Table of Contents
Chapter Title
Page
Table of Contents …………………………………………………………………………………….
i
List of Figures & Tables ……………………………………………………………………………
iii
Abstract ………………………………………………………………………………………………….
iv
Chapter 1: Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………
1
1.1 Motivation and Problem Definition …………………………………………………………………………..
1
1.2 Methodology ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
2
1.3 Research Objectives …………………………………………………………………………………………………
3
1.4 Dissertation Proposal Structure ……………………………………………………………………………….
3
Chapter 2: Literature Review …………………………………………………………………….
4
2.1 Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT): An Overview ………………………………………
4
2.2 Disentangling Utilitarian and Hedonic Aspects of Online Consumption Behavior ….
5
2.3 Intellectual Buy-In: Fulfilling Utilitarian Expectations via Functional Performance
7
2.3.1 Defining Utilitarian Expectations ……………………………………………………………………
9
2.3.2 A Typology of Functional Performance ………………………………………………………….
12
2.4 Emotional Buy-In: Fulfilling Hedonic Expectations via Aesthetic Performance ……..
15
2.4.1 Defining Hedonic Expectations ………………………………………………………………………
17
2.4.2 A Typology of Aesthetic Performance ……………………………………………………………
21
Chapter 3: Model and Hypotheses ……………………………………………………………..
24
Chapter 4: Methodology ……………………………………………………………………………
30
4.1 Study 1: An Electronic Survey of Online Consumption Behavior …………………………..
30
4.1.1 Development of Survey Instrument ………………………………………………………………
31
4.1.2 Pretest …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
32
4.1.3 Sample and Data Collection Procedures ……………………………………………………….
32
4.1.4 Data Analysis Procedures ………………………………………………………………………………
34
4.2 Study 2: An Experimental Study of Expectations vs. Performance ……………………….
38
4.2.1 Development of Survey Instrument ………………………………………………………………
39
4.2.2 Experimental Design and Treatments …………………………………………………………..
40
4.2.3 Manipulation Checks ………………………………………………………………………………………
43
4.2.4 Pretest …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
44
4.3.5 Sample and Data Collection Procedures ……………………………………………………….
45
4.3.6 Data Analysis Procedures ………………………………………………………………………………
49
Chapter 5: Discussion of Pretest Results …………………………………………………….
55
5.1 Theoretical Contributions ………………………………………………………………………………………….
55
5.2 Pragmatic Implications …………………………………………………………………………………………….
57
5.3 Limitations …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
59
5.4 Dissertation Schedule ……………………………………………………………………………………………….
60
Chapter 6: Conclusion ………………………………………………………………………………
61
References ……………………………………………………………………………………………...
63
UNTANGLING UTILITARIAN AND HEDONIC CONSUMPTION
BEHAVIORS IN ONLINE SHOPPING
ABSTRACT
There is growing recognition that consumption activities embed both utilitarian and
hedonic components (Babin et al. 1994). Utilitarian consumption appeals to the cognitive
rationality of consumers by accentuating the achievement of desirable outcomes from shopping
activities (Babin et al. 1994) whereas hedonic consumption is gauged on the entertainment value
of the shopping trip and relates more to the emotive, fantasy and multi-sensory aspects of the
transactional experience (Hirschman and Holbrook 1982). By focusing exclusively on utilitarian
consumption or product acquisition, past research has been chastised by critics for not adequately
reflecting the totality of a shopping experience as it fails to weigh in the emotional costs and
benefits associated with the consumption activity (Holbrook 1986).
The same sentiments can be expressed for online shopping (Childers et al. 2001). The
interactive nature of the Internet offer numerous opportunities to enrich online shopping
experiences by improving the accessibility of product information, enabling direct multi-attribute
comparisons, reducing buyer search costs and augmenting the product acquisition process. While
considerable research has been conducted on these utilitarian facets of online shopping, the
emergence of the Internet as a hedonic communication medium has gained in momentum recently.
When transacting online, the social proximity and face-to-face interaction between shoppers and
salespersons are replaced by IT-enabled web interfaces, which act to create distant customervendor relationships. Such estranged transactional environments however, inhibit the
development and growth of online shopping.
Research has consistently demonstrated that consumers treat the technological artifacts
embedded within websites as social actors and ascribe humanlike characteristics to them. Insofar
as e-commerce websites are deemed as social entities by consumers when transacting
electronically, online shopping must not only fulfill its intended utilitarian function, it should also
deliver a hedonically charged transactional experience as advocated by a number of scholars.
Drawing on the Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) (Oliver 1977, 1980, Spreng et al.
1996), this study advances a model of the determinants of consumer satisfaction within the ecommerce context, which delineates between cognitive and affective features of online shopping.
The model proposes that feelings of satisfaction arise from consumers’ subjective assessment of
whether the functional and aesthetic performance of an e-commerce website caters sufficiently to
the fulfillment of utilitarian and hedonic expectations respectively.
1.
INTRODUCTION
This chapter will offer a brief overview of the motivation for my dissertation, the methodology to
be utilized for empirical investigation, the research objectives to be attained and the structural
flow of the dissertation proposal.
