Abstract

Although there have been studies regarding the influence of customer reviews on consumer decision making at online shopping sites, research on factors affecting the perceived customer review quality for online shopping sites is limited. This study posits that sociability, which is one of the environmental factors of an online shopping site, can affect the quality of customer reviews. Sociability is a key factor in building a collaborative environment online, but studies have been limited to applying sociability to customer reviews that are the result of a collaborative environment. This study expects that sociability affects the performance of online shopping sites through the perceived information quality of customer reviews, and customers' efficacy. More specifically this study investigates the structural relationship between sociability, self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and the perceived information quality of the reviews in an online shopping context, regarding the patronage intention of customers. This study was conducted using a survey of 361 college students. The structural equation model results indicate that user perception of sociability increases self-efficacy and collective efficacy. The improved efficacy enhances the perceived information quality of reviews for online shopping sites, which increases patronage intention of customers. This study found that online shopping sites require a platform for customers to engage in social interaction to enhance their customers' loyalty and lifetime value.