1. Introductory Section

The Internet was made available to public in 1983 and since then its popularity has grown rapidly (Koyuncu & Lien, 2003).The internet and the World Wide Web have changed many aspects of everyday life and this has seen a rapid increase in the use of the Internet for different purposes including the way we buy consumer goods thus reshaping customer and supplier relationships. The rapid growth of Internet use can be attributed to its strength and convenience as a medium of communication, education and entertainment and as a tool for electronic trade (Dittmar et al., 2004; Koyuncu & Lien, 2003). With the convenience of internet technologies, customers are more comfortable doing things themselves with the ease, speed and convenience that it provides (Burt and Sparks, 2003).

Online shopping is categorised as Business to Business (B2B), Business to Consumer (B2C), and Consumer to Consumer (C2C).The purpose of this research is to conceptualize and validate the factors that help or hinder women and men’s participation in on-line buying with the focus on B2C. According to Horrigan & Raini (2002) as sited by Devaraj et al (2002)., Business to Consumer (B2C) electronic commerce has demonstrated promise as the choice of channel for consumers as the internet has gone from novelty to utility for many as there has been an increase in the number of people that shop online.

Past research that has been carried out shows that men and women have shown differences in attitudes in both the internet and shopping (in convection environments) (Dittmar et al., 2004). For example, Gilbert et al. (2003) studied the influence of technology on gender and another related study was by Jackson et al. (2001) who examined gender differences in internet use and the factors responsible for these differences. Both these studies found that females used emails more than mails, and that males used the web more than females. However, there have been relatively few studies that explicitly address gender issues relating to online shopping adoption and in particular, New Zealand. Therefore, this research will provide significant data on the factors that impact on culture and gender have on e-commerce adoption.

The recent announcement by the Prime Minister of New Zealand, John Key, that the country is to invest in its telecommunications that will result in an increase in the speed of internet; New Zealand citizens will be able to experience convenience in the use of internet technology because of the speed and this could see an increase in internet shoppers. As such, this could be an opportunity for companies who want to be a part of the growing market in estimating their customer base, developing customer profiles, or determining what people are buying and how much they are spending (Hui & Wan, 2006). Companies will also be able to address the issues that face customers with regards to purchasing online. Kwak et al. (2002) noted that the more that a customer accepts the internet as a legitimate medium for communication, the more likely that consumer is to purchase goods and services over the internet. The other reason that this topic is of importance is because there are relatively few studies that address the issue of the factors that help or hinder women and men’s participation in online buying and with particular interest to New Zealand.

1.1. Literature Review

Prior research on gender and Internet has been carried out to understand the factors that affect gender when buying online so as to address the issue of gender differences in the use of the internet. Gender is often used as part of the social and cultural meanings associated with developing marketing strategy and this is the reason why this research will be of interest in particular to marketers. 

1.1.1. Demographic variables

Most of the research that has been done has with regards to gender and the internet has been in the USA and prior research in the USA indicates that gender is one of the key attributes and predictors of online purchase intention (Okazaki, 2007). It would be interesting to find out if the factors that hinder or help women and men’s participation in online buying in New Zealand; and hence find out if culture plays a part in the buying patterns as very little is known about the internet and gender in New Zealand. Early research that was done (e.g Jackson et.al, 2001; Simon, 2001) found that males were more accepting to using technology and had a higher perception of the internet compared to women. Recent studies have found that there has been a decrease in the gap in terms of perception and use of the internet between women and men (Dittmar et al., 2004) and this has been as a result of the internet becoming more mainstream, affordable, and easy to use (Weiser, 2000). Teo (2001, pg 134) in his research found that males use the internet for downloading and purchasing more than females confirming the findings of previous researches which found that perceived usefulness plays a significant role in the perceived use of the internet.

The research methods used in the studies are mostly surveys (e.g Hui & Wan, 2007), and the limitation of this method is that their sample size might not adequately represented the population of Internet shoppers and the surveys might have been done on different days in different locations which could have resulted in biasness. 

