Customers’ purchase decision-making process in social commerce: A social learning perspective

The proliferation of social commerce has changed customers’ purchase decision-making process. However, few studies have investigated the roles of social commerce factors on customers’ purchase decision-making. Based on the social learning theory, we develop a research model to examine how customers’ learning behavior along three main social commerce components (SCCs) affects customers’ attitude in both cognitive and affective dimensions and how such attitude determines customers’ purchase intention. The results from a survey of 243 actual users of social commerce websites suggest that cognitive and affective appraisals are the main predictors of purchase intention, with cognitive appraisal having a higher predictive power than affective appraisal. In addition, learning from forums and communities and learning from ratings and reviews have significant influences on both cognitive and affective appraisals, while learning from forums and communities plays a more important role in formulating affective appraisal and learning from ratings and reviews plays a more important role in determining cognitive appraisal. Contrary to our expectation, learning from social recommendations has no significant influence on either cognitive or affective appraisal. In summary, these findings provide a comprehensive understanding about customers’ purchase decision-making process and extend the application scope of social learning theory. The findings also provide social commerce managers guidance in designing more effective websites and allocating resources and efforts reasonably on different SCCs.     

How does social support promote consumers' engagement in the social commerce community? The mediating effect of consumer involvement

This study aims to reveal the mechanism of how consumers’ engagement is established in social commerce communities. Building upon social support theory, we propose models and employ datasets obtained from Douban.com to empirically investigate the different effects of emotional and informational support on consumers’ engagement and how involvement mediates these relationships in the social commerce context. At the same time, the moderating role of product presentation is examined to help clarify the impact of social support and consumer involvement. Our analyses reveal that the two subdimensions of social supportive information are positively related to consumer involvement, together promoting consumers’ engagement in the community. In particular, involvement imposes a full mediating influence on emotional support but a partial mediating impact on informational support. Product presentation strengthens the effects in that the predictive effect of determinants on engagement is more pronounced for books with electronic versions in the social commerce community. For researchers and managers, these findings emphasize the benefits of the social commerce community, particularly with regard to Douban.com in China.     

The impact of imitation on Chinese social commerce buyers’ purchase behavior: The moderating role of uncertainty

The purpose of this study is to explore how buyers’ imitation of others’ online behavior is positively associated with purchase behavior. In addition, we consider the moderating role that product uncertainty, seller uncertainty and product fit uncertainty play in the relationship between imitation and purchase behavior. Users in China who have purchase experience on Xiaohongshu were chosen to test the hypotheses. Finally, longitudinal data from 282 respondents was collected. The findings show that imitation has a positive impact on purchase intention. Purchase intention positively affects actual purchase behavior. Product uncertainty and product fit uncertainty positively moderate the relationship between imitation and purchase intention. But seller uncertainty doesn’t moderate the relationship between imitation and purchase intention. Both theoretical and practical contributions are also considered.     

Exploring consumers’ impulse buying behavior on social commerce platform: The role of parasocial interaction

Social commerce, a recent branch of e-commerce, has made the experience of consumers on social commerce platform (SCP) different from other contexts, as the consumers have social interactions with each other. Growing evidence also shows that consumers on these platforms are prone to impulse buying behavior owing to the social interactions. However, existing research on online impulse buying was limited when illustrating the behavior of consumers on SCPs as social relationship constructs were not included. New theoretical developments are needed in regard to fill the research gap. In this research, parasocial interaction (PSI) theory is introduced in this research to examine the influence of social relationship factors on the formation of impulse buying behavior. An empirical research has been conducted on Mogujie (www.mogujie.com), one of the most popular image-sharing SCPs in China. Results indicate that PSI exerts an impact on impulse buying tendency, the social-relevant features of the SCP determine PSI, and perceived usefulness and PSI both significantly affect perceived enjoyment. In addition, consumers’ perceived enjoyment and impulse buying tendencies significantly affect their urge to buy impulsively. The implications, limitations, and discussions are provided.     

Does privacy assurance on social commerce sites matter to millennials?

Social commerce (s-commerce) has become increasingly impactful to e-commerce and has generated potential economic benefits. With the rise of online privacy concerns, we have seen the need to explain how concerns about privacy affect consumers’ social interaction behavior and purchase decision-making on s-commerce sites. Synthesizing the privacy-trust-behavioral intention (PTB) and consumer decision-making models, this study proposes a comprehensive model by specifically refining its privacy and trust from an institutional perspective and investigating the influences of social interaction on purchase intention and actual purchase behaviors. Our results found that institutional privacy assurance positively influences institutional-based trust, which, in turn, affects online social interactions, and consequently increases the likelihood of product purchases on s-commerce sites. Theoretical development of this research contributes to both marketing and information systems disciplines in the social media era.     

