Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Information & Management

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/im

The state of online impulse-buying research: A literature analysis

Tommy K.H. Chana,* , Christy M.K. Cheunga , Zach W.Y. Leeb
a
Department of Finance and Decision Sciences, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China
b
Department of Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Management Systems, The University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Article history:
Received 18 March 2015 Online impulse buying has drawn increasing scholarly attention across disciplines. However, little effort
Received in revised form 11 April 2016 has been made to evaluate the status of research and consolidate the findings in the literature. To address
Accepted 5 June 2016 this research gap, we conducted a systematic review of studies of online impulse buying, and used the
Available online 28 June 2016 Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework to identify and classify the factors that affect online
impulse buying. We then built a conceptual framework to explain the interrelationships between the
Keywords: three key elements of online impulse buying. Finally, we discussed the future research directions and
Online impulse buying implications for research.
Literature analysis
ã 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Electronic commerce
Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR)
framework

1. Introduction to consolidating the existing knowledge in the context of online

impulse buying. Given the importance of this research area to
Impulse buying, described as unplanned, compelling, and business and society [29], a systematic review of previous studies
hedonically complex purchasing behavior [46], has been widely on online impulse buying was needed to synthesize research
studied in academia and business for decades. In the marketing findings, identify research gaps and opportunities, and offer future
literature, considerable effort has been devoted to identifying the research directions. Therefore, this study had the following three
factors (e.g., consumer characteristics, store characteristics, major objectives: (1) identifying research patterns that emerge
situational stimuli, and product characteristics) that influence from existing studies of online impulse buying, (2) consolidating
impulse buying [49]. With advances in information technology and factors associated with online impulse buying, and (3) building a
the tremendous growth of e-commerce, online impulse buying has conceptual framework that describes the interrelationships
become an epidemic. It is estimated that about 40% of all online between the key elements of online impulse buying to provide
consumer expenditure is attributable to online impulse buying a foundation for future research.
[30]. Researchers have argued that the online shopping environ- This paper proceeds as follows. In the next section, we
ment is now more conducive to impulse-buying behavior than its introduce the concept of impulse buying and provide an overview
offline counterpart [14], as the online shopping environment frees of the current state of research. We then describe the procedures
consumers from the constraints (e.g., inconvenient store locations, used in the literature search and identification. We provide a
limited operating hours, and social pressure from staff and other preliminary analysis of the 34 identified studies and explain the
consumers) that they might experience during physical shopping current state of research on online impulse buying. We use the
activities. Stimulus–Organism–Response (S–O–R) framework to classify the
Online impulse buying is defined as a sudden and immediate factors associated with online impulse buying. Then, we develop a
online purchase with no preshopping intentions [37]. Our conceptual framework explaining the interrelationships between
preliminary review of studies of online impulse buying showed the key elements of online impulse buying. Finally, we offer
that the scope of research on this behavior is broad. Although recommendations for future studies and conclude the paper with a
systematic reviews of offline impulse-buying research are discussion of its theoretical implications.
common (e.g., see Refs. [24,33,49]), little effort has been devoted
2. Online impulse buying

* Corresponding author.
Early research defined impulse buying as any unplanned
E-mail addresses: khchan@life.hkbu.edu.hk (Tommy Chan), purchase that was the result of a comparison of alternative
ccheung@hkbu.edu.hk (Christy Cheung), Zach.Lee@nottingham.edu.cn (Zach Lee). purchase intentions with actual outcomes; these studies focused