1.1.2. Factors affecting internet shopping

E-commerce enables individuals to buy from anywhere, and to do so in 24hrs a day, 7 days a week and this has several benefits because there is reduction in time spent shopping as it cuts the time taken to make a purchase, becoming a convenient means of doing shopping (Turban, 2008; Thomson and Laing, 2003). Childer et al. (2001) in their research found that the motivations to shop online include utilitarian and hedonic dimensions like ease of use, usefulness and or enjoyment. There are also other exogenous features that affect online shopping, these include previous online shopping experiences and trust in online shopping (Shim et al., 2001; Lee and Turban, 2001; as sited by Monsuwe et al., 2004). According to Hui (2001) the factors that can hinder the use of the internet for shopping are related to privacy issues and the need to physically examine a product

Monsuwe et al., (2004) developed a framework that explains variables that improve the viability and predictive nature of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), which enables its application in the environment of online shopping

According to Monsuwe et al., (2004) “usefulness” refers to consumers’ perceptions of that using the Internet as a shopping medium. The researchers believe that this factor enhances the outcome of customers shopping experience and influences their attitude and intention toward online shopping. Perceived ease of use refers to the degree to which the user expects the use of the system to be user friendly. That is, if a system is easy to use, it requires less effort on the part of users, thereby increasing the likelihood of adoption and usage (Teo, 2001).

 Rodger and Harris (2003) in their research found that emotion, trust, and convenience predicted women's negative and men's positive attitudes toward the internet, and emotion and trust predicted the frequency with which males and females made online purchases. The reason is that in their findings they found that males and females differ in their online perceptions because they shop for different types of products or product categories; and in terms of trust issues female shoppers are more sceptical of online shopping than males. Individuals have different reasons as to why they shop online, Citrin et al. (2000) as cited by Park and Jun (2003) found that higher levels of prior internet usage, for purposes other than shopping, result in increased levels of the use of the internet for shopping .The question that comes to the researcher mind is: Are the factors that help or hinder women or men’s participation in online buying the same in New Zealand? 

1.1.3. Cultural differences

According to Zhou et al. (2002) culture represents a shared set of values that influence societal perceptions, attitudes, preferences, and responses and that people are deeply influenced by the cultural values and norms they hold and these influence consumers buying patterns (Park and Jun, 2003). According to Hofstede’s culture model, cultural differences are categorized into five dimensions; power distance, individualism-collectivism, masculinity-femininity, uncertainty avoidance, and long-term orientation (Hofstede, 1984; Hofstede, 1991) which lead to different shopping behaviours. Kim et al. (1998) classified culture as the western culture which is individualistic and low context and comprises of such countries as USA, UK and New Zealand; and an oriental culture which is collective and high context and comprises of such countries as China and Hong Kong. The difference in the individualism-collectivism dimension can lead to different shopping orientations for example those customers from an individualistic culture are likely to use the internet for e-commerce (Park & Jun, 2003). However, not much research has been done in New Zealand to compare the buying patterns of its citizens with those buying patterns from New Zealand immigrants.

1.2 Research questions

From what has been discussed above, the study presumes hypotheses and research questions in terms of the following dependent variables of gender effects on e-commerce adoption in New Zealand:

RQ1. Is there a cultural difference in reasons why individuals (men or females) shop online?

RQ2. Are the factors that influence males and females to buy online the same?

RQ3. Are the factors that hinder males and females to buy online the same?

1.2.1 Research Hypothesis

Users of information technology are different, they have differing attitudes about aspects and issues related to information technology and electronic commerce but do countries that are individualist in nature or that share the same culture have the same notion about e-shopping? This leads to our first hypothesis:

           H1: Different cultural groups will have differ in attitudes about e-shopping

The primary purpose of this research is to uncover the factors that help or hinder women or men’s participation in online. One of the principal fears that consumers face when they buy online concerns security and privacy (Bush et al., 1998, as sited by Hui and Wan, 2007). The following hypotheses represent comparison of attributes

  H2:  Because computer technology is associated more with males than females and new technology is risky, the adoption of e-shopping is more likely to be associated with male than female buyers in New Zealand.