Is social networking a waste of time? The impact of social network and knowledge characteristics on job performance

People use social media to help them solve problems and enhance performance. Users may engage in diverse social interactions online, increasing their knowledge base through both weak and strong ties. In this study we investigate the impact of social networks on job performance, focusing on knowledge quality and diversity based on social network theory and the knowledge-based view. The empirical analysis reveals that the strength of social network ties is strongly associated with knowledge quality in offline interactions, while social network diversity is associated with knowledge quality in online interactions. Knowledge quality acquired from social network has a significant impact on both creativity and productivity of job performance in the workplace. However, knowledge diversity acquired from diverse social network interactions is strongly associated with creativity, but not with productivity. The results of this study increase our understanding of the knowledge sourcing behaviors of workers.     

The social as the heart of social innovation and social entrepreneurship: An emerging area or an old crossroads?

This paper aims to contribute to the conceptual debate on the connection between social innovation and social entrepreneurship, considering the role of the ‘social’ within this connection. Supported by a systematic literature review (SLR) with an in-depth analysis of 34 articles from Scopus-indexed and Web of Science databases journals, this paper identifies, analyzes and describes the difficulties and opportunities in the social innovation and social entrepreneurship literature. Little is known about the link between both concepts and the influence of the ‘social’ in their development and implementation. This SLR was conducted to identify and describe definitions and patterns. Results show that the connection between social innovation and social entrepreneurship is in its take-off phase, but it still is a fragmented field with a huge lack of consensus. Thus, it will be important to see where the field will head, as this paper aims to be a first step in the understanding of social innovation and social entrepreneurship through a collective and integrated perspective, providing an elucidation of the different perspectives of the literature.     

The power of talk: Exploring the effects of streamers’ linguistic styles on sales performance in B2B livestreaming commerce

B2B livestreaming has become increasingly popular, but few studies have investigated the role of streamers in these B2B livestreaming events. In contrast to the existing studies that explored the appearance and professionalism of streamers and focused on the B2C livestreaming commerce, this study analyzes how streamers’ linguistic characteristics relate to the livestreaming sales performance in online B2B marketplaces by conducting a streamer-level analysis. By combining deep learning and econometric analysis on a livestreaming dataset consisting of 915 livestreaming events across 14 industry categories from a B2B commerce platform, this study specifically examines the impact of three speech acts (i.e., assertive, expressive, and directive speech acts) on sales performance. We first extract three speech acts by combining Word2Vec and Bi-GRU network with Attention Mechanism (WBA), then use econometric models to examine the effect of the streamer's speech acts on sales performance, and finally explore the moderating roles of product-level factors (i.e., product novelty and product category). The results show that the assertive and directive acts have a positive effect on sales performance, but the expressive acts have a negative effect on the sales performance. In addition, this study also provides strong evidence that the effects of these speech acts on sales performance are highly dependent on the novelty of the live product. This moderating effect is particularly significant for sensory products.     

Bridges or isolates? Investigating the social networks of academic inventors

We analyze the acquaintances of a sample of academic inventors and their paired controls to investigate the contribution of social networks to the generation of inventive ideas in academe. Prior to patenting, inventors work in networks of similar dimension and structure as those of their colleagues who do not invent. The ego-networks of the inventors are however more cohesive (denser), a circumstance that is often seen as associated to the exchange of more fine-grained information and to a greater climate of trust which facilitates long-term relationships and learning. Over time, both inventors and non-inventors extend their networks and become more central. In general, we found no evidence that after patenting inventors isolate or close their networks.     

“E—commerce”职业技术人才培养模式探讨

“E-commerce”正越来越广泛地应用于经济贸易领域,现代企业对电子商务人才的需求不断增长分析《电子商务》课程实践教学存在的问题,从电子商务实践教学的内容体系、组织模式、教学方法、教材建设方面构建《电子商务》课程实践教学体系,探讨“E-commerce”职业技术人才培养模式,从而使电子商务教学更加适应社会对人才的需求。     

Duplicity effects of entrepreneur＇s social capital：A comprehensive view

全面认识社会资本的促进和阻碍作用至关重要。本文采用PLS多层建构模型,关注企业家社会资本对创新绩效的正、负影响。研究发现：第一,社会资本是一把＂双刃剑＂,既有社会支持,也存在社会成本;第二,社会支持和社会成本分别中介了社会资本对创新绩效的正面和负面影响;第三,发展网络成员间的相互信任关系,既有利于强化社会支持,也有利于降低社会成本;第四,社会资本引致的资金支持和资源支持对创新绩效的贡献作用较大。     

