Consumer decision journey for online group buying: psychological and intentional procedure perspectives

PurposeThis study investigates the relationship between buyers’ psychological antecedent and repurchase intentions in online group buying. Considering and evaluating pre-purchase, the authors measure the buyers’ overall experience of online group buying through their perceived value (PV) and risk. This study examines the influence of PV and perceived risk (PR) on positive electronic word-of-mouth (eWoM) communication and repurchase intention in online group buying.Design/methodology/approachThe authors verify the research model using SPSS and the structural equation modeling-partial least square (SEM-PLS) to analyze 839 convincing respondents. This quantitative research provides insights into online group buying, including the food industry.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the buyers’ PV of online group buying enhanced positive eWoM communication and repurchase intention. The willingness of buyers to spread positive eWoM indicates their recognition and satisfaction with a product or brand. Thus, they have the behavioral intention to repurchase in online group buying. The study found that while positive eWoM communication significantly impacts repurchase intention, PR negatively affects PV. The research provides theoretical and practical implications at the end of the study.Research limitations/implicationsThis study has some limitations. First, the study only used PV and PR to measure consumers’ considerations and evaluations of the initial stage in the consumer decision journey. Future studies can include more dimensions that may further affect these considerations and assessments to verify the research model. Second, the study only used positive eWoM communication to measure the “enjoy-advocate-bond” of consumption and usage in the post-purchase stage.Originality/valueThe study proposes the sequential relationship in the psychological decision procedure of participating in online group buying and provides valuable managerial implications for managers operating online group buying on third-party platforms. The findings provide good knowledge for the food industry to stay connected with customers and develop their satisfaction.

A Path Analysis of Online Group Buying - Insights from Taiwan

Online group buying has emerged as a new bargaining power for many shoppers and become more so as a result of increasingly growing popularity of social networking and community-based web sites. Aside from significant quantity discounts, these buying groups can also potentially influence the manufacturers and retailers on policies, product characteristics, and services. We propose an Online Group Buying Decision Framework to model the overall process of online group buying. We use a major group buying community web site in Taiwan, ihergo.com, to test our framework and conduct follow-up analysis. Based on the proposed framework, we design a survey study in an attempt to gain more insights on group buying communities, their activities, and culture within these communities. We then perform a path analysis, a special technique of structural equation modeling (SEM), to study the relationship among the factors used in the survey. Our findings provide useful advice for online group buying sites to attract customers and increase sales.

Teaching Human-Computer Interaction Modules—And Then Came COVID-19

In teaching Human-Computer Interaction at university level, it has always been beneficial to explain the related theory and engage students in a practical way, whether individually or in groups. And then came COVID-19. Face-to-face classes were replaced by emergency remote teaching methods. Students became student numbers in cyber space. The danger became real to convert back to the traditional way of presenting lectures, namely a lecturer doing all the talking and the students being the passive audience. This paper describes how the author had to adapt and innovate in terms of teaching Human-Computer Interaction modules to university students in a practical way during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frequent online quizzes, audio messages, online group discussion, smaller topic-dedicated practical activities, and webinars encouraging student participation, were employed. Instead of having access to eye-tracking technology in a usability laboratory, students had to innovate for usability evaluation assignments by employing observation, think-aloud protocols, and performance and self-reported metrics as data gathering methods. The laboratory had to be replaced by COVID-compliant places of residence. The outcomes of adapting previously-used teaching methods and inventing new ways to encourage student participation, were surprisingly positive. An additional advantage was that many of these methods turned out to be so successful that their application could be continued and extended to post-pandemic times for a blended learning approach to further enrich Human-Computer Interaction teaching.