There is convenience in online shopping because one can shop from anywhere and at anytime. Therefore the next hypothesis is:

  H3.  Time pressure and preference for convenience affect the male and female online shoppers in the same way in New Zealand.

 Ease of use is the consumer’s perception that shopping on the Internet will involve a minimum of effort. Venkatesh (2000, p. 343) as cited by Monsuwe et al., (2004), stated: “. . . With increasing direct experience with the target system, individuals adjust their system-specific ease of use to reflect their interaction with the system”.  This implies that if consumers get more experienced with using the internet, they will adjust their perceptions regarding the “ease of use” of the Internet as a shopping medium in a positive direction.

 H4: Ease of use is a factor that both women and men consider when shopping online in New Zealand.

 

1.2.2 Research method

The research method that is suitable for this study is the quantitative research method. The reason why this research method is appropriate for this study is that in this method the researcher expectations in advance of the outcome of the research by stating the hypothesis. This is true of this research because the hypothesis has been outlined. Quantitative research also involves analysis of numerical data and is used to explore the research question. 

1.3 Future research directions

There are some factors that affect men or women’s participation in online shopping that were not outlined in this research, these could be investigated. According to Park and Jun (2003) finding and identifying new mediating variables between Internet usage, perceived risks and Internet buying behaviour will be needed for a more accurate explanation of cultural differences in Internet buying behaviours between men and women. In terms of culture, Pavlou and Chai (2002) suggest that future research could also take into consideration the interactive effects of additional cultural dimensions, providing a richer understanding of e-commerce in a global setting by conducting studies in multiple countries with different degrees of cultural variation across Hofstede’s dimensions and incorporate gender in the research.

1.4 Implications for practitioners

The proposed study will be useful in that gender differences have been of interest to organisations especially to marketers for decades because understanding the different ways that women and men perceived online shopping will facilitate segmentation and individual targeting. If marketers are interested in attracting more women purchasers, the more women can be encouraged to purchase online, the greater likelihood of a significant increase in the profitability from this investment (Rodgers and Harris, 2003; Dholakia and Chiang, 2003). How to attract and retain consumers is critical to the success of online retailers because such knowledge is essential to customer relationship management, which has been recognized as an effective business strategy to increase the success of e-tailing activity (Zhou et al., 2007). Another reason why this study is important is that marketers can tailor their products according to different cultural needs by determining the most favourable methods of marketing their products and services (Pavlou & Chai, 2002). This research is important for marketers and e-tailors because it will enable then to know the factors that help or hinder women or men’s participation in online buying. Understanding these factors will be essential for making marketing decisions such as targeting individual needs (Monsuwe et al., 2004)

 

1.5 Conferences and Journals

The conferences that are relevant when presenting my research findings would be the IADIS International Conference e-Commerce 2009 which will be held in Portugal between the 19^th and the 21^st of June, 2009. The reason why this conference is relevant is because major international event for researchers, academics, industry specialists, practitioners & students interested in the advances in, and applications of, e-Commerce. The participants will have an opportunity to present and observe the latest research results, and ideas in these areas. This conference aims to cover both technological as well as non-technological issues related to this new business paradigm. One of their topics of interest is a focus on such topics inclusive of Consumer-oriented e-Commerce, Retailing in e-Commerce (e-Tailing) (www.ecommerce-conf.org, 2009), which are in part related to the topic under research.

