Impact of the Social E-commerce Variables on Customers Shopping

Question: Discuss about theImpact of the Social E-commerce Variables on Customers Shopping. Answer: Zheng, X., Zhu, S., Lin, Z. (2013). Capturing the essence of word-of-mouth for social commerce: Assessing the quality of online e-commerce reviews by a semi-supervised approach.Decision Support Systems,56, 211-222. Introduction The present article concentrates on the recent progressions in the area of the information and the communication technologies as well as emergence of the Web 2.0 technologies that have brought about new advancements in the area of e-commerce. The current study focuses on social commerce that has become a new improvement in e-commerce essentially caused by the utilization of the social media to empower targeted customers to interact in a better way on the internet. The current paper also elucidates in detail the latest advancements in the information and communication technology together with the emergence of the Web 2.0 as well as the popularity of the social media have directed the way towards development of diverse new social media platforms. The platforms are said to have facilitated the overall use of the social commerce. The current study also sheds light on the existent academic body of literature and theoretical structure on social commerce, social commerce constructs, social commerce adoption model, intention to purchase and trust of the users in social networks Literature Review Social Commerce: As rightly put forward by Huang Benyoucef (2013), the academic literature on social commerce facilitates in understanding an advanced new stream as well as sub set of specific-commerce that can enable target consumers to acquire consent. The social commerce can in the process help the vendors to reach diverse markets by integration of different social interactions among consumers. Therefore, the social commerce can be regarded as a new development in the field of e-commerce along with the social networking sites as well as social media that can enable target consumers to become active content generator on the virtual space. As mentioned by Hughes Beukes (2012), a significant tool is the social media that can help in the process of differentiation of e-commerce from social commerce. Again, the social commerce also involves the use of the Web 2.0 applications that can uphold the process of interaction among diverse people essentially in an online context in which the contribution of diverse users can facilitate the process of acquirement of services as well as products. Qu et al., (2015) opine that the attractiveness of different social media sites is the primary components that can be used for the purpose of development of the field of the social commerce. The advanced social media technologies have essentially become the social tools as well as online platforms that can help in the process of development of social media. As per reports on the social commerce statistics, the objective of the social networking can help in the process of creation of online communities in which the members of the communities can share and at the same time seek common interests, actions, experiences as well as information regarding different products as well as services that essentially forms the critical social media stratagem (Li et al., 2013). Social Commerce Constructs: As rightly mentioned by Zheng et al., (2013), different types of experience of consumers in a particular online environment is distinct as the target consumers carry out interactions with different individuals. There are several social media scientists who are of the view that social media as well as emergence of different social media platforms namely, the forums as well as communities, ratings, reviews as well as recommendations have the sociability. Furthermore, the association between different e-vendors and consumers can be considered to be personal. The social media platforms are essentially the social commerce constructs that the current study will study. As mentioned by Wang et al., (2016), social commerce constructs (SCC) can be regarded as the social media platforms that have essentially emerged out of the technology Web 2.0 that in turn can empower the consumers for generation of the content and sharing of experiences. This social commerce constructs can make use of import ant information, provide important advice and at the same time share experiences in the social platforms offering a source for different online societal support. As rightly put forward by Wen et al., (2014), the ratings and reviews can be considered as one of the most significant constructs that can shape the overall social commerce. However, critical reviews generated by a third party can lessen the needs of the consumers as regards the information of the advertisement. As a result, reviews as well as ratings can create content and at the same time share experience to generate effectual information for target consumers. However, the engagement of different consumers can help in co-creation as well as generation of content that in turn can help in the social commerce constructs (Digital Intelligence Today, 2016). Trusts As rightly put forward by Chiu et al., (2014), trust can be regarded as a primary issue in economic as well as social transaction in essentially an online context in which there remains lots of improbability. In case of e-commerce, trust can be regarded to be very important where risks are very high. Again, the adoption process in e-commerce also requires maintenance of high level of trusts. The progressions in the social technologies as well as interconnectivities among different individuals on the internet platform requires maintenance of high levels of trust as well as security that shall permit two different parties to lessen the perceived risks of different transactions. Empirical evidences and prior researches reflect the fact that individuals prefer to diminish the level of social uncertainty. However, it is also disputed that in case if the websites of the e-commerce elucidates products or else the services properly, the target consumers shall trust the specific websites more . Nevertheless, this process can be facilitated by the application of different advanced social technologies that includes diverse customer reviews, pertinent information as well as experience of other individuals belonging to different forums as well as communities (Laudon Traver, 2015). For example, a good feedback and a recommendation from a reputable member belonging to an online forum or else community can probably provide high level of trust in the overall process of social commerce. Intention to Purchase As rightly put forward by Mohapatra (2013), the intention to purchase can be referred to as a construct of technology acceptance model (TAM) that can be regarded as one of the most important theories that can be used for the process of