The importance and effectiveness of Internet marketing strategies via social networking is recognized recently. There is a growing interest in satisfying consumer demand for Consumer-Generated Content (CGC) and strengthening the power of online Word-of-Mouth (WOM) via social media channels because both can support consumers in making informed decisions and can help marketers increase sales. In the present study, the researcher proposed a comprehensive conceptual model to explain consumers' e-social shopping behavior. Using the underlying tenets of Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), specifically this study examined the relationships between 1) social shopping motivation (i.e., information-oriented and socially-oriented motives), 2) social shopping resource credibility (i.e., intellectual and social capital), 3) social shopping attention (i.e., perceived utilitarian and hedonic value of social shopping), 4) social shoppers' memory (i.e., perceived self-efficacy in decision making), and 5) social shoppers' behavior (i.e., online WOM and purchase intentions). As a result, the proposed model investigated the effects of social shopping motives and beliefs about social shopping resources on consumers' value perceptions which can influence self-confidence in decision making and lead to online WOM buzz and purchase decisions. The survey instrument for the empirical study was developed and modified to reflect the e-social shopping environment. The population was online consumers who join web communities, such as Facebook, MySpace, etc. to search for or share shopping information. Online survey research methods were used to recruit participants and collect data from online consumer panels of a websurvey service company. Data were collected during May 2010; four hundred and three usable questionnaires were analyzed. The results of structural equation modeling indicated that perceived values were significantly affected by credibility perceptions of informational and social resources and moderately influenced by social shopping motives. In addition, perceived values significantly influenced behavioral intentions. Perceived self-efficacy was more strongly and significantly influenced by utilitarian value than hedonic value. Perceived self-efficacy was a mediator between perceived values and behavioral intentions. In general, the findings of this study supported the proposed theoretical model in explaining consumers' e-social shopping behavior. Based on these findings, theoretical and managerial implications were discussed.
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