Online Consumption Motivations: An Integrated Theoretical Delimitation and Refinement Based on Qualitative Analyses

Abstract

The importance of the Web is growing due to its capacity to provide information, goods and services, and thanks to its capacity to increase the value proposition for consumers. Using online platforms and strategies, companies may provide various benefits, utilitarian and hedonic, which consumers can seek out by means of online consumption processes. The fundamental objective of this paper is to realize an approximation and detailed theoretical delimitationof the structure of motivations associated with online consumption; until now there have only been partial or incomplete contributions in this respect. To this end, an exhaustive literature review was conducted and an initial theoretical proposal was developed, followed by a qualitative study phase aimed at refining said proposal. The dimensions finally arrived at are ten utilitarian motivation categories and eleven hedonic motivation categories. Finally, diverse concluding remarks are presented for academics and practitioners. The most noteworthy research opportunity derived from this study is the evaluation and validation of this motivational structure using confirmatory analyses.