INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 8, ISSUE 11, NOVEMBER 2019 ISSN 2277-8616

Antecedents Of Online Impulsive Buying

Behaviour: A Meta-Analysis
Annie John, R Rathidevi, Jain Mathew

Abstract: The advancement of technology has created curiosity among researchers and marketers in identify the possible antecedents to online
impulsive buying. The concept of impulse buying is often defined as ―unplanned‖ purchase behaviour. Researchers have identifi ed few factors based on
a systematic review of literature. The factors have then been combined using Meta-Analysis to arrive at variables that act as antecedents to Impulse
Buying behaviour. The variables identified include promotion, web atmospherics, online behaviour, shopping context, buyer‘s emotions and buyers‘
personality which all contribute significantly proving to be an important antecedent of impulsive online buying. The above id entification of antecedents will
help the marketing practitioners to understand and improve the characteristics of each antecedent. Further investigation can be done by further research
scholars on finding if any variable could be added in enhancing the sales by creating a better impulse on the online platform.

Index Terms: Online buying, impulsive burying behaviour, online behaviour, shopping context, buyer‘s emotions, buyers‘ personality, Meta-Analysis
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1. INTRODUCTION Promotion (P): Promotion which is an important marketing

OVER the decade's research has focused on the offline
factors affecting impulse buying [7]. The importance of online
has been emphasised only by few authors like [13]. The first
study making an attempt to understand the online impulse
buying was conducted by Adelaar et. al. [1]. Impulse Buying
Behaviour has gained importance due to its impact on online
Purchase Intention [24]. The construct of online impulsive
buying behaviour is often confused with online buying
tendencies. However, both differ from each other ―as the
former captures a relatively enduring consumer trait that
produces urges or motivations for the latter‖ [25].
2 REVIEW OF LITERATURE
Research in the area of Online Impulsive Buying Behaviour is
fairly recent, however a lot of studies have attempted to
identify factors that could lead to Impulsive Buying Behaviour
in the online retail context. Some of the key antecedents have
been described below.
2.1 Antecedents of online Impulsive Buying Behaviour
Web Atmospherics (WA): One of the key variables to be
considered in the online scenario is Web Atmospherics or
online atmospherics. Eroglu et. al. [8], were the first to study
atmospherics online and as researched, is said to trigger
online impulse buying. The other factors included web
atmospherics and characteristics of Commercial Website,
Ease of Use, Product Variety, Visual Appearance and
Navigation. (Madhavaram and Laverie [16], also state that
advertisements online, images of the product and prices lead
to impulsive buying behaviour.
H1: Web atmospherics is related to online impulsive buying
behaviour
________________________
 Annie John is currently a Research Scholar at Mother
Teresa Women’s University, Kodaikanal,
annieelizabethjohn@gmail.com, +91 87629 45540
 Dr. R. Rathidevi currently works as an Assistant Professor
at Mother Teresa Women’s University, Kodaikanal
 Dr. Jain Mathew currently works as Professor and Dean in
Faculty of Management at CHRIST (Deemed University),
Bangalore
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strategy is studied and researched worldwide. In the studies of
Chan [6] and Campbell [5] promotional activities like coupon
discount, the concept of flash sale, price discounts have found
to trigger impulsive purchases. Studies conducted by authors
Tu, Wu, Jean, and Huang [21] have supported that this
concept remains true in the online context.
H2: Promotion is related to online impulsive buying
Buyer Personality (BP): Understanding the personality of
customers has been considered as an important ‗research
tool‘ for marketers [14]. Personality traits such as self-esteem
and self-efficacy have been studied in the research carried out
by Ahmad et. al. [2] and relation has been positive to online
