The impact of satisfaction and e-commerce platform brand trust on purchase intention of household appliances and consumer electronics

Abstract

A study explaining the consumers' purchase decision-making process, from past general purchase satisfaction and electronic commerce platform brand trust to the purchase intention of household appliances and consumer electronics, has not yet been abundant. The current study addresses this gap in the extant literature. The study applies the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Hierarchy of Effects Theory and the use of a quantitative research method with a survey (N = 401). The results reveal the causal relationships between past general purchase satisfaction, electronic commerce platform brand trust, and the components of the Theory of Planned Behavior - i.e., behavioral attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, as well as indicate the critical role of past general purchase satisfaction and electronic commercer platform brand trust in promoting the purchase intention of household appliances and consumer electronics in electronic commercer. Specifically, the study found significant direct effects of past general purchase satisfaction on electronic commerce platform brand trust and attitude and subjective norms toward purchasing household appliances and consumer electronics via electronic commerce, as well as of electronic commerce platform brand trust on the components of the Theory of Planned Behavior. The antecedent role of the elements of the Theory of Planned Behavior in predicting behavioral intention was also pointed out, with significant direct impacts of behavioral attitude and subjective norms. The findings contribute significantly to the literature on satisfaction, brand trust, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the Hierarchy of Effects Theory. The results also provide some managerial implications for electronic commerce marketers and managers, electronic commerce retailers, and social policymakers, aiming to contribute to improving business effectiveness and the sustainable development of electronic commerce in Vietnam.