Examining The Cultural Difference In The Intention To Purchase In Social Commerce

This study attempts to investigate how culture plays a role in influencing peers’ online shopping intentions in social commerce, conducted in Facebook – a social network site in a cross-national settings. We are interested in studying the moderating effects of the culture factor on the relationship between social interaction and social commerce purchasing intention, and trust; and the mediating effect of trust on the relationship between social interaction and social commerce purchasing intention. In order to achieve this, social influence theory and social impact theory are investigated and used to explain how social interaction potentially causes the intention to purchase in a social commerce context. And, Hofstede’s dimensions of national culture are considered in analyzing the culture difference among the countries considered in this study. Online surveys are conducted. The expected main outputs from this research are: (1) better understanding of the impact of culture difference on social commerce user’s behavior and acceptance, (2) better comprehension of the social commerce user characteristics and the impacts of social interaction on social commerce purchasing decision to design appropriate level of interactions with customers and fans in word-of-mouth marketing, and (3) a foundation for a better conception of social commerce model in the future.