impulsive buying. Buyer involvement and spontaneous
tendency also act as a key antecedent of online impulsive
buying [12]. This led to the third hypothesis of the study.
H3: Buyer Personality is related to online impulsive buying
Buyer Emotion (BE): The study of Impulsive Buying has
revealed internal and external cues. the internal cues include
the affective state of the individual. This includes the emotions
and feelings of the buyer [23]. The affective state has been
known to trigger impulse buying.
H4: Buyer Emotion is positively related to online impulsive
buying
Online Behaviour (OB): Internet addiction is characterised as a
behaviour and in the current generation also identifies as
impulse control disorder. This disorder has been used by
marketers to sell better. Addiction to internet and online buying
behaviour are positively related as found in the research of
[20].
H5: Online Behaviour is related to online impulsive buying
Shopping Context (SC): Shopping has been considered to be
an escape for people. Impulsive purchases have also been
known to be a route to relieve stress for many. Many research
results have revealed that impulse buying satisfies a number
of needs such as fun, pleasure and adventure [19], [10]. This
dimension continues to remain important in the online context
also [11].
H6: Shopping context is related to online impulsive buying
3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
A Systematic review of literature was conducted to identify
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Processes
Negative
factors influencing Impulsive Buying Behaviour. The factors 27 0.400 147
Emotions
were then grouped to identify the variables and the 28 Arousal 0.457 120
approximate strength of the relation was calculated using Met 29 Arousal 0.665 151
Analysis. studies that were included in the meta-analysis, were 30 Cognitive State -0.169 300
sourced from ProQuest. Only the studies which reviewed the 31 Attitude 0.334 151
32 Impulsivity 0.167 151
direct relationship were included and the correlation values
33 Materialism 0.160 156
were collected from the study. The r values were then Participant
converted to Fishers Zr values and the meta-analysis was 34 0.512 150
Characteristics
carried out in SPSS. 35 Self Esteem 0.374 257
36 Self-Efficacy -0.130 381
4 ANALYSIS 37 Task Orientation -0.120 381
38 Buying Tendency 0.394 300
The first step of the analysis involved identification of the 39 Trust 0.290 144 Buyer Personality
antecedents from literature in the area of Impulsive buying in Normative
the online context. Papers that showed the direct relation 40 0.140 300
Evaluation
between the factors and the construct of Online Impulsive 41 Trust 0.270 144
Buying were included in the study. A total of 81 papers were 42 Involvement 0.114 151
reviewed and a list of factors that influence Online Impulsive 43 Buying Tendency 0.394 300
Buying Behaviour were identified and recorded, along with Buying
44 0.350 314
Unobserved
their observed correlation coefficients and the sample size of Avoiding
the study. The similar variables were then grouped to identify 45 0.120 314
Interaction
factors or antecedents. The grouping was done on the basis of Customized
46 0.750 302
theory and literature in the area of marketing. The groupings Preview
revealed 6 factors; Online Behaviour, Shopping Context, 47 Discount 0.170 147
Buyer Emotion, Buyer Personality, Promotion and Web 48 Images 0.860 156
Atmospherics. The identified variables, their correlation Perceived Low
49 0.310 515
Price
coefficients with respect to the relation with Online Impulsive Promotion
Buying Behaviour, samples size of the respective studies and 50 0.050 162 Promotion
Degree
the factors have been shown in Table 1. 51 Promotion Range 0.500 162
52 Sales Promotion 0.511 1161
TABLE 1: LIST OF FACTORS INFLUENCING IMPULSIVE BUYING 53 Tele-presence 0.551 151
BEHAVIOUR (IBB) 54 Value Perception 0.120 151
Actual shipping
55 0.080 162
time
S No. Factors r N Category
Characteristics of
1 Browsing 0.311 515
56 Commercial 0.650 302
Intention to buy Website
2 0.490 144
online
Perceived
3 Internet Addiction 0.290 381 Online Behaviour 57 0.780 302
Commitment
4 Internet Addiction 0.663 257 Complementary
5 Internet Usage 0.200 126 58 0.431 1161
Relation
