1 / 2019-06-24 19:12:45

Consumers’ role in the survival of E-commerce in sub Saharan Africa: consequences of e-service quality on engagement formation.

E-commerce,Psychological engagement,Behavioral engagement,,E-service,Attention to social comparison

African Countries are witnessing a tremendous growth in online shopping. E-commerce firms have realized the need to engage consumer in order to increase their performance. Research indicates that consumer engagement goes beyond reuse or repurchase intention to include psychological and behavioral activities of a consumer, targeted at the e-commerce firm. The quality of e-services provided by the firms is paramount in determining the extent to which consumers will engage. However, there are external factors that moderate the effects of e-service quality on consumer engagement. This study examined how e-service quality influence consumers to engage and how their attention to social comparisons moderate that relationship. The findings indicate that, service reliability has no effects on engagement activities unless moderated by consumers’ attention to social comparison. However, all the other e-service quality dimensions recorded a significant influence on consumer engagement activities, with website security and aesthetic possessing the highest predictor effects. Finally, the findings also reveal that, consumers with high attention to social comparison were coupled with low engagement behaviors and highly engaged consumers have lower attention to social comparison.