With regards to the researcher’s point of view, the journal that would be relevant when presenting the research findings would be the Journal of Global Information Management. The reason why this journal is relevant is because it is ranked as one the top 5 journals and the table of contents of the past two years show that this journal has incorporated culture, gender and the journal has looked at the factors that e-commerce. The other reason why this journal will be relevant is that, the articles have used surveys and this could be one of the requirements for submitting an article, and this is the research method that has been used in this research.

II. Methodology

2.1 Sample

A probability sample of New Zealand citizens and its immigrants was studied. The reason why probability sampling is an important procedure in social survey research is that it is possible to make inferences from information about a random sample of the population from which it is selected .This will make it easier to generalise findings derived from the research (Bryman and Bell, 2007). The first 1000 responses on the surveys were considered, as 1000 was seen to have validity considering the limited resources time and cost. 

2.2 Research design

An online survey will be used for this research because of the limited time that the researcher has and the internet makes it possible to distribute surveys to the entire online population. Online surveys are also appealing to those for whom time is a premium and online surveys have a great turnaround time (Wolfinbarger and Gilly, 2001; Andrews et.al, 2003) and this could see positive responses from individuals as well as from those that are in diverse geographical areas. 

   

2.3 Measurements of variables

The research of online consumer behaviour is exploratory by nature and most variables measured by survey questions deal with consumers’ perception, attitude, and intention (Zhou et.al, 2007). The independent variables that are going to be measure in this research are the factors such as usefulness, ease of use, convenience, security, that impact on the buying patterns of men and women. To measure these variables, the researcher will use a likert scale which is an approach to attitude measurements (Bryman and Bell, 2008). The respondents of the online survey will be provided with series statements asking them if the statements are always true of them or hardly true of them using a scale of 1 to 5. The types of questions that will be asked are given in the appendix. The reason for using this method of measurement for the variables is that it helps detect clear variations in the reasons why individuals engage in online shopping. For example the likert scale in this research would distinguish those that find the internet easy to use from those that do not.

2.4 Procedure

To collect the data for the research, a web-based chatting server was chosen to obtain a sample of internet users. Emails were sent to the respondents inviting them to participate in an online survey, highlighting the reason why the survey was being conducted as well as an incentive for the individuals to participate such as entering a draw to win $100. Potential respondents were asked to forward the email to other individuals they thought would be interested in participating in the survey. The email also contained an external link lead the respondents to the survey questions. The sample of questions that will be asked is shown in the appendix.

2.5 Data Analysis

To analyse the collected data to examine each hypothesis, an independent t-test was used to test if there are any differences between respondents from New Zealand male and female attitudes to buying online and those of male and female immigrants in New Zealand. The variables were analysed using Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to find out if the independent variables are moderated by gender or by culture.

 

III. Results

The following section presents the anticipated findings for this research so as to show what the project is planning to demonstrate. The diagram below represents the response rate of from the study; it is anticipated that there will more responses from males as compared to females. 

4.1. Achievements

The findings of this study are mostly in accordance with expectations, and have given insight into the factors that affect the online buying participants of males and females in New Zealand. The study aimed at finding the factors that affect or hinder online buying behaviour in New Zealand, as most of the research that has been done has been in USA. The differences in how New Zealand men and women differ in their online buying patterns were highlighted. The proposed study managed to compare the cultural differences between New Zealanders and those of immigrants such Africans or Indians in their online buying patterns.  

4.2 Limitations and weaknesses of the proposed study

While our main focus was on the factors that help or hinder women and men’s participation in online buying with the focus on customers the B2C model, the business related factors that could be important predictors of consumer acceptance of online shopping could be considered as this was not incorporated into the study. With regards to culture, individuals are different but rather dependent on the extent to which the individuals are accustomed to various cultural values. Hence, the results of this study cannot be generalised to represent each individual in the population.

The use of an online survey may result in sample bias since people with certain characteristics may be more likely to respond to online surveys. This limits the generalizability of the results as the set of users who respond may not be a representative sample of the population of Internet users (Teo, 2001).

