Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research

The current study focused on examining the role of TQMk (Total Quality Marketing) in increasing the effectiveness of e-marketing within Jordanian telecommunication sector; TQMk included variables of service quality, market orientation and the customer-focused approach. A quantitative approach was adopted through utilizing a questionnaire, which was distributed to 18 marketing and project managers within Jordanian telecommunication organizations (Zain, Umniah and Orange). Results of the study indicated that TQMk can have an influence in increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of e-marketing solutions within the organization and mainly within the social marketing and electronic marketing departments, through developing the variable of the customer-focused approach, which has the deepest influence on e-marketing approach’s effectiveness; it was followed by an influence of service quality, and the least influential factor was market orientation. The study recommended focusing on clients within the targeted markets through different aspects, including price, new products acceptance, customer behavior and purchase decision motivators. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has entailed an unprecedented health crisis with significant economic impacts in many sectors worldwide. The tourism sector has been one of the most affected, with significant impacts on the number of cancelled reservations, a decrease in international travel and changes in consumption behaviour. This study aims to analyse the main changes in promotion and marketing in the tourism sector in Spain after the pandemic. To this end, a qualitative analysis was carried out via questionnaire-based interviews with 65 experts in the areas of marketing, consumer behaviour and tourism. The main findings show that online information sources gained weight over consulting friends and relatives, and a great advance in digitization is expected, where physical travel agencies will be displaced by online platforms, except for specialized and advisory services. Additionally, technologies such as virtual reality (VR) or artificial intelligence (AI) may play an increasingly important role in the medium term. Full article

Solvers’ wide and continuous participation is imperative for the sustainable development of online crowdsourcing platforms (OCPs). Prior studies have deeply investigated what and how solvers’ motives and demographics, task attributes, requester attributes, and platform designs influence solvers’ participation. However, to our knowledge, few studies concentrated on what these OCPs do for solvers in practices that are concerned with solvers and thus influence their decision to participate. To fill this gap, this study conducted a content analysis of 25 typical OCPs focusing on problem-solving contests to identify service measures that they presented for solvers. Consequently, 14 major service measures that are related to contest management, solver management, and requester management were identified. Thereafter, we discussed the roles of these service measures in solvers’ participation. They are activating solvers to participate, providing solvers opportunities to participate, and supporting solvers to participate. Our analysis, on the one hand, presents a comprehensive list of service measures for solvers distributed on these OCPs separately and on the other hand aids the OCPs to improve their solver service and for solvers to compare and analyze their preferred OCPs as a reference. Full article

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors determining the behavioral intention of using food delivery apps (FDAs) during COVID-19 pandemics, under a case study of Bangkok, Thailand. The study was necessitated by the increased use of FDAs during the lockdown; online transactions were considered important in preventing the spread of the virus. The study used quantitative techniques involving structural equation model (SEM) to evaluate the effects of exogenous variables on endogenous variables. Primary data were collected from people who had installed and used FDAs. The findings indicated that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, timeliness, task technology fit, perceived trust, and perceived safety significantly influence the behavioral intention to use (BIU) to use food delivery apps during the COVID-19 pandemic. To this end, effort should be intensified to study and understand FDAs as it pertains to safety and usage. Full article

In recent years, blockchains systems have seen massive adoption in retail and enterprise environments. Cryptocurrencies become more widely adopted, and many online businesses have decided to add the most popular ones, like Bitcoin or Ethereum, next to Visa or Mastercard payments. Due to the decentralized nature of blockchain-based systems, there is no possible way to revert confirmed transactions. It may result in losses caused by human error or poor design of the user interface. We created a cryptocurrency wallet with a full on-chain solution for aliasing accounts and tokens to improve user experience and avoid unnecessary errors. The aliasing system consists of a number of smart contracts deployed on top of the blockchain network that give the ability to register aliases to accounts and tokens and use them instead of opaque addresses. Our solution shows how performant modern blockchains are and presents a way of building fully decentralized applications that can compete with centralized ones in terms of performance. Full article

