Title: The dark side of online consumer behaviour: a comparison of privacy motivators in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Authors: Kevin J. Shanahan, Charles M. Hermans, Wolfgang Hinck

Addresses: University of Texas at Tyler, USA. ' Southwest Missouri State University, USA. ' Louisiana State University in Shreveport, USA

Abstract: With over 30 million unique users of online music and software swapping services in the United States alone, piracy (a type of online shoplifting) where individuals break copyright and other laws, is now a mainstream activity. A cross-national online study of web enthusiasts in the United States, Canada and Australia was undertaken. The authors find support for previous research indicating there is an active online community with similar mores and standards crossing national boundaries. Drawing on extant literature, the authors test six motivations for this type of aberrant consumer behavior across three countries.

Keywords: online consumer behaviour; privacy motivators; United States; USA; Canada; Australia; online communities; web-based communities; internet piracy; copyright infringement; law infringement; motivation; aberrant consumer behaviour; consumer theft; online shoplifting.

DOI: 10.1504/JIBED.2003.007821

Journal for International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 2003 Vol.1 No.2, pp.1 - 9

Published online: 25 Sep 2005 *

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