Title: Exploring the relationship between seller selection and purchase intention: the mediating role of e-WOM and trust

Authors: Priyadarshi Ranjan; G.V.R.K. Acharyulu

Addresses: School of Management Studies, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India ' School of Management Studies, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India

Abstract: The emergence of the e-commerce marketplace has witnessed impressive growth over the years, attracting several players, large and small. While it has made shopping convenient, it has also brought in its share of challenges for marketplace operators to facilitate the development of seller selection criteria. Sellers play an essential role in e-commerce marketplaces because business activities such as product price, product quality, delivery lead time, delivery quality, and delivery cost depend on them. This study aims to explore the relationship between seller selection and customer purchase intention. A theoretical framework is constructed using trust and electronics word of mouth (e-WOM) to form a combined research model to describe how seller selection influences purchase intention. Web-based questionnaires, created using Google Survey, are used to collect data from people with online shopping experience and the responses are analysed using structural equation modelling with SmartPLS 3.0. The results show that seller selection significantly affects purchase intention and sets strong precedents for trust and e-WOM. Trust and e-WOM are found to be good mediators between seller selection and purchase intention.

Keywords: seller selection; e-commerce marketplace; electronic commerce; purchase intention; trust; electronics word of mouth; e-WOM; PLS.

DOI: 10.1504/WRSTSD.2022.123790

World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 2022 Vol.18 No.3/4, pp.416 - 435

Received: 16 Jun 2020
Accepted: 06 Jan 2021
Published online: 04 Jul 2022 *

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