References

Andrews, D., Nonnecke, B. & Preece., J. (2003). Electronic Survey Methodology: A Case Study in Reaching Hard To Involve Internet Users. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 16(2):185-210.

Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2007). Business Research Method (2^nd ed.). New York: Oxford.

Burt, S. & Sparks, L. (2003) E-commerce and the retail process: a review.Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 10(1): 263–310.

Bush, A., Bush, V. & Harris, S. (1998). Advertiser perceptions of the Internet as a marketing communications tool. Journal of Advertising Research, 38(1): 17–27.

Childers, T.L., Carr, C.L., Peck, J., & Carson, S. (2001). Hedonic and utilitarian motivations for online retail shopping behaviour. Journal of Retailing, 77(4): 511-535.

Citrin, A.V., Sprott, D.E., Silverman, S.N. and Stem, D.E. Jr. (2000). Adoption of Internet shopping: the role of consumer innovativeness. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 100(7): 294-300.

Devaraj, S., M. Fan, and R. Kohli (2002) “Antecedents of B2C Channel Satisfaction and Preference: Validating e-Commerce Metrics” Information Systems Research, 13(3): 316-333

Dittmar, H., Long, K. & Meek, R. (2004). Buying on the internet: Gender differences in online and conventional buying motivations. Sex Roles, 50(5/6): 423 – 444.

Dholakia, R. R., & Chiang, K.P. (2003). Shoppers in cyberspace: Are they from venus or mars and does it matter? Journal of Consumer Psychology, Special Issue on Consumersi n Cyberspace. Forthcoming, pg 1- 21.

Gilbert, D., Lee-Kelly, L., &  Barton, M. (2003). Technophobia, gender influences and consumer decision making for technology - related products. European Journal of Innovation Management, 6(4): 253 – 263.

Garbarino, E., & Strahilevitz, M. (2004). Gender differences in the perceived risk of buying online and the effects of receiving a site recommendation. Journal of Business Research, 57(1): 768– 775.

Hofstede, G. (1984). Culture's Consequences: International Differences in Work-Related Values. Sage, Newbury Park, CA.

Hofstede, G. (1991). Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. McGraw-Hill, London.

Horrigan, J.B., & Raini, L. (2002). Getting serious online. Pew internet and American life project. Retrieved from www.pewinternet.org

Hui, T., & Wan, D. (2007). Factors affecting Internet shopping behaviour in Singapore: Gender and Educational issues. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 31(1): 310–316.

IADIS International Conference e-Commerce. (2009). Retrieved May 7, 2009, from www.ecommerce-conf.org

Jackson, L.A., Ervin, K.S., Gardner P.D., & Schmitt.N. (2001). Gender and the Internet:

Women Communicating and Men Searching. Sex Roles 44(1): 363-379.

Kim, D., Yigang P., & Heung S. Park. (1998). High versus Low-Context Culture: A Comparison of Chinese, Korean, and American Cultures. Psychology & Marketing, 15 (6): 507-521.

Koyuncu, C. & Lien D. E-commerce and consumer's purchasing behaviour. Applied

Economics, 35(6): 721 — 726.

Kwak, H., Fox, R.J., & Zinkhan, G.M. (2002). What products can be successfully promoted and sold via the Internet? Journal of Advertising Research, 42(1): 23–38.

Monsuwe, T., Benedict, G., Dellaert. C., & Ruyter.K. (2004). What drives consumers to shop online? A literature review. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 15(1): 102-21.

Okazaki, S. (2007). Exploring Gender Effects in a Mobile Advertising Context: On the Evaluation of Trust, Attitudes, and Recall. Sex Roles, 57(1):897–908.

Park, C. & Jun, J.K. (2003). A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Internet Buying Behavior. International Marketing Review, 20(5): 534-554.

Pavlou, P.A. & Chai, L. (2002). What Drives Electronic Commerce Across Cultures? A Cross-Cultural Empirical Investigation Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 3(4): 240-253.