Is chess the drosophila artificial intelligence? A social history of an algorithm

Since the mid 1960s, researchers in computer science have famously referred to chess as the 'drosophila' of artificial intelligence (AI). What they seem to mean by this is that chess, like the common fruit fly, is an accessible, familiar, and relatively simple experimental technology that nonetheless can be used productively to produce valid knowledge about other, more complex systems. But for historians of science and technology, the analogy between chess and drosophila assumes a larger significance. As Robert Kohler has ably described, the decision to adopt drosophila as the organism of choice for genetics research had far-reaching implications for the development of 20th century biology. In a similar manner, the decision to focus on chess as the measure of both human and computer intelligence had important and unintended consequences for AL research. This paper explores the emergence of chess as an experimental technology, its significance in the developing research practices of the AI community, and the unique ways in which the decision to focus on chess shaped the program of AI research in the decade of the 1970s. More broadly, it attempts to open up the virtual black box of computer software--and of computer games in particular--to the scrutiny of historical and sociological analysis.     

The survival analysis on newcomers＇ turnover： A perspective of social networks

本研究以社会网络为视角,探讨影响企业新进员工跳槽的社会网络机制。选取2008年参加工作的毕业生为对象进行生存分析发现,入职前后的社会网络强度会显著提高新进员工的跳槽可能,而扩大入职后的网络规模则会延长新进员工的工作持续时间。交互效应的检验表明,入职前网络强度与入职后网络规模和强度的交互效应均会对工作持续时间产生积极影响。本研究最后提出了有针对性的建议。     

Two modes of participation: A conceptual analysis of 102 cases of Internet and social media participation from 2005–2015

In this article we analyze 102 case studies of Internet or social media-enabled participatory projects, technologies, platforms and companies in operation between roughly 2005–2015. We assign each case a “signature” representing the degree of presence/absence of seven dimensions of participation and then cluster these signatures to look for patterns of the most common ways of “doing participation” today. Two main clusters become apparent: 1) a “radical-direct” mode that emphasizes direct individual autonomy and influence, commitment to having a voice and setting goals, and individual or collective control over resources thereby produced; and 2) an “experiential-affective” mode that emphasizes the experience of being or becoming part of a collective, and the affective, communicational, and educational features of that experience.     

Deciphering the black box of HPWS–innovation link: Modeling the mediatory role of internal social capital

This study investigates the impact of High-Performance Work Systems (HPWS) on radical and incremental innovation in the services industry. Insights from the Social Exchange Theory (SET) and Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) Framework have been used to assess the role of social capital (SC) as a mediator between HPWS, radical innovation (RI), and incremental innovation (II). By using a simple random sampling technique, 328 responses were received from respondents in Pakistan's banking sector firms. For data analysis, structural equation modeling was applied. The results of the study show that HPWS is a significant driver of II, but not RI, in banking sector firms. Moreover, SC plays the role of mediator in the HPWS-innovation link. Outcomes of the study extend the understanding of the “black-box” (i.e., the transmission mechanism between systems of human resources(HR) practices and innovation). It also contributes to understanding HPWS, SC, II, and RI in the context of Pakistan's banking sector. This study expands on earlier research in the areas of HPWS, SC, and Innovation. It supports the view that internal SC enables RI and II. Prior studies indicated that HPWS drives innovations, yet there has been no clear explanation about the mechanism of this effect. By providing empirical evidence on the mediating role of SC, this study expands on existing literature. Empirical validation of an association between HPWS RI, and II contributes to theory by supporting the tenets of the AMO Framework. Unlike prior research that focused on short-term financial outcomes, this study used RI and II as alternate indicators of organizational performance. Our study expanded the literature into the services sector. Furthermore, we contributed to the methodology by conceptualizing HPWS as a high-order formative construct, resulting in significant model parsimony. Insights from our study are relevant to managers because it shows that HPWS implementation not only helps banks to attract, develop, and retain talent but also facilitates the development of SC, which is critical for enabling the innovation capability of the firm. Top managers need to consider internal SC in the design of HPWS because carefully designed HPWS drives SC. This enables idiosyncratic relationships among members of the organization. Thus, the firm gets a competitive advantage that is harder to be copied by competitors. First, data were collected from a single industry. It will be useful to know the effects of multiple industries in future research. Second, this study did not differentiate between different dimensions of SC, i.e., structural, cognitive, and relational. It will be interesting to see how these dimensions relate to HPWS and innovation in future research.     

