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A Model of Online Consumer Behavior

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Handbook of Strategic e-Business Management

Part of the book series: Progress in IS ((PROIS))

Abstract

In this chapter, we develop and explain a model of online consumer behavior which is born out the authors’ collective research output in the last 10 years. The model presented is original and derives from previous ones with additional variables. It is based on the SOR paradigm of Mehrabian and Russell (1974). First visitors are exposed to website interfaces. Following exposure to website interfaces are emotional responses (pleasure, arousal and dominance; Mehrabian and Russell 1974) leading to website entertainment (affective atmospherics), flow (skills, challenge and interactivity) and some cognitive atmospherics. Most web atmospherics belong to the latter category (effectiveness, informativeness, structure, and organization) because the concern is to evaluate the impact of information content on other variables. All these dimensions lead to the processing variables such as exploratory behavior, website involvement, product involvement, website attitudes and product attitudes. To complete this model, are outcomes such as purchase intentions and online purchases. Finally we cover some selected important moderators, such as gender, personality variables and culture. We conclude with some ideas for future research, including applications to social media and brand communities, and with some managerial implications.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada

    Michel Laroche

  2. Montreal, Canada

    Marie-Odile Richard

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  1. Michel Laroche
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  2. Marie-Odile Richard
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Correspondence to Michel Laroche .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business Administration, University of Granada, Granada, Spain

    Francisco J. Martínez-López

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Laroche, M., Richard, MO. (2014). A Model of Online Consumer Behavior. In: Martínez-López, F. (eds) Handbook of Strategic e-Business Management. Progress in IS. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-39747-9_15

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