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2016.06.001
0378-7206/ã 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217 205

on the comparison of the actual shopping outcome with the 3. Literature search and identification
intended shopping goal [27]. Some researchers, emphasizing the
effect of environmental cues, suggested that impulse buying is the This study consolidated the extant knowledge of online impulse
result of exposure to in-store stimuli [3]. More recent studies have buying. We used a two-stage approach [52] to search and identify
conceptualized impulse buying as a process–outcome mechanism articles that examine online impulse buying. The two-stage review
within the domain of an individual psychological approach that methodology offered a rigorous approach to guide the search
occurs when a consumer experiences a sudden, often persistent process and thus reduce data collection bias [50]. Fig. 1 presents
urge to buy something immediately. Such an impulse is the literature search and identification procedures.
hedonically complex and may stimulate emotional conflict [40]. In the first stage, we identified articles addressing online
The following four types of impulse purchases have been impulse buying. We used academic and peer-reviewed journals as
identified in the literature: pure impulse buying, reminder our data source, as their findings are considered to be validated and
impulse buying, suggestion impulse buying, and planned impulse are more likely to influence the academic and business fields [38].
buying [46]. Pure impulse buying occurs when consumers make a We used two methods to identify relevant papers. First, we
novelty or escape purchase that breaks a normal buying pattern; conducted a systematic search in the online databases. Given the
reminder impulse buying occurs when consumers see an item plurality of the meaning embedded in the term “impulse,” we
and are alerted that the stock of the product is low or recall an adopted a broad range of terms to represent “impulse buying,” and
advertisement and a previous decision to buy; suggestion used these keywords as the selection criteria for the topic. Second,
impulse buying occurs when consumers first see an item and we conducted a manual search in 10 management information
realize a need for it; and planned impulse buying occurs when systems journals and three marketing journals to ensure that no
consumers have a particular shopping list, but also the expecta- major articles on online impulse buying were neglected (see Fig. 1).
tion and intention to make other purchases based on promotions We found 41 relevant articles published in the period 2002–2014.
and discounts. In the second stage, we applied inclusion and exclusion criteria to
With the proliferation of e-commerce activities, online the initial set of articles to ensure that the articles were relevant
impulse buying is now prevalent among consumers. Shopping and require further analysis. Specifically, we only included studies
online frees consumers from the constraints that they might that had online impulse buying as their core focus, and we
experience in physical stores, which in turn increases the excluded those with no empirical results. Two researchers
likelihood of impulse buying. In addition to testing, the extent independently reviewed and eliminated articles. From this, we
to which the dynamics of offline retailing are applicable to the identified 33 online impulse-buying articles. Following the
online environment, research on online impulse buying has guidelines of Webster and Watson [52], we further conducted a
tended to emphasize the effects of website features embedded in forward search of the identified articles and were able to identify
shopping websites. Although these two lines of research have one additional relevant study. Together, we identified 34 relevant
enriched our scientific understanding of online impulse buying, online impulse-buying articles.
the divergence between the theoretical conceptualization and the
operationalization of the concept has resulted in a fragmentation 4. Preliminary review
of the online impulse-buying literature. The findings are often
inconclusive and knowledge is hard to consolidate. Therefore, it To conduct the literature analysis, we applied a series of guided
was necessary to summarize existing findings and identify questions to previous studies (e.g., see Refs. [2,19]). These
patterns to develop meaningful conclusions based on existing questions allow researchers to synthesize previous research
studies. findings. They were as follows:

Fig. 1. Literature search and identification procedures.

