Electronic Product Online Consumer Behaviour: Application UTAUT2 Model

Abstract

This study aims to identify the factors affecting consumer behavior towards purchasing electronic products by integrating the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2. Although the UTATU2 model has been extensively utilized in technology acceptance studies, its use in consumer purchasing behaviors of particular products, especially high involvement products like electronics, is rare. Hence, to fill this gap, the current study incorporated two additional factors, which include perceived risk and perceived trust, in the UTATU2 model. This paper aims to contribute a better understanding of online buying intention and online shopping behavior by incorporating these two factors. Primary data were collected using an organized questionnaire from 281 online buyers in Tiruchirappalli city via simple random sampling technique. Data analysis was done using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The results showed that performance expectancy, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, and perceived trust have a significant positive effect on buying intention, whereas perceived risk has a significant negative effect. Effort expectancy and social influence have no significant effect. Gender was also considered as a moderator in the study, but it revealed only marginal variations, implying that there is a convergence of consumer behavior irrespective of the gender. The findings reveal the growing significance of trust, value, and experiential dimensions compared to the conventional usability concepts in influencing online purchasing decisions for electronics. This paper provides new insights to the existing literature by considering the UTAUT2 framework in a product-oriented perspective.