JTAER, Vol. 19, Pages 846-862: Simulation Modeling and Analysis on the Value-Added Service of the Third-Party E-Commerce Platform Supporting Multi-Value Chain Collaboration

Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research doi: 10.3390/jtaer19020044

Authors: Wenbo Li Yajie Zhang Bin Dan Xumei Zhang Ronghua Sui

Service-oriented third-party e-commerce platforms have emerged as a new trend in the manufacturing industry. This paper aims to investigate the platforms’ value-added service (VAS) and charging strategies with a dynamic evolution analysis. Considering the change in the user numbers and characteristics of the e-commerce industry, this paper proposes a system dynamics model composed of multi-value chains and a third-party e-commerce platform. The simulation results indicate that the platform should reduce VAS investment and appropriately increase the VAS fee in the early development period. After the number of users stabilizes, the platform should appropriately increase its VAS investment and reduce the VAS fee. When the VAS fee is low, the platform profit first increases and then decreases as the VAS level increases. Differently, the platform profit will first decrease, then increase, and finally decrease as the VAS level improves when the VAS fee is low. This paper further finds that the strong cross-network effect of manufacturers is not always beneficial to the platform.

JTAER, Vol. 19, Pages 818-845: Factors Influencing User Favorability of Government Chatbots on Digital Government Interaction Platforms across Different Scenarios

Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research doi: 10.3390/jtaer19020043

Authors: Yuanyuan Guo Peng Dong

This study investigates the direct and indirect influences of behavioral quality, social support, perceived system, emotional perception, and public expectation on user favorability regarding government chatbots in both government service and policy consultation contexts. The findings reveal that while behavioral quality, social support, and perceived system directly affect user favorability in both scenarios, public expectation uniquely impacts user favorability in policy consultation settings, but not in government service scenarios. Furthermore, the analysis indicates that social support, emotional perception, and public expectation all indirectly influence user favorability through their mediating effect on behavioral quality in both contexts. Notably, the significant distinction between the two scenarios is the presence of an indirect impact of perceived system on user favorability within policy consultation scenarios, which is absent in government service scenarios. This study sheds light on the intricate interplay of factors shaping user favorability with government chatbots, and provides valuable insights for improving user experiences and user favorability in different governmental service contexts.

JTAER, Vol. 19, Pages 797-817: The Use of Digital Channels in Omni-Channel Retail—An Empirical Study

Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research doi: 10.3390/jtaer19020042

Authors: Iulia Diana Nagy Dan-Cristian Dabija Romana Emilia Cramarenco Monica Ioana Burcă-Voicu

This article aims to highlight the influencing factors on omni-channel consumer attitudes towards virtual shopping channels, providing the literature with a new conceptual model that studies the use of technology by omni-channel consumers. The research hypotheses were established based on the literature review, and a conceptual model was defined. Quantitative research was carried out on an emerging market through the survey technique to verify the relations between the investigated concepts. In total, 307 responses from Millennials and Generation Z members were analyzed using structural equations modeling in SmartPLS. The results show that both channel and consumer characteristics, alongside their media contexts, influence the attitude and willingness to access and use retail channels. To keep up with constantly changing consumer needs, companies are advised to continually analyze the target market and implement any necessary measures. The paper expands the studies investigating the behavior of technology users, enhancing the UTAUT2 model-based literature.