Advances in Management and Applied Economics

Do Initiator Characteristics Impact Member Decision: A Study of Online Group Buying in Taiwan

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• Abstract

   

  In recent years, online group buying has rapidly become popular and has become an important part of Internet users’ social life and shopping activities. The current study sought to examine the relationships between members and initiators in such online group buying website using a number of variables to describe the initiators and the members. Based on sample of 688 members and 61 initiators in online group buying website, the research demonstrated the use of a two-level hierarchical linear modeling to examine the relationships of online group buying initiator and members, appropriately adjusted for a nested structure. The results indicated that members who engage in higher levels of purchase intention in online group buying are more likely to find initiators who have ability and respond to the members. To sum up, initiator characteristics affects the initiator reputation and member’s trust to initiator. Moreover, initiator reputation and member’s trust positively affect member purchase intention.

   

  Keywords: Online group buying, Characteristics, Trust, Reputation, Purchase intention.