Virtual worlds have created unique economies whose outcome is e-currencies, which link the electronic universe and reality. This article aims to examine how perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived risks, and perceived trust significantly impact consumers’ virtual currencies’ behaviour. The study tested and used an adapted TAM model in the context of virtual currencies using structural equation modelling. The partial least square method of structural equation modelling is employed to test the proposed research model. The study utilises an online survey to obtain data from 205 virtual currency consumers. The data set was analysed using SmartPLS 3 software. The results showed that the best predictor of consumers’ intention to use virtual currencies is perceived usefulness, followed by perceived ease of use. Perceived trust predicts consumers’ perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. These findings reveal that virtual currencies are seen as useful and easy to use. Consumers trust them enough but notice the risks they carry. They can also accept problems associated with them when it comes to their intention to use them. Full article

Recently, companies and consumers of the wine industry have changed their manner of two-way communication, with the rise of technology that introduces social networks and urges the spread of content. In this study, we identified the use and importance of engagement in social networks such as Facebook (2008 to 2018), Instagram (2012 to 2018) and Twitter (2010 to 2018) since the creation of their official accounts for the main Chilean wineries. The methods used involve qualitative and quantitative approaches that integrate the opinion of a panel of experts to estimate a social media engagement indicator through a descriptive statistical analysis and network analysis, from data originated of 70,856 publications. The results show the upward evolution of engagement, calculated through the interactions seen from users of social networks of the wineries, with users of networks of these wineries leaning towards Facebook in the first place, then Instagram, and Twitter. The contribution of this research lies in the generation of empirical evidence that allows the wine industry in a developing country to enhance its competitive advantage through the correct use of its social networks, the management of its engagement, and the diffusion of new marketing strategies. Full article

The present consumer is surrounded every day by a huge amount of data and information and is confronted with the need to process the received information. Based on the existing content and the development of user generated content and fake news, consumers develop more and more a skeptical opinion regarding existing media information. In this paper we determine four clusters of consumers based on technology and artificial intelligence (AI) acceptance, skeptical opinion regarding media information, need for validation of received information and the influence of celebrity trend setters. For each of the clusters, we analyze the relationship between the skeptical opinion of consumers related to social media information and some present trends about the development of technologies and AI, the influence of celebrity trend setters and the need to check the received information. The results of the research show that the development of technologies and AI have an influence on the skeptical opinion related to media information for some consumer groups. The celebrity trend setter has a significant influence on the skeptical opinion only for one of the consumer groups. The need for information and news validation is related to the skeptical opinion regarding media information, but in different ways for the determined clusters. Full article

With the advent of the Internet and other digital technologies, contemporary businesses from all sectors are using social media for communication with consumers to engage them meaningfully with a brand. However, the use of social media for corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication is relatively new to the existing literature. Likewise, the impact of CSR communication through social media (CSR-S) on consumer emotions and behavior is, to date, underexplored. To address this, the present research aims to test the relationship of CSR-S on brand admiration and consumer purchase intention. The study proposes a direct relationship between CSR-S and purchase intention with a mediating effect of brand admiration. The data were collected from the banking consumers of Pakistan through a self-administered questionnaire. The authors distributed 800 questionnaires and received 463 questionnaires useful for data analysis, so the present research study response rate was around 59%. The data were analyzed using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique in AMOS. The results revealed that CSR-S is positively related to purchase intention (β = 0.233). The results further showed that brand admiration partially mediates this relationship (β = 0.079). The survey respondents confirmed that their bank’s CSR communication helps enhance their purchase likelihood and their feelings of admiration for their bank. These findings will help policymakers at banking institutions better understand the importance of CSR communication on different social media platforms to achieve consumer-related outcomes. Full article