Rodgers, S. & Harris, M.A. (2003). Gender and e-commerce: An exploratory study. Journal of Advertising Research, 43(1): 322–329.

Simon, S.J. (2001). The impact of culture and gender on web sites: An empirical study. The Data Base for Advances in Information Systems, 32 (1): 18-37.

Teo, T. (2001). Demographic and motivation variables associated with Internet usage

Activities. Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, 11(2): 125-37.

Thomson, E.S. & Laing, A.W. (2003). The Net Generation: children and young people, the Internet and online shopping. Journal of Marketing Management, 19(1): 491–512.

Turban, E., Leidner, D., Mclean, E. & Wetherbe, J. (2008). Information Technology for Management: Transforming Organisations in the Digital Economy (6^th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley

Venkatesh, V. & Speier, C. (2000). Creating an effective training environment for enhancing telework”, International Journal of Human-Compute Studies, 52(1): 991-1005.

Weiser, E.B. (2000). Gender differences in Internet use patterns and Internet application preferences: A two-sample comparison. Cyber Psychology and Behavior, (3): 167–178.

Wolfinbarger, M. F. & Gilly, M.C. (2001). Shopping Online for Freedom, Control and Fun. California Management Review, 43 (2):34-55.

Zhou, L., Dai,L., & Zhang,D. (2007). Online Shopping Acceptance Model - A Critical Survey Of Consumer Factors In Online Shopping. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 8(1): 41-62.

VI. Annotated Bibliography

a).Books

 Useful-worth considering

Turban, E., Leidner, D., Mclean, E. & Wetherbe, J. (2008). Information Technology for Management: Transforming Organisations in the Digital Economy (6^th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley

Low value can ignore

Bryman, A., & Bell, E. (2007). Business Research Method (2^nd ed.). New York: Oxford.

b). Jourals

Useful-must refer to

i) Hui, T., & Wan, D. (2007). Factors affecting Internet shopping behaviour in Singapore: Gender and Educational issues. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 31(1): 310–316.

 

Abstract: Despite the increasing number of online users and products that are being offered on the

Web, there is relatively little work that specifically examines the role of gender and

educational level on the attitudes of Internet users in the Singapore context. Our findings reveal that there is a general consensus amongst Singaporeans that the Internet is a convenient medium for information search or making purchases. The better-educated respondents seem to be less concerned with security issues. They also perceive that Internet shopping provides better prices and more cost savings. Females indicate a strong dislike for not being able to savour a physically fulfilling shopping experience online.

ii) Monsuwe, T., Benedict, G., Dellaert. C., & Ruyter.K. (2004). What drives consumers to shop online? A literature review. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 15(1): 102-21.

 

Abstract: While a large number of consumers in the US and Europe frequently shop on the

Internet, research on what drives consumers to shop online has typically been fragmented. This paper therefore proposes a framework to increase researchers’ understanding of consumers’ attitudes toward online shopping and their intention to shop on the Internet. The framework uses the constructs of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) as a basis, extended by exogenous factors and applies it to the online shopping context. The review shows that attitudes toward online shopping and intention to shop online are not only affected by ease of use, usefulness, and enjoyment, but also by exogenous factors like consumer traits, situational factors, product characteristics, previous online shopping experiences, and trust in online shopping.

 

iii) Park, C. & Jun, J.K. (2003). A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Internet Buying Behavior. International Marketing Review, 20(5): 534-554.

 

Abstract: This research attempted to examine differences in Internet usage, Internet innovativeness, perceived risks of Internet buying, and Internet buying behaviors between Korea and America, and to identify a model for factors influencing Internet buying behavior, explained by Internet usage, perceived risks, and innovativeness on a cross-cultural basis. Results showed that there were significant differences in Internet usage and the perceived risks of Internet shopping, but no significant differences in Internet buying intentions or online buying experience between Korean and American consumers. Nonetheless, analyzing a regression model of factors influencing Internet buying behavior, and cultural differences in effects of Internet usage and perceived risks on Internet buying behavior were found.

