The Influence of Information Quality and Gender on the Social Commerce Adoption Framework by Saudi Arabian Users Using the UTAUT2 Theory
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Alotaibi, Sarah Saud
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Abstract
Social media (SM) is used extensively in Saudi Arabia, especially by women for online shopping. The number of active social media users has ranked the country as one of the strongest business markets in the world, and the largest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) market in the Middle East. These numbers are set to trend upwards, particularly in the context of “Vision 2030”, an initiative announced in 2016 by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. This comprehensive socio-political plan aims to provide equal job opportunities for both genders and increase Saudi Arabia’s economy through improving business markets. This study investigates the adoption of social commerce as one of the technologies under development by employing the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) to test the influence of information quality and gender on a user’s intention to buy products from social media websites. The extensive use of SM raises questions about whether Saudi Arabian users are willing to adopt social commerce or not, and this study draws from an online survey conducted among 300 Saudi Arabian participants. This survey data was analyzed by using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The research results indicate that there is a positive relationship between information quality and behavioral intention for adopting social commerce, gender as a moderator has no statistically significant effect on the UTAUT2 constructs for adopting social commerce. The managerial implications of this study are explained. The key findings of this thesis are used to propose effective recommendations for improving business performance by adopting social commerce based on the Saudi Arabian user’s preferences.
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Social commerce, UTAUT2, Information quality, Saudi Arabia, E-commerce, Gender