How social cues work in the context of livestreaming e-commerce?

Abstract

<p>Livestreaming e-commerce as an emerging social-technological phenomenon has been gaining attention from IS researchers. While past literature has accumulated extensive knowledge on explanatory variables that might lead to the viewers’ purchasing behaviours, most of such empirical work focuses on prediction rather than explaining the causal mechanism. In this in-progress study, we draw on the psychology literature and hypothesise informational conformity and social facilitation as two key pathways leading to the purchasing behaviour in the emerging context. This conceptual framework would also be empirically verified using the field data. We propose using a structural equation modelling approach to test the conceptual model. Potential theoretical and practical implications are discussed.<br></p>