 

iv) Pavlou, P.A. & Chai, L. (2002). What Drives Electronic Commerce Across Cultures? A Cross-Cultural Empirical Investigation Of The Theory Of Planned Behavior. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 3(4): 240-253.

 

Abstract: Globalization and the ubiquitous nature of the Internet facilitate e-commerce activities across nations. Theseactivities demand a new conceptualization of online consumer behavior that transcends national boundaries and  takes into consideration cross-cultural effects. To better understand what drives e-commerce across cultures, we apply a theory of planned behavior (TPB) perspective to capture behavioral intentions to transact online in two dissimilar countries – China and the United States. We argue that adoption of e-commerce depends primarily on consumer behavioral intentions to engage in product purchases. The model first draws upon the TPB to interrelate online transaction intentions with attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. Second, given the uncertainty present in e-commerce, trust in a Web retailer is hypothesized as a salient belief that indirectly influences transaction intentions through attitude and perceived behavioral control. The paper’s major contribution is to incorporate Hofstede’s (2001) cultural dimensions - individualism/collectivism, power distance, and long-term orientation - in studying cross-cultural e-commerce adoption. We argue that these cultural differences influence the proposed e-commerce adoption model and moderate its key relationships. An empirical study was conducted to test the proposed cross-cultural model using data from consumers in China and the United States. The results render support for most of the proposed hypotheses, emphasizing the role of cultural differences on consumer e-commerce adoption. The paper discusses several insights from this exploratory study that contribute to the cross-cultural ecommerce literature. Finally, we discuss the study’s implications for theory and practice, concluding with several suggestions for future research on cultural aspects of e-commerce.

 

v) Zhou, L., Dai,L., & Zhang,D. (2007). Online Shopping Acceptance Model - A Critical Survey Of Consumer Factors In Online Shopping. Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 8(1): 41-62.

 

Abstract: Since the late 1990s, online shopping has taken off as an increasing number of consumers purchase increasingly diversified products on the Internet. Given that how to attract and retain consumers is critical to the success of online retailers, research on the antecedents of consumer acceptance of online shopping has attracted widespread attention. There has yet to be a holistic view of online shopping acceptance from the perspective of consumers. In this research, we conducted an extensive survey of extant related studies and synthesized their findings into a reference model called OSAM (Online Shopping Acceptance Model) to explain consumer acceptance of online shopping. Our literature survey reveals that a myriad of factors have been examined in the context of online shopping and mixed results on those factors have been reported. The proposed model helps reconcile conflicting findings, discover recent trends in this line of research, and shed light on future research directions.

 

 

Low Value-can ignore

 

i) Dholakia, R. R., & Chiang, K.P. (2003). Shoppers in cyberspace: Are they from venus or mars and does it matter? Journal of Consumer Psychology, Special Issue on Consumersi n Cyberspace. Forthcoming, pg 1- 21.

 

Abstract: Internet shopping (or e-shopping) is emerging as a shopping mode and with its requirement of computer access and use, it is interesting to know whether consumers associate e-shoppers with any gender-specific stereotypes. Such stereotypes may be expected since shopping is considered a “female typed” activity while technology is considered to be in the male domain. In this paper, we address this central question in an empirical study that varies the shopping context in terms of outlet type, product type and purchase purpose. The respondents are college students with Internet access and familiarity with online shopping. The experimental results suggest that the global stereotype, held by both male and female respondents, is that of a shopper as a woman. This stereotype reverses when the product purchased is technical and expensive (DVD player). In terms of personality attributions, the female shopper is seen to be less technical, less spontaneous and more reliable and attributions regarding personal characteristics are not influenced significantly by product type, outlet type, or purchase purpose.

 

ii) Kwak, H., Fox, R.J., & Zinkhan, G.M. (2002). What products can be successfully promoted and sold via the Internet? Journal of Advertising Research, 42(1): 23–38.