From Face-to-Face to Digital Learning; Seen from EFL Student's Lenses Enrolled in Online Group Work

Numerous higher education institutions around the world must shift their instructions from face-to-face (FTF) to online learning due to Corona Virus Disease in 2019 (Covid19). Furthermore, with the increase in popularity of group work in higher education, especially in the language classroom, and the pivotal changes over the last years, the group works encounter new challenges as they transition to the online world. The study aims to explore the experiences of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students' engagement in online group works to explore the benefits and challenges in a new learning environment. The qualitative research design provided an in-depth understanding of the students' perceived value of online group work. Further, an interview was used as the main technique in collecting the data from the entire participants. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated that students had generally good attitudes about online group work; however, some students noted that language and communications concerns presented difficulty at times. Nevertheless, the findings also demonstrated that the benefits of this experience surpassed the drawbacks. Thus, the study's findings can be valuable for practitioners and curriculum designers since they highlight the benefits of group work in an online learning setting and the students' problems they may confront during these classes.

Feasibility of online PD SAFEx™ exercise rehabilitation for symptom improvements of Parkinson’s disease: A pilot study

BACKGROUND: Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting both motor and cognitive symptoms. While medications show some improvement in motor symptoms, cognitive symptoms can worsen. In-person exercise programs, such as PD SAFEx™, are an important adjunct therapy in improving symptoms. However, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) limited in-person exercise interventions. Therefore, there is a need to investigate the effectiveness of online exercise delivery. OBJECTIVE: To identify (1) whether an online exercise intervention can achieve similar results to an identical in-person intervention and (2) if online PD SAFEx™ can alter the cognitive decline of PD patients. METHODS: 20 participants with idiopathic PD participated in a 12-week online PD SAFEx™ program and were compared to 73 participants from in-person PD SAFEx™. The primary outcome measure was the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale-III measured before/after intervention. Three secondary cognitive measures were collected with the online group. RESULTS: Main effect of time on UPDRS-III scores of both groups were found (F(1,92) = 35.555, p < 0.001). No interaction was found between in-person and online groups (F(1,1) = 0.052, p = 0.820). TMT B in the online group showed significant improvements in executive function (F(1,17) = 7.095, p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: Online and in-person PD SAFEx™ both achieved clinically significant UPDRS-III improvement and are statistically equivalent. Online PD SAFEx™ reduced cognitive symptoms seen during COVID-19.

OS DESAFIOS DO TRABALHO EM GRUPO NA PANDEMIA, A PARTIR DA EXPERIÊNCIA COM UM GRUPO DE DISCUSSÃO ONLINE SOBRE GÊNERO

Resumo: Este artigo é um relato de experiência de um grupo de discussão online com o tema “Gênero e Docência”, fruto de uma intervenção de estágio do curso de Psicologia, no contexto da pandemia do Covid-19, no Brasil. A reflexão se volta para a questão do esvaziamento do grupo. Para tanto, discutem-se temas como os desafios de se estabelecer diálogo; a formação de vínculos e a constituição de grupo; a lógica produtivista de formação, no contexto atual; e as dificuldades do trabalho com grupo, em ambiente online. A partir desses norteadores, constatou-se que não houve consolidação efetiva de um grupo de trabalho. Mesmo assim, entende-se que as hipóteses levantadas para compreender o fenômeno do esvaziamento do grupo podem contribuir com futuros estudos acerca da temática, já que este tipo de modalidade se tornou um fenômeno atual que demanda melhor compreensão para a pesquisa, no campo das ciências humanas.Palavras-chave: Grupo online. Gênero. Docência. Pandemia. Abstract: This article is an experience report of an online discussion group with the theme “Gender and Teaching”, the result of an internship intervention form the Psychology degree, in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil. The reflection turns to the discussion on the emptying of the group. For it, topics such as the challenges of establishing dialogue, the formation of bonds and the constitution of a group, the productive logic in academic formation in the current context and the difficulties of working with groups in an online environment are discussed. Based on these guidelines, it is stated that there was no effective consolidation of a work group. Even so, it is understood that the hypotheses raised to understand the phenomenon of group emptying can contribute to future studies on the subject, as this type of modality is a current phenomenon that demands better understanding for research in the field of human sciences.Keywords: Online group. Gender. Teaching. Pandemic.