An investigation of technology-dependent shopping in the pandemic era: Integrating response efficacy and identity expressiveness into theory of planned behaviour

Xueqin Wang, Yiik Diew Wong, Tianyi Chen and Kum Fai Yuen

Journal of Business Research, 2022, vol. 142, issue C, 1053-1067

Abstract: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rapid surge of digitalisation in shopping activities. Although the rising phenomenon of technology-dependent shopping is sensational, the subtle motivations that cause such a phenomenon remain to be explored. Thus, extending the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), this study investigates two distinct motivations (i.e. to respond to health concerns and to express self-identity) that lead to technology-dependency among modern shoppers. A survey instrument is adopted for data collection online targeting adult shoppers in Singapore, and the data (n = 519) are analysed using structural equation modelling. Results reveal that the two motivations mediate the relationship between subjective norm/perceived behavioural control and shoppers’ behavioural intention. The response- and identity-mediated paths lead to differentiated behavioural consequences: the former is associated with only shoppers’ engagement intention with shopping technologies, whereas the latter also instigates the habit of technology-dependent shopping. The findings contribute to the TPB framework by confirming the mediator role of two context-specific motivations. The revealed habit formation process of technology-dependent shopping provides practical implications in managing the retailer-shopper relationship in the pandemic era.

Keywords: Technology-dependent shopping; Contactless technologies; Protection motivation theory; Identity theory; Theory of planned behaviour; COVID-19 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296322000534
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:142:y:2022:i:c:p:1053-1067

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.01.042

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Business Research is currently edited by A. G. Woodside

More articles in Journal of Business Research from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().