6 Technical -0.100 147 59 Credit Card use 0.481 1161 Web
Adventure Atmospherics
7 0.312 671 60 Ease of Use 0.569 1161
Shopping 61 Entertainment 0.322 1161
Adventure 62 Preparation time -0.200 162
8 0.225 430
Shopping
63 Product Variety 0.080 314
9 Idea Shopping 0.542 671
Visual
10 Idea Shopping 0.636 430 64 0.570 302
Appearance
Relaxation 65 Navigation 0.810 302
11 0.690 430
Shopping
Shopping Context
Relazation
12 0.316 671 The researchers attempted to calculate the approximate
Shopping
13 Scarcity 0.234 671 strengths of the relation using Meta-Analysis. This involved the
14 Serendipity 0.343 671 calculation of the corresponding Fisher‘s z score for each
15 Social Shopping 0.690 430 factor, calculation of the weightage to be given to each study
16 Social Shopping 0.343 671 (inverse Variance Weights) and the combining of the
17 Value Shopping 0.533 430 correlation values using the Wilson macros in SPSS. An
18 Value Shopping 0.287 671
analysis of the significance levels revealed that all the
19 Gender and Age 0.100 126
20 Pleasure 0.617 151 variables had a statistically significant relation with Online
Pleasure of Impulse Buying behaviour.
21 0.830 302
service
22
Immediate
0.410 314 Buyer Emotion
TABLE 2: FACTORS OF ONLINE IMPULSIVE BUYING BEHAVIOUR
Positive Feeling Factors R P
23 Positive Emotion 0.500 147 1 Online Behaviour 0.333 0.002
24 Stress 0.110 156
2 Shopping Context 0.446 0.000
25 Affective State 0.154 300
26 Affective 0.560 147
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3 Buyer Emotion 0.424 0.000 were found to have a correlation of 0.443 with Impulsive
4 Buyer Personality 0.229 0.000 Buying Behaviour. This suggests that a promotions can
encourage impulsive purchase. These promotional activities
5 Promotion 0.443 0.000
may be in the form of discounts or special offers or special
6 Web Atmospherics 0.498 0.000 delivery options [22]. This is very similar to the offline scenario
where Promotional activities in store have been found to
The final list of factors and their relation to Online Impulsive encourage impulsive purchase [12]. The variables of Online
Buying Behaviour are represented in the model given in Figure Behaviour and Buyer Personality were also found to be
1. significant. The findings suggest that the behaviour exhibited
online and the level of usage of the internet can influence the
chances of Impulsive Buying Behaviour. As in the offline
scenario the personality of the buyer, specifically the
personality characteristics of the buyer are important in
predicting the tendency to buy impulsively [9]. The findings
0.333 lead us to accept all the hypothesis that form the basis of this
0.446
research. The researchers aimed at providing a basis for
future studies and would suggest that the variables be studied
0.498 in greater detail in order to understand how impulsive
0.424
purchase happen and how marketers may cater better to the
needs of buyers and organisations both.
0.443
0.229
6 CONCLUSIONS
The study was aimed at consolidating literature in the area of
Online Impulsive Buying Behaviour. Prior research in the area
was focussed on Impulsive Buying Behaviour in the offline or
retail context. The increased penetration of e commerce into
FIGURE 1: ANTECEDENTS OF ONLINE IMPULSIVE BUYING the shopping space has forced the focus to shift from retail to
BEHAVIOUR online shopping avenues. Researchers have chosen the
antecedents of Impulsive Buying Behaviour in the retail
The results of the testing of the hypotheses is provided in environment and studied them in the online context. However,
Table 3 there is a need to understand the variables that are key to the
online space in order to tap the purchase potential of this
TABLE 3: SUMMARY OF HYPOTHESES TESTING space. Hence, the researchers have reviewed studies in the
Hypothesis Relation Decision online context and identified and categorised the variables that
H1 WA=>IBB Accepted are significant. The findings of this study would prove as a
H2 P=> IBB Accepted basis for future work in the area as organizations and
H3 BP=>IBB Accepted
researchers try to understand what drives purchases in the e
H4 BE=>IBB Accepted
H5 OB=>IBB Accepted commerce segment.
H6 SC=>IBB Accepted
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