 

Abstract: The internet has the potential to reshape consumer buying patterns. Using a survey of 307 internet users, we explore four domains: consumer attitudes, internet experiences, demographics, and personality traits that may potentiality influence consumers' online purchasing. Via a series of logistic regression analyses and a correspondence analysis, we identify some important influencers. For instance, we find that those who have frequently requested product information and who are opinion leaders are relatively likely to engage in online purchasing. Managerial implications along with limitations of the study are provided.

Glossary of Terms

Internet - The shared global computing network. A network based on standards including Internet Protocol (IP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) and the Domain Name System (DNS), which enables global communications between all connected computing devices. It provides the platform for web services and the World Wide Web.

Business to Consumer (B2C) – e- commerce in which the sellers are organisations and the buyers are individuals

Online shopping - the process consumers go through to purchase products or services over the Internet

Appendix

a) Target Conference

Another Target Conference that will be of choice to the researcher other than the IADIS International Conference e-Commerce 2009 which was discussed earlier would be the 2010 International Conference on e-Commerce, e-Administration, e-Society, e-Education, and e-Technology. The reason why this recent conference will be a vehicle for gaining feedback for the research findings is because, the conference is going to cover a wide spectrum of topics and this will help compare if the researchers findings were relevant.

The main objective of e-CASE & e-Tech 2010 is to provide a platform for researchers, engineers, academicians as well as industrial professionals from all over the world to present their research results and development activities in e-Commerce, e-Administration, e-Society, e-Education, and e-Technology. This conference provides opportunities for the delegates to exchange new ideas and application experiences face to face, to establish business or research relations and to find global partners for future collaboration. All submissions to the conference will be reviewed by at least two independent peers for technical merit and content ( www.e-case.org/2010/, 2009).

b) Target Journal

The journal that would be relevant when presenting the research findings would be the Journal of Global Information Management. The reason why this journal is relevant is because it is ranked as one the top 5 journals and the table of contents of the past two years show that this journal has incorporated culture, gender and the journal has looked at the factors that e-commerce. The other reason why this journal will be relevant is that, the articles have used surveys and this could be one of the requirements for submitting an article, and this is the research method that has been used in this research.

The reason the researcher has chosen to publish in this journal is that the journal editor encourages authors to submit manuscripts that are consistent to the following themes:

 Cross-Cultural Studies – leading to the understanding of IT.

The journal also requires articles that are insightful and carefully crafted and able to advance knowledge in the area of research.

Online Survey

A survey of the factors that affect or hinder online shopping

 The researcher appreciated your willingness to participate in this online survey which relates to the reasons why you engage in online shopping. Your participation and input is important to this study. All your responses are completely anonymous and will be held in strict confidence. For each item there is a five point scale on the attached answer sheet attached. The numbers represent the following:

 1 = this item is never or rarely true of me

2 = this item is sometimes true of me

3 = this item is true of me half the time

4 = this item is frequently true of me

5 = this item is always or almost always true of me

Online shopping is a convenient way of doing my shopping          1   2   3   4   5

Shopping online is secure, I trust it                                               1   2   3   4   5

I have previous online shopping experience                                 1   2   3   4   5

Online shopping saves me time                                                    1   2   3   4   5

I find it easy to shop online                                                          1   2   3   4   5

I often by products and services on the internet                            1   2   3   4   5

I spent more than 3 hours a day on the internet                             1   2   3   4   5                                              

It would be easy for me to become skilful at using the Internet      1   2   3   4   5

I seldom visit a new Web site with which I am not familiar            1   2   3   4   5

Please tick the appropriate box in this next section

1. Gender:                                               1.Male          2. Female 

2. Age group:                                            18 – 25               25 – 35

                                                                 35 – 45                Above 45

3. Nationality                                           New Zealander             African

                                                                 Indian                            Asian

                                                                 Other..........................