Construing online consumers’ information privacy decisions: The impact of psychological distance

The Roles of Trust and Its Antecedent Variables in Healthcare Consumers' Acceptance of Online Medical Consultation during the COVID-19 Pandemic in China

Online medical consultation (OMC) is generating considerable interest among researchers and practitioners due to the mandatory quarantine measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. However, the acceptance rate of OMC has declined over time. This paper aims to empirically investigate OMC acceptance using a proposed research model by integrating the technology acceptance model (TAM) with trust and its antecedent variables. A quantitative self-administered cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect data from 260 healthcare consumers. A partial least squares structural equation modeling method was used to examine the data. Results revealed that healthcare consumers' behavioral intention was influenced by attitudes, while perceived usefulness and trust significantly influenced behavioral intention through attitude as a mediator. In addition, perceived risk, perceived privacy protection, network externalities, cognitive reputation, and interactivity directly influenced trust. Overall, the research model explained 50% of the variance in attitude and 71% of the variance in behavioral intention. The study's findings should provide useful insights into making effective design, development, and implementation decisions for OMC services.

Consumers' purchase intentions in social commerce: the role of social psychological distance, perceived value, and perceived cognitive effort

Purpose

Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has become one of the most influential information sources for consumers' purchase decision-making. Based on construal-level theory and from the perspective of cognitive effort, this study investigated the effects of eWOM social media types and conflicting eWOM on consumers' purchase intentions and validated the mediation role of social psychological distance, perceived value, and perceived cognitive effort.

Design/methodology/approach

Two scenario-based experiments were conducted to validate the research model. Specifically, a 2 (eWOM social media type: strong-tie vs weak-tie) × 2 (conflicting eWOM: with vs without) between-subjects design was used. ANOVA, multiple regression analysis with PROCESS, and partial least squares (PLS) were employed to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results showed that eWOM social media types had significant effects on both social psychological distance and perceived value. The significant chain mediating effects of social psychological distance and perceived value between eWOM social media types and consumers' purchase intentions were found. In addition, conflicting eWOM had significant effects on both perceived value and perceived cognitive effort. Indirect effects of conflicting eWOM on purchase intention through perceived cognitive effort were discovered.

Originality/value

These results contribute to the eWOM literature by investigating the influences of eWOM social media types and conflicting eWOM on consumers' purchase intentions. They also contribute to construal-level theory by extending its applicability to the field of eWOM.