1.1
Motivation and Problem Definition
This section will briefly discuss the theoretical rationale for advocating the delineation between
utilitarian and hedonic consumption behaviors for online shopping and how the Expectation
Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) can be applied to investigate such a phenomenon.
1.2
Methodology
This section will give a brief elaboration on the methodological procedures for the two empirical
studies proposed for this dissertation. It will also explain the reason behind the choice of a survey
and an experimental study for answering my research questions.
1.3
Research Objectives
This section will outline the research objectives to be achieved through the empiricism proposed
for this dissertation and highlight how the attainment of these objectives contributes to extant
literature.
1.4
Dissertation Proposal Structure
This section will chart out the structure of the dissertation proposal by providing a short
description of what each chapter will entail.
2.
LITERATURE REVIEW
This chapter will review contemporary research conducted in the marketing and MIS academia
that examines the distinction between utilitarian and hedonic aspects of consumption behavior for
online shopping and their implications for designing e-commerce websites.
2.1
Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT): An Overview
This section will give an in-depth elaboration of the premise, constructs and relationships
embodied within the Expectation Disconfirmation Theory (EDT) to justify its relevance as a
overarching framework for comprehending online consumption behaviors.
2.2
Disentangling Utilitarian and Hedonic Aspects of Online Consumption Behavior
This section will conduct a review of extant marketing and MIS literature to derive theoretical
justification for distinguishing between utilitarian versus hedonic facets of consumption behavior
for online shopping.
2.3
Intellectual Buy-In: Fulfilling Utilitarian Expectations via Functional Performance
This section will endeavor to arrive at a series of salient utilitarian expectations that must be
fulfilled via the functional performance of e-commerce websites as well as a typology of webenabled technological features contributing to such performance.
2.3.1
Defining Utilitarian Expectations
This sub-section will describe my reasoning for subscribing to Moore and Benbasat’s (1991,
1996) refinement of Roger’s (1995) Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) as the conceptual
framework from which to articulate cognitive anticipations for e-commerce websites.
2.3.2
A Typology of Functional Performance
This sub-section will describe my reasoning for espousing Lovelock’s (1991) augmented or
supplementary service as the conceptual framework from which to explicate the spectrum of
transactional functionalities that play crucial roles in affecting consumers’ assessment of
functional performance for e-commerce websites.
2.4
Emotional Buy-In: Fulfilling Hedonic Expectations via Aesthetic Performance
This section will endeavor to arrive at a series of salient hedonic expectations that must be
fulfilled via the aesthetic performance of e-commerce websites as well as a typology of webenabled technological features contributing to such performance.
2.4.1
Defining Hedonic Expectations
This sub-section will describe my reasoning for performing an inductive classification of hedonic
expectations cited within previous research to arrive at the three generic concepts of enjoyability,
excitability and flow that are desired by consumers when transacting via e-commerce websites.
2.4.2
A Typology of Functional Performance
This sub-section will describe my reasoning for performing an inductive classification of
technical properties of e-commerce websites cited within previous research as being predictive of
aesthetic performance.
3.
MODEL AND HYPOTHESES
This chapter will construct a research model of online consumption behavior together with
testable hypotheses (see Figure 1) that delineates between utilitarian and hedonic expectations of
consumers for virtual transactions and explains how these expectations may be fulfilled through
the functional and aesthetic performance of e-commerce websites respectively.
[+]
Functional
Performance
[-]
Utilitarian
Disconfirmation
[+]
Utilitarian
Expectations
[-]
Utilitarian
Satisfaction
[+]
[+]
Overall
Satisfaction
Hedonic
Expectations
[+]
Hedonic
Disconfirmation
[+]
Aesthetic
Performance
[+]
[-]
Hedonic
Satisfaction
[-]
[+]
Figure 1: Proposed Research Model
4.
METHODOLODY
This chapter will describe two studies proposed for investigating the phenomenon of interest. The
first study will take the form of an online survey that tests the entire model on an actual sample of
e-commerce website consumers with prior transactional experience whereas the second study
will be an experiment to pinpoint the exact transactional functionality or aesthetic property for a
given utilitarian or hedonic expectation.
5.
DISCUSSION OF PRETEST RESULTS
This chapter will underscore the insights to be gleaned from the pretest results of the first study in
terms of informing the design of e-commerce websites. In addition, the chapter will also depict
the theoretical contributions, pragmatic implications and limitations of this dissertation.
5.1
Theoretical Contributions
This section will discuss the insights from the pretest results of the first study and their bearings
for advancing knowledge on consumers’ motivations for performing online transacting and how
e-commerce websites can be designed to match these motivations.
5.2
Pragmatic Implications
This section will detail how the design specifications for transactional functionalities and
aesthetic properties embedded within my research model can translate to practice for developers
in order to fulfill consumers’ utilitarian and hedonic expectations for e-commerce websites.
5.3
Limitations
This section will explicate possible limitations of this research as demonstrated through the
pretest and how my suggestions for addressing these problems in the actual study.
5.4
Dissertation Schedule
This section will tabulate the chronological sequence with which I plan to complete the various
research activities for my dissertation.
6.
CONCLUSION
This chapter will summarize the primary components of my dissertation proposal including the
theoretical motivation for the research, the empirical findings from the pretest and what these
findings imply for theory and practice.
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