Hierarchical value-attainment paths of CBEC consumers: a means-end-chain perspective

PurposeThis study elicits the critical attributes, consequences and values associated with the purchasing process in the context of cross-border e-commerce (CBEC). The purpose is to provide a better understanding of the fundamental factors that determine consumer values in CBEC.Design/methodology/ap...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inInternet research Vol. 31; no. 2; pp. 699 - 736
Main Authors Xu, Xiao-Yu, Tayyab, Syed Muhammad Usman, Chang, Fang-Kai, Zhao, Kai
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Bradford Emerald Publishing Limited 10.03.2021
Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Subjects
Chains
Consumers
Context
Decision making
Delivery Systems
Economic development
Electronic commerce
International trade
Ladders
Literature Reviews
Merchandise Information
Retail stores
Retailing
Shopping
Small & medium sized enterprises-SME
Technology Acceptance Model
United States > US
China
Soft-laddering technique
Consumer values
Cross-border e-commerce
Means-end-chain model
Attribute-consequence-value path
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Summary:PurposeThis study elicits the critical attributes, consequences and values associated with the purchasing process in the context of cross-border e-commerce (CBEC). The purpose is to provide a better understanding of the fundamental factors that determine consumer values in CBEC.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies the means-end-chain theory and soft-laddering techniques to interview 60 CBEC consumers to construct an implication matrix and a hierarchical value map (HVM) of the consumer purchasing process, consisting of attribute-consequence-value (A-C-V) paths.FindingsBy analyzing the significant linkages, elements, ladders and chains in the HVM, four dominant A-C-V paths were identified: economic-driven, efficiency-driven, progress-driven and quality-driven paths.Research limitations/implicationsThis study included only Chinese CBEC buyers. This limitation might affect the generalizability of the conclusions as culture, purchase habits and economic development differ between China and other countries.Practical implicationsThe results of this study provide CBEC practitioners an understanding of the consumer purchasing process and how consumer values are associated with platform characteristics. Thus, the results aid practitioners in allocating resources and developing CBEC platforms in an appropriate manner and direction.Originality/valueThis study sheds lights on the emerging phenomenon of CBEC. By applying the means-end-chain approach, the study provides a comprehensive HVM for interpreting the consumer online purchasing process in this novel context. By illustrating the dominant paths, this research provides deeper theoretical insights into the specific focuses of CBEC consumer purchasing.
ISSN:1066-2243
2054-5657
DOI:10.1108/INTR-10-2019-0397