Online Social Capital: Understanding E-Impulse Buying in Practice
Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Vol. 16, No. 4, pp. 320-328, July 2009
34 Pages Posted: 19 Mar 2009 Last revised: 16 Jun 2009
Date Written: February 18, 2009
Abstract
Socially constructed marketing imageries (e.g. e-atmospherics) help consumers while making choices and decisions. Still, human and retailing technologies interactions are rarely evaluated from a social practice perspective. This paper explores the potential impact of socially constructed e-atmospherics on impulse buying. A framework with three interrelated factors, namely social 'acoustic', 'co-construction' and 'mundane language enactment' is analysed. The way these allow for e-social norms to organically emerge is elaborated through a set of propositions. Retailing implications are subsequently discussed.
Keywords: Retail behaviour, e-impulse, social atmospherics/capital and practice
JEL Classification: M30
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation