Title: E-auction in China: the case of Taobao

Authors: June Lu, Lu-Zhuang Wang, Chun-Sheng Yu

Addresses: Department of Management and Marketing, School of Business Administration, University of Houston – Victoria, 14000 University Boulevard, Sugar Land, TX 7479, USA. ' School of Business, Zhejiang University City College, 51 Huzhou Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310015, China. ' Department of Management and Marketing, School of Business Administration, University of Houston – Victoria, 14000 University Boulevard, Sugar Land, TX 77479, USA

Abstract: This study focuses on consumer assessment of online auction in China using Taobao.com as a typical case. With an attempt to provide a theoretical framework for consumer evaluation of online auction business there, a research instrument, E-auction Web Assessment Method (E-auction WAM), was developed and face-to-face interviews were conducted with 22 Taobao.com users in Hangzhou, China. The findings of this research help us to observe the current consumer perceptions toward e-auction services and techniques used in China. The study also provides some interesting clues for identification of important factors toward consumer acceptance of an online auction website in an oriental country.

Keywords: online auctions; e-commerce; Taobao; web assessment method; EWAM; e-auctions; consumer perspectives; China; electronic finance.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEF.2007.012896

International Journal of Electronic Finance, 2007 Vol.1 No.4, pp.406 - 419

Published online: 21 Mar 2007 *

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