Effects of Social Media Usage on Consumers’ Purchase Intention in Social Commerce: A Cross-Cultural Empirical Analysis

Abstract

Social commerce has produced enormous economic benefits as well as challenges for organizations, individuals, and industries. However, social media usage does not necessarily generate users’ intention to purchase on social commerce websites. How social media usage influences users’ purchase intention on social commerce websites still deserves more scholarly attention and this seems particularly important when social commerce transcends borders and countries. Taking an interdisciplinary perspective, the current study adopted a survey research method and identified the roles of social media usage in arousing users’ purchase intention on social commerce websites in a culturally diversified environment. The data was collected from 2,058 international students coming from 135 countries and was analyzed using MPLUS based structural equation modeling. The research unveils the pathway whereby social media usage serves to generate users’ purchase intention on social commerce websites. Importantly, users’ cultural intelligence has been found to play a significant role mediating the effects of social media usage on users’ intention. Further, cultural distance was found to attenuate the effects of social media usage on cultural intelligence. Based on the research findings, the study suggests that social commerce practitioners should be fully aware of the enabling roles of social media and cultural intelligence as well as the deterring role of cultural distance when arousing customers’ purchasing intention in cross-cultural business operations. Any measures facilitated by social media usage to improve international consumers’ cultural intelligence and mitigate the negative effects of cultural distance are supposed to be effective to enhance their purchasing intention. Accordingly, the study confirms the mutually melt and integrative relationships between information technology advancement and business prosperity in cross-cultural environment, which eventually contribute to sustainable development of society.

Social Media’s Influence on Eco-Friendly Choices in Fitness Services: A Mediation Moderation Approach

“…Another study found that social media usage, social influence, drive for environmental responsibility, and perceived trust in social media are major antecedents of consumers' sustainable purchasing attitudes [46]. The sample should ideally represent a diverse range of individuals who engage with social media and have an interest in fitness services.…”

Social media commerce: an empirical study of platform, people and information from the trust transfer perspective

“…While some studies have explored the impact of social media platforms on users' purchase intentions, others have investigated the impact of social connections on consumer behavior. For example, Hu and Zhu (2022) studied the impact of social media platform usage on users' purchase intentions, while Mikalef et al (2017) investigated how the characteristics of social commerce platforms affect users' purchase intention and participation in word-of-mouth communication. On the other hand, social media commerce involves not only buyers or sellers but also individuals with social connections on the platform, which affects the influence of information on social media.…”

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“…Conclusively, purchasing behaviour through a strong preference for products or service in Malaysia among Indonesian students through s-commerce compared to their own country has brought an enormous economic benefit to Malaysia's s-commerce economy. In addition, there are a lot of s-commerce benefits, such as being able to bring new business opportunities, optimal advertising and promotion, generate an excellent platform to share intelligent shopping experiences, and emphasis on enjoyment of people-oriented purchasing experiences (Hu & Zhu, 2022;). However, s-commerce is still in its infancy in Malaysia, nevertheless, and there needs to be more research on the critical elements influencing the purchase behaviour of s-commerce users, particularly Indonesian students studying there (Hu & Zhu, 2022).…”

“…In addition, there are a lot of s-commerce benefits, such as being able to bring new business opportunities, optimal advertising and promotion, generate an excellent platform to share intelligent shopping experiences, and emphasis on enjoyment of people-oriented purchasing experiences (Hu & Zhu, 2022;). However, s-commerce is still in its infancy in Malaysia, nevertheless, and there needs to be more research on the critical elements influencing the purchase behaviour of s-commerce users, particularly Indonesian students studying there (Hu & Zhu, 2022). Regretfully, should Malaysia fail to seize the chances presented by contemporary s-commerce technology, it will be more susceptible to economic upheavals and, consequently, fall behind other industrialised nations with more sophisticated technological infrastructure when it comes to international competition.…”