Consumer participation in online product recommendation services: augmenting the technology acceptance model

This paper aims to examine the complex role of consumer participation by empirically testing a theoretical model within the online context of consumer using product recommendation agents (RAs) that integrates consumer participation into the technology acceptance model (TAM). Recent research starts questioning whether consumer participation is a double-edged sword, although its positive effects have been widely documented in the services marketing literature.

Data were collected from 243 respondents comprising both genders with varied age groups, education levels, household income and ethnicities. Participants interacted with an existing RA, searching product information for a simulated purchase involving either high or low financial risk. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and Structural equations modeling (SEM) were used for assessing construct validity and testing hypotheses, respectively.

Consumer participation was found to positively affect enjoyment but negatively affect perceived ease of use of an RA, which was exacerbated when the purchase was of high financial risk. Predictions based on TAM were all supported in this study.

This research evidenced consumer participation’s dual-effect and identified financial risk as a moderator of consumer participation’ negative effect. Future research could employ a different design such as using controlled lab settings and conducting longitudinal studies to replicate the study.

Findings from this research provide guidance to RA design regarding the amount of consumer participation, consumer perceptions of RA use (ease of use, usefulness and enjoyment) and financial risk involved in the purchase.

This research sheds new light on the role of consumer participation through uncovering its dual-effect, thus complementing the services marketing and RA literature.