of User Activity Between Government-Provided and Business-Provided Apps

“…Zhang et al (2020) think that personal information factors (individual characteristics, user habits, user motivation), information technology factors and information environmental factors are independent variables that affect users’ willingness to use continuously. Vinerean et al (2022) pointed out that hedonic motivation is the key factor in consumers’ intention to continue using mobile commerce. Besides, social influence, performance expectancy, and trust also impact consumers’ continuous use intention.…”

“…In the field of public administration, scholars mainly discuss these research propositions from two dimensions: willingness to use continuously ( Chen et al, 2017 ; Li et al, 2019 ; Guo and Ming, 2020 ; Jiang and Lv, 2020 ; Liu and Wei, 2020 ; Vinerean et al, 2022 ) and behavior to use continuously ( Chen Q. et al, 2020 ; Ming and Cao, 2020 ; Zhang et al, 2020 ). They took these two dimensions from the citizen’s perspective as the research subject ( Chen et al, 2017 ; Chen Q. et al, 2020 ; Li et al, 2019 ; Guo and Ming, 2020 ; Jiang and Lv, 2020 ; Liu and Wei, 2020 ; Ming and Cao, 2020 ; Zhang et al, 2020 ).…”