206 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217

1. What were the study trends and focus? 4.2. Overview of theoretical foundation
2. What were the major theories or theoretical foundations?
3. What was the research methodology? Table 1 presents a summary of the theories and frameworks
4. What were the research context and sample? adopted in existing online impulse-buying studies. The S–O–R
5. What were the factors affecting online impulse buying? framework has remained the most popular theoretical approach to
online impulse-buying behavior in the last decade (e.g., see Refs.
Each of these questions is addressed in the subsequent sections. [15,25,30,35]). Some researchers have explained impulse-buying
Detailed analyses of the 34 identified studies are presented in behavior with other theoretical perspectives, such as flow theory
Appendix A in Supplementary file. (e.g., see Refs. [21,28,55]), the reflective–impulsive mechanism
(e.g., see Ref. [44]), and cognitive emotion theory (e.g., see Ref.
4.1. Overview of research trends and focus [51]). These diverse perspectives have provided a more in-depth
explanation of the underlying mechanisms connecting stimulus,
Research on online impulse buying began in the last decade. organism, and response.
The number of studies of online impulse buying grew steadily in
the earlier years and increased exponentially with the emergence 4.3. Overview of research methodology
of e-commerce activities. More than two-thirds of the studies
(n = 25) were published in the period 2009–2014. In this review, we As shown in Fig. 3, experiments and surveys were the two most
found three predominant disciplines such as management popular research methods examining online impulse buying.
information systems (59%), marketing (21%), and management These two methods were used to understand the different types of
(9%; see Fig. 2). stimuli that trigger consumers’ impulse-buying responses.
There are two main streams of research in the online impulse- Researchers used experimental studies to examine the effect of
buying literature. The first stream of research focuses on the website features on online impulse buying. For example, Adelaar
effect of website cues on online impulse buying. For instance, et al. [1] studied the display formats (i.e., text, still images, and
Koufaris [28] used the technology acceptance model (TAM) to video) of a virtual store and explored their effects on consumers’
investigate the effect of a value-added search mechanism on emotions and buying impulses. Such experimental settings
impulse buying. Adelaar et al. [1] explored the effects of media allowed researchers to draw conclusions about the effect of a
formats (i.e., text, still image, and music video) on consumers’ particular website features on online impulse buying. Alternately,
impulse-buying intentions. Parboteeah et al. [35] tested the investigations of consumers’ perceptions, attitudes, and intentions
influence of website characteristics (i.e., task-relevant cues and toward online impulse buying relied heavily on survey data (e.g.,
mood-relevant cues) on consumers’ internal reactions and the see Refs. [30,51]). For instance, Verhagen and van Dolen [51]
urge to buy impulsively. The second stream of research examines distributed an online questionnaire to consumers who had just
how offline impulse-buying factors explain impulse-buying finished their shopping in an online fashion store. They found that
behavior in the online context. For instance, Chih et al [8]. tested functional convenience (i.e., merchandise attractiveness) and
the role of hedonic consumption needs in triggering consumers’ representational delights (i.e., enjoyment and website communi-
urge to buy impulsively. Dawson and Kim [10] explored the cation style) were salient factors in impulse-buying responses. The
effects of different marketing promotion tactics on online use of surveys allowed researchers to explore the influence of the
impulse buying. unobservable constructs (such as personality) on online impulse
We further classified the identified studies by the four types buying.
of impulse purchases (i.e., pure impulse buying, suggestion
impulse buying, reminder impulse buying, and planned impulse 4.4. Overview of research context and sample
buying [46]). We found that most studies adopted the
conceptualization proposed by Beatty and Ferrell [5] and The majority of the identified studies were conducted in the
focused on pure online impulse-buying behavior United States (e.g., see Ref. [7]), followed by Asia (e.g., see Ref. [8]),
[7,13,17,20,22,25,28,30,35,36,43,44,51,53,60]. One stream of re- with relatively few in Europe (e.g., see Ref. [6]). Most of these
search measured pure online impulse buying using survey studies used university student samples to validate the research
questionnaires [7,25,30,35,36,44,51,53,60]. The authors used model. Previous studies suggested that the use of student samples
statements such as “I had a desire to buy items that did not was appropriate because young people are the dominant group of
pertain to my specific shopping goal” to operationalize pure online consumers (e.g., see Ref. [35]). Both experience goods (such
online impulse-buying behavior. An alternative stream of as music CD) and search goods (such as stationery) were tested in
research captured pure online impulse buying in experimental these studies (e.g., see Refs. [1,4,16,35]). There is now ample
settings [13,17,20,22,28,43]. The authors of these studies empirical evidence that online impulse buying occurs regardless of
considered any products that were bought beyond the subjects’ product type; once the study respondents were exposed to internal
initial shopping list as instances of pure online impulse buying. and external stimuli, they were inclined to buy impulsively.

Fig. 2. Research on online impulse buying across disciplines.

 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217 207

Table 1
Summary of theoretical foundation.

Theoretical foundation Description Study

Cognitive emotion theory The theory suggests that emotions are resulted from the perception of evaluating a stimulