Virtual buyer-seller interaction is the true driver of online purchase-intention: A study by ISM approach

Abstract

Individuals in modern society are hard-pressed to be physically present in each and every instance. Social media made their lives easier in this regard. So, virtual interaction, if can be effective, then those individuals (on-line purchaser) may be pushed up to the threshold level of their psychology (purchase intention) to purchase on-line their desired product. In this context, the research problem is stated as "can the on-line purchase intention be driven by virtual buyer-seller interaction?" The broad objective of the study is to analyze the relationship between 'virtual buyer-seller interaction' and 'online purchase intention' through Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) along their respective drivers. Qualitative research is the base of this study, where literatures on various empirical and theoretical research works or studies are logically related by the authors of this study to arrive at a structural model, which is developed through Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM). Major Findings of this study refers that virtual buyer-seller interaction with certain level effectiveness, is justified to have meaningful impact on online purchase intention having factors like customers' engagement, perceived value, and attitude towards on-line shopping action at the level-II of the ISM. Driving factors, dependency factors, and linkage cluster is explored clearly in this study. So far as originality / contribution are concerned, virtual buyer-seller interaction is explored to be a meaningful driver of online purchase intention. Additional originality is that three parallel mediators can be justified between the above said relationships through future empirical studies, which are developed through ISM in the current study.