Determinants of consumer-generated-content usage for apparel shopping: The moderating effect of gender

Abstract

This study determined the influence of perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, trustworthiness, knowledge and competence as potential determinants of consumer-generated-content usage for apparel shopping in a sample of young adult consumers. The data was obtained from 455 young adult social media users using an anonymous questionnaire and the model was tested through structural equation modelling (SEM) approach. The eleven hypotheses were empirically tested. The findings confirmed all hypotheses in a significant way, with the exception of H2, H3, H5 and H7. Important to note on the study results is that while perceived usefulness has positively affected the attitude, its relationship with the intention to use consumer-generated content is not significant. However, knowledge and competence strongly influence attitudes. The indirect effect of perceived usefulness on intention via attitude, the mediating impact of perceived usefulness on the relationship between perceived ease of use and intention, the mediating effect of knowledge and competence on the relationship between perceived enjoyment and attitude have all been confirmed. This study stands to add new knowledge to the present body of consumer behaviour literature in Africa—a context that is often ignored by academics in developing countries.