How Long Tail and Trust Affect Online Shopping Behavior: An Extension to UTAUT2 Framework

Abstract

This research aims at understanding the effect of long tail and trust on the customer motivation behind online shopping use. In this research, we adopt the Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology2 (UTAUT2) and expand with two additional constructs “long tail effect” and “trust” to understand whether these two key factors influence the customer motivation to choose online channels for shopping. Research was conducted in Japan for two product categories i.e. airline ticket and book. One is a physical product while the other is a service product. Both “long tail effect” and “trust” were found to have significant relationships with the intention to use, however, there were some differences between the two products, due to their inherent characteristics. Inclusion of both “long tail effect” and “trust” constructs to the existing UTAUT2 research framework is proposed for future research.