An opportunity to resolve disputes as an out-of-court settlement through computer-mediated communication is usually easier, faster, and cheaper than filing an action in court. Artificial intelligence and law (AI & Law) research has gained importance in this area. The article presents a design of the E-NeGotiAtion method for assisted negotiation in business to business (B2B) relationships, which uses a genetic algorithm for selecting the most appropriate solution(s). The aim of the article is to present how the method is designed and contribute to knowledge on online dispute resolution (ODR) with a focus on B2B relationships. The evaluation of the method consisted of an embedded single-case study, where participants from two countries simulated the realities of negotiation between companies. For comparison, traditional negotiation via e-mail was also conducted. The evaluation confirms that the proposed E-NeGotiAtion method quickly achieves solution(s), approaching the optimal solution on which both sides can decide, and also very importantly, confirms that the method facilitates negotiation with the partner and creates a trusted result. The evaluation demonstrates that the proposed method is economically efficient for parties of the dispute compared to negotiation via e-mail. For a more complicated task with five or more products, the E-NeGotiAtion method is significantly more suitable than negotiation via e-mail for achieving a resolution that favors one side or the other as little as possible. In conclusion, it can be said that the proposed method fulfills the definition of the dual-task of ODR—it resolves disputes and builds confidence. Full article

Search engine marketing accounts for a high percentage of investment in platforms such as Google. Several studies have confirmed that users have a negative bias towards advertisements, so we apply social psychology theories via the elaboration probability model in this analysis. In this research, we modify the types of ads shown on Google’s results pages using the regulatory focus and fit and message framing theory to study attentional and behavioral responses with eye-tracking technology and cognitive responses from self-report measures. The results confirm a negative bias towards ads and a preference for organic results. Although promotion-framed ads seem to be more persuasive than neutral and prevention-framed ads, it was not possible to prove compliance with regulatory fit in this field through survey-based studies. Full article

Aim: This paper aims to analyze, prepare, and review the general guidelines and rules that govern the development of key factors influencing the enhancement of emotionally supportive networks and selection models using fuzzy logic theory. The researchers have identified eight important components of the information society (IS), representing the computerized economy’s growth to explain a realistic framework for medium-term gauges and proposals. Materials and methods: A discrete-nonstop opportunity paradigm portrays the creation of the general framework, in which the mutual effects of each of the components are spoken to models within the state-space. The software’s mechanical quality offers improvement displayed along these lines that may indicate future interest to programing suppliers. The researchers have given supposed to the developments and interests of information technology (IT) professionals in R&D to provide insightful foundations. For example, this study will demonstrate the development of emotionally supportive networks and recommendations of choices for 3D-web-based businesses and their impact on mechanical advancement, examples of use and social behavior. Results: During an IS/IT foreknowledge undertaking completed in Poland in 2019 and sponsored by the Education Research and Development Foundation ERDF, the results were obtained. Full article

The study seeks to answer the question of what strategic directions and opportunities we have for business in the midst of the info-communication changes of our time. In this research, we compare the results of non-representative primary research (cluster analysis and discriminant analysis) with the factors and latest methods of e-commerce or even mobile commerce and traditional commerce and their main differences. Based on the four clusters examined, we develop a new strategic model for practice with suggestions which can be used by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and which they can incorporate directly into their business models. Starting point of our hypothesis was that in order to develop an effective and delivered communication, a market needs to be targeted and at least four different clusters should be formulated. Full article

Peer-to-peer tourism is one of the great global trends that is transforming the tourism sector, introducing several changes in many aspects of tourism, such as the way of travelling, staying or living the experience in the destination. This research aims to determine the relationship between the sociodemographic characteristics of tourists interested in peer-to-peer accommodation and the importance they give to various motivational factors about this type of tourism in a “cultural-tourism” city. The methodology used in this research is an artificial neural network of the multilayer perceptron type to estimate a sociodemographic profile of the peer-to-peer accommodation tourist user based on predetermined input values consisting of the answers to the Likert-type questions previously carried out using a questionnaire. Thus, the model developed, through a customized set of answers to these questions, allows the presentation of a “composite picture” of a peer-to-peer tourist based on sociodemographic characteristics. This function is especially interesting for adapting the peer-to-peer hosting offer according to the preferences of potential users. Full article

Networking hardware might be considered a relatively unexposed enabler of the enormous success of the modern digital economy, and information technology of a global reach. The COVID-19 traffic spike across e-commerce portals puts further pressure on computer network component vendors and raises the bar regarding both performance and reliability. Therefore, the authors undertake a challenge of identifying factors influencing the level of Cisco switches acceptance among network administrators in business environments. To achieve that, Structural Equation Modelling is introduced. The feedback gathered from 205 study contributors enabled the authors to evaluate the significance of two domain-specific factors—Technological Innovation (TI) and Availability of Professional Training (APT). The APT was confirmed to have a significant impact on networking hardware acceptance. The study contributes to extending the decision-making rationale regarding the procurement of networking switches and shows the added value of technology-oriented professional training for job satisfaction and working efficiency. Full article

