近日，商学院（创业学院）科研博士后 LIM XIN JEAN以第三作者身份在Internet Research发表题为“Inducing shoppers' impulsive buying tendency in live-streaming: integrating signaling theory with social exchange theory”论文。论文合作者为 Sunway University 的助理教授 Luo Xi, University East Anglia 的Cheah Jun-Hwa 副教授，University Sains Malaysia 的 T. Ramayah教授 和 Swansea University 的 Yogesh Dwivedi教授。

Internet Research (IR)是管理学A类期刊， ABS 3, JCR Q1区，5年平均影响因子为 5.9，旨在发表管理学及信息管理系统等领域的前沿研究成果。

研究背景

直播电商是一种新兴的电子商务形式，通过主播和客户在实时状态下共享的临时虚拟社区来发挥作用。随着直播平台在营销推广中的迅速普及，本研究认为迫切需要开发一个综合模型，以探索各领域影响冲动购买倾向的因素。

研究内容和发现

本研究的贡献主要有以下三个方面。首先，基于信号理论 (signaling theory)，本研究考察了主播信号和产品信号在评估观众冲动购买倾向中的多层次影响。其次，鉴于直播购物的社交属性，本研究扩展了社会交换理论 (social exchange theory) 的适用范围，将客户参与视为一种内在机制，研究其在推动冲动购买倾向中的作用。第三，本研究深入探讨了关系导向作为调节变量的微妙作用，分析其如何通过增强社会交换来促进冲动购买倾向。

本研究通过对735名受访者的数据分析发现，高质量的直播互动能够增强与客户的关系并提升可信度。此外，研究表明，对称的信息交换能够有效减少客户对产品适配性的疑虑，并激发积极情绪，从而促进客户的互动行为，如点赞、分享和评论。结果还显示，客户参与是连接产品信息质量与冲动购买倾向的重要机制。最后，交互分析指出，产品信息质量对客户参与的影响，以及客户参与对冲动购买倾向的影响，会因不同的关系导向水平而有所差异。

论文信息

Luo, X., Cheah, J.-H., Lim, X.-J., Ramayah, T. and Dwivedi, Y.K. (2024), "Inducing shoppers’ impulsive buying tendency in live-streaming: integrating signaling theory with social exchange theory", Internet Research, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/INTR-04-2023-0260

DOI： 10.1108/INTR-04-2023-0260

Abstract:

1. Purpose – The increasing popularity of live-streaming commerce has provided a new opportunity for e-retailers to boost sales. This study integrated signaling theory and social exchange theory to investigate how streamer- and product-centered signals influence customers’ likelihood of making an impulsive purchase in the live-streaming commerce context.

2. Design/methodology/approach – An online survey was designed and distributed to the target respondents in China using purposive sampling. A total of 735 valid responses were analyzed with partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

3. Findings – Both streamer-centered signals, i.e. streamer credibility and streamer interaction quality, were discovered to significantly influence product-centered signal, i.e. product information quality. Additionally, streamer interaction quality was found to have a significant impact on streamer credibility. Furthermore, it was observed that customer engagement played a significant mediating role in the relationship between product information quality and impulsive buying tendency. Moreover, the paths between product information quality and customer engagement, as well as the connection between engagement and impulsive buying tendency, were found to be moderated by guanxi orientation.

4. Originality/value – Despite the prevalence of impulsive purchases in live-streaming commerce, few studies have empirically investigated the impact of streamer and product signals on influencing customers’ impulsive purchase decisions. Consequently, to the best of our knowledge, this study distinguishes itself by offering empirical insights into how streamers use reciprocating relationship mechanisms to communicate signals that facilitate impulsive purchase decisions.

5. Keywords Live-streaming commerce, Signaling theory, Social exchange theory, Customer engagement, Impulsive buying tendency, PLS-SEM

6. Paper type - Research paper

作者简介

LIM XIN JEAN, 中山大学商学院（创业学院）科研博士后。主要研究兴趣包括消费者行为、网络营销、客户关系管理和技术营销。相关研究成果发表在知名的管理、营销期刊，包括Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Industrial Management and Data Systems, International Journal of Hospitality and Management, Internet Research, Journal of Strategy Marketing等SSCI学术期刊。目前也担任多个管理期刊的编辑委员会成员和审稿人。