prediction of the intention of individuals to utilize the entire system. However, there are two different core concepts that can be used to examine and at the same time predict the intention of different individuals to utilize the entire information system. These two important theories include the Tam as well as the Theory of Planned Behavior (Zhang et al., 2013). However, the intention to purchase in the current study can be defined as the intention of the customer to actively engage in different online purchasing behavior in different social networking platforms. The TAM can be regarded is one of the most important concepts in e-commerce studies. Social Commerce Adoption Model: As mentioned by Turban et al., (2015), the social commerce adoption model elucidates different factors of social commerce, social commerce constructs, trust factors among many others. In addition to this, the social commerce adoption model also expounds in detail the ratings and reviews, recommendation and referrals by different members of the community and forums. This social commerce constructs therefore mainly consists of the recommendations, ratings, forums and communities and trust. The trust and the social commerce construct leads to the development of intention for purchase (Kang Johnson, 2013). Figure 1: Social Commerce Adoption Model (Source: Kang Johnson, 2013). Discussion of the Key Arguments with Supplementary Facts and Comparison of Related Theories Application of E-commerce Business Theory As rightly mentioned by Shaw et al., (2013), the applications of the social commerce applications are swiftly changing and is undergoing constant evolutions. Prior researches in the academic literature mention that customers have two distinct categories of orientations at the time of accessing different Business to Consumer sites. The behavior of the consumers can be categorized as transactional as well as social. The technology enabled shopping experience where different online consumer transaction offers the important mechanisms for the purpose of conduction of different social shopping experience. The transactional shopping experience concentrates on completion of different tasks associated to shopping whilst the social orientation concentrates on building strong association. The provision for customer reviews and at the same time personalized recommendations can be regarded as an important feature that can enhance the online shopping experience (Shaw et al., 2013). The table belo w shows the orientation of the online consumer behavior and at the same time support of the e-commerce technology: The applications of the social commerce make use of the different innovative technologies that can be categorized as social shopping website, add-on applications to different accessible social networking sites and mobile shopping websites. The transactional orientation also concentrates on completion of different shopping related tasks, whilst the social orientation concentrates on building strong association. The extension of typology of behavior of the consumers online involves categorization of online consumer behavior into three different types that the transactional, informational as well as social. As rightly mentioned by Zhang et al., (2013), transactional behavior concentrates on diverse utilitarian factors of shopping and the objective to accomplish the task in an effective manner. The empirical evidences and prior researches on marketing as well as information systems essentially mentions that convenience as well as unproblematic shopping has conventionally been the most si gnificant factor for carrying out the online shopping. However, the informational behavior concentrates on the acquirement of requisite information regarding products, services as well as trends. The objective of the current study is to remain accustomed as regards the products that might lead to instantaneous or future procurement. This type of behavior can be referred to as the goal oriented consumer information processing behavior. As rightly put forward by Zhang et al., (2013), social behavior concentrates on essentially building strong relationship and that have the inclination towards discovery of new products and at the same time development of diverse feelings such as warmth as well as satisfaction through the process of online shopping. The conventional e-commerce technology upholds the transactional and at the same time informational factors involved in online shopping, whereas the diverse applications of the social commerce essentially aims to meet social aspects involved in shopping and to potentially augment diverse informational factors (Melody.syr.edu, 2016). Critiques and Summary of the Literature The present study sheds light on different empirical evidences and academic literature on the recent progressions in information and the communication technologies in addition to emergence of the Web 2.0 technologies that have initiated new advancements in the area of e-commerce (Waset.org, 2016). The review of the existent literature on the social commerce that discusses new advances in the field of e-commerce along with the social networking sites as well as social media. The present study also critically examines the social commerce constructs that can make use of significant information, offer vital advice and at the same time contribute to experiences especially in different social platforms thereby providing a source for diverse online community support. In addition to this, the current section on the review of the literature also examines the trust factor involved in the influencing the consumers to frame their decisions to purchase. Conclusions of the Study The above mentioned study essentially examines existing theories and academic literature on existent information system. The present study elucidates and reviews in detail the academic literature on social commerce, social commerce constructs, trusts and the intention to purchases. This helps in gaining deep understanding regarding the overall social commerce adoption model and impact of the social e-commerce variables on customers shopping. The above study also helps in gaining deep understanding regarding the effect of the trust factor in the information and the communication technologies in bringing about new advancements in the area of e-commerce. From the above study it can be said that the social commerce adoption model helps in gaining an overview regarding the overall effect of different variables of the social commerce on the online buying behavior of the consumers. References Chiu, C. M., Wang, E. T., Fang, Y. H., Huang, H. Y. (2014). Understanding customers' repeat purchase intentions in B2C e?commerce: the roles of utilitarian value, hedonic value and perceived risk.Information Systems Journal,24(1), 85-114. Digital Intelligence Today. (2016).Digital Intelligence Today. 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