The purpose of this study is to explore trust repair strategies and the outcomes in mobile (m-)commerce. Consumer trust in m-commerce is a calculus-based form of trust; service failures, “inaction” and “excessive actions” are the typical trust decline situations. Three strategies of the fulfillment of consumers’ psychological contract for compensation, arousal, and regulation are proposed as trust-repaired solutions regarding the abovementioned three situations. The experimental results demonstrate that trust cannot be repaired by a single relational psychological contract strategy and that it can be repaired by both a single transactional and interactive strategy; the interactive strategy is more effective in competence-based decline. Second, in integrity-based decline, both the single and interactive strategy negatively influence trust repair; the relational strategy has the strongest effect. The “boomerang effect” shows that the more m-vendors repair, the more the trust decreases. Third, trust can be repaired, respectively by arousal and regulation strategy regarding corresponding situations of inaction and excessive actions. Finally, the trust repair paradox (TRP) has not been verified in m-commerce. Full article

Hotel websites are vital information channels for potential customers. Hence, their readability and attractiveness play a key role in online marketing for hotels. This study attempts to investigate how hotels use language strategies to better market themselves online. This study first proposes an analytical framework on the basis of appraisal theory, which aims to reveal the hidden mechanism by hotels in building interpersonal relationships, and uses such a framework to explore online language strategies used by five-star hotels in China. The general language strategy and the corresponding preference in the use of such a strategy amongst hotels are identified. Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are generated on the basis of the findings and analysis. It is among the early studies to modify appraisal theory to analyze tourism and hospitality text data and to adopt the corpus approach to explore the hidden mechanism of language use. Full article

The business intelligence (BI) market has grown at a tremendous rate in the past decade due to technological advancements, big data and the availability of open source content. Despite this growth, the use of open government data (OGD) as a source of information is very limited among the private sector due to a lack of knowledge as to its benefits. Scant evidence on the use of OGD by private organizations suggests that it can lead to the creation of innovative ideas as well as assist in making better informed decisions. Given the benefits but lack of use of OGD to generate business intelligence, we extend research in this area by exploring how OGD can be used to generate business intelligence for the identification of market opportunities and strategy formulation; an area of research that is still in its infancy. Using a two-industry case study approach (footwear and lumber), we use latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) topic modeling to extract emerging topics in these two industries from OGD, and a data visualization tool (pyLDAVis) to visualize the topics in order to interpret and transform the data into business intelligence. Additionally, we perform an environmental scanning of the environment for the two industries to validate the usability of the information obtained. The results provide evidence that OGD can be a valuable source of information for generating business intelligence and demonstrate how topic modeling and visualization tools can assist organizations in extracting and analyzing information for the identification of market opportunities. Full article

Modern businesses in the present digital age are facing different challenges for survival and growth due to the stiff competitive environment that prevails almost in every sector. Technology, especially digital technology, has changed the way of doing business around the globe. Marketers need to develop new strategies by incorporating the element of digital technology to overrun their competitors, as conventional competitive strategies will not produce extraordinaryresults. The rise of social media, in this regard, is a game-changer in the context of marketing as it provides a strategic touchpoint to the marketers to involve the customers with a brand. Prior research has largely ignored the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices of a brand and positive customer experiences. Hence the present study aims to test the relationship of customer-related CSR activities on social media on behavioral consequences of customers, such as their purchase likelihood and electronic word of mouth (E-WOM). The data were collected from the banking customers of a developing economy and were analyzed through structural equation modeling in AMOS software. The results revealed that customer-related CSR activitieson social mediainfluence customer behavioral outcomes like E-WOM and purchase intentions. The result also revealed that brand attitude mediates the relationship between customer-related CSR, E-WOM, and purchase intentions. The findings of the present study can help policymakers to understand the importance of CSRpractices from the perspective of marketing, which is largely ignored by contemporary CSR researchers. Full article