The Influence of Culture on Consumer-oriented Electronic Commerce Adoption

Consumer-oriented electronic commerce is a global phenomenon. However, while online transactions are readily accepted by consumers in some countries, in others consumers seem to be less accepting. This paper uses innovation adoption theory in combination with literature on culture and information technology to examine the question of whether culture influences consumers' intentions to purchase goods or services online. A multi-country survey was conducted to gather data in order to empirically investigate this question. Results indicate that national culture does influence intentions to purchase online. In addition to the direct impact, the influence of culture is also mediated by e-commerce beliefs.