Does Identification Influence Continuous E-Commerce Consumption? The Mediating Role of Intrinsic Motivations

Xi Chen, Shaofen Fang, Yujie Li and Haibin Wang
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Xi Chen: School of Business and Tourism Management, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
Shaofen Fang: School of Business and Tourism Management, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
Yujie Li: School of Business and Tourism Management, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
Haibin Wang: School of Business and Tourism Management, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 7, 1-20

Abstract: The motivation behind online consumption behavior is different from that of online social behavior, and research is lacking regarding the impact of identification on e-commerce consumption. The current research examines the influence of identification, which is perceived anonymity, and intrinsic motivation on the continuous purchasing behaviors on retailing e-commerce websites based on self-determination theory. The mediating role of intrinsic motivation was also empirically tested from a sample of 661 frequent consumers using the partial least squares approach. The findings were: (1) Identification negatively influences perceived anonymity, and its low, but significantly positive, influence on continuous e-commerce consumption were totally mediated by perceived competence, perceived autonomy, and perceived relatedness. (2) Perceived anonymity positively influences self-determination factors, which has partly mediating impact between perceived anonymity and continuous consumption. (3) The authenticity and concealment of identity are based on different mechanisms, but both of them are conducive to promoting continuous purchases. On retailing e-commerce websites, customers’ identity management should consider both identification in the background and anonymity perception in the service, and the contributions of the service to promote consumers’ perceived competence and perceived autonomy are important in continuous consumption.

Keywords: identification; perceived anonymity; continuous consumption online; customer identity management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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