Deep strategic mediatization: Organizational leaders’ knowledge and usage of social bots in an era of disinformation

We identified a lack of theoretical concepts and empirical knowledge about the perception and usage of social bots from the organizational and communication management perspective. Therefore, we first introduce social bots in the realm of communication and information management by using a profound literature review. Second, by building on mediatization theory and strategic communication, we introduce the concept of deep strategic mediatization. By surveying the attitudes towards and usage of social bots of leading European communication professionals (n = 2,247) from 49 European countries, we thirdly offer first indications how diverse European organizations in different European regions use social bots. Results indicate, that leading communication professionals in Central and Western Europe as well as Scandinavia perceive highly ethical challenges, while in Southern and Eastern Europe professionals are less skeptical regarding the usage of social bots. Only 11.5 percent (n = 257) declare their organization uses or are making plans to use social bots for strategic communication. They are used primarily for identifying and following social networks users. This refers specifically to the usage of digital traces for strategic communication purposes e.g., to identify topic area opinion leaders or social media influencers. However, this represents only a small minority of the sample – leading to the conclusion that only a small minority of organizations already practice deep strategic mediatization.     

Social constructivist account of the world’s largest gay social app: Case study of Blued in China

Abstract

Given China’s political conservativism and limited social acceptance of sexual minorities, it is paradoxical to find that Blued, a gay social app headquartered in Beijing, has become the largest app of this kind globally. Informed by the social construction of technology perspective and based on a yearlong ethnography, this article identifies three major factors that have shaped the developmental trajectory of Blued: (1) work with the Communist Party of China to employ Blued as a health education platform; (2) switch in orientation from a hookup app to a social app; and (3) push for the commercialization and internationalization of the app. This article spotlights that the voices of users were missing in the development process and argues that, for Blued to continue maintaining its success, it must stop relying on the “I-methodology” in its design and development. Lastly, it contributes to the SCOT scholarship and social app studies by deciphering the role of the state in app development in the Chinese context.     

Who cares? Practical ethics and the problem of underage users on social networking sites

Internet companies place a high priority on the safety of their services and on their corporate social responsibility towards protection of all users, especially younger ones. However, such efforts are undermined by the large numbers of children who circumvent age restrictions and lie about their age to gain access to such platforms. This paper deals with the ethical issues that arise in this not-so-hypothetical situation. Who, for instance, bears responsibility for children’s welfare in this context? Are parents/carers ethically culpable in failing to be sufficiently vigilant or even facilitating their children’s social media use? Do industry providers do enough to enforce their own regulations and remove those users they know to be underage? How far does a duty of care extend? Regulation of age restrictions has, it is argued, created unintended consequences that heighten online dangers for young people. While children are inevitably drawn to new online spaces for entertainment and fun, should their rights to participate in the social world around them be curtailed to ensure their best interests and those of the wider community? Such questions now pose significant practical and ethical dilemmas for policy makers and other stakeholders involved in internet governance. It especially highlights the question of responsibility for protection of minors online and calls into question whether the current model of shared responsibility is working.     

Marketing analysis of wineries using social collective behavior from users’ temporal activity on Twitter

Marketing professionals face challenges of increasing complexity to adapt classic marketing strategies to the phenomenon of social networks. Companies are currently trying to take advantage of the useful collective knowledge available on social networks to support different types of marketing decisions. The appropriate analysis of this information can offer marketing professionals with important competitive advantages. This work proposes a new methodology to extract the social collective behavior of Twitter users concerning a group of brands based on the users’ temporal activity. Time series of mentions made by individual users to each company’s Twitter account are aggregated to obtain collective activity data for the companies, which is a consequence of both the company’s and other users’ actions. These data are processed using classical unsupervised machine learning techniques, such as temporal clustering and hidden Markov models, to extract collective temporal behavior patterns and models of the dynamics of customers over time for a single brand and groups of brands. The derived knowledge can be used for different tasks, such as identifying the impact of a marketing campaign on Twitter and comparatively assessing the social behaviors of different brands and groups of brands to assist in making marketing decisions. Our methodology is validated in a case study from the wine market. Twitter data were gathered from four regions of different countries around the world with important wineries (Italy: Veneto, Portugal: Porto and Douro Valley, Spain: La Rioja, and United States: Napa Valley), and comparative behavior analysis was carried out from the perspective of the use of Twitter as a communication channel for marketing campaigns.