Electronic Commerce during the Social Isolation Period: Impacts of COVID-19
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4013/base.2026.231.11Keywords:
e-commerce, compatibility, anxiety, technology adoption, Covid-19Abstract
The purpose of the current paper is to analyse COVID-19 pandemic impacts on e-commerce usage behaviour, with the closure of face-to-face retail. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires, based on the technology adoption literature, and analysed using SEM. Nine out 10 hypotheses were supported, with significant effects of perceived ease of use over online trust, as well with usefulness. Relationships between online trust, social norms and anxiety were significant with purchase intention. In addition, perceived compatibility had a significant effect on online trust, perceived ease of use and usefulness. Social norms also had significant effects on perceived compatibility. There is evidence of a weakening of the influence of utilitarian aspects, as well as a strengthening of social aspects in the formation of the purchase intention during the pandemic. The study was conducted online with only Brazilian consumers. It reveals aspects of online consumer intention during pandemics. Compatibility and ease of use became important factors in building consumer trust in online commerce in this period, but they were less important than the social pressure over the intention to buy online. Its originality stems from the additional constructs purposed to the technology acceptance models - compatibility and the anxiety in making online purchases, crucial in a period of technology adoption due to social pressures.
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