Eight years on: An extended model of online consumer behaviour

Abstract

It has been eight years since the seminal work of Hoffman and Novak (1996). The current article seeks to take Hoffman and Novak’s core ideas, namely the construct of flow in the Internet environment, and extended the model with the research that has been undertaken since. The proposed model discusses flow and considers it in relation to the perceptions, motivations and activities of Internet users. The authors also discuss the behavioural controls or the barriers that prevent users from reaching and maintaining a flow state. Furthermore, the model shows the effects of flow on the different session types i.e. surfing, searching and shopping. The article concludes with suggestions for future research.