A study of purchasing behavior in Taiwan's online auction websites: Effects of uncertainty and gender differences

Purpose – Recently, an increasing number of Internet users have begun to purchase various products, both secondhand and new, from online auction websites. However, some Internet users are still hesitant to purchase products from these websites. Moreover, the factors affecting male and female users’ intention to shop on the websites may be different. Past studies have indicated that uncertainty is a major determinant of online shopping behaviors and may have different effects on men’s and women’s purchase intentions. Therefore, to explore the differences, this study seeks to propose a research model based on uncertainty and agency theory. Design/methodology/approach – This study included members of the Yahoo! and PChome online portal sites in Taiwan as research subjects. A web survey was conducted, and data were collected from a total of 313 bidders of online auctions. The casual model was validated using partial least squares (PLS) techniques. Findings – Gender moderated most of the relationships in the research model. The analysis results showed that the factors influencing men’s and women’s uncertainty are different. In addition, uncertainty has stronger influence on men’s intention to purchase products from online auction websites. Practical implications – This study contributes to a theoretical understanding of the factors that promote men’s and women’s intention to purchase products from online auction websites. From a practical perspective, insights provided by this study can help online auction service providers understand buyers’ concerns and eliminate the sources of the uncertainty. Originality/value – The primary value of this paper lies in providing a better understanding of male and female behaviors on online C2C market, and investigating the gender differences in the factors that influence the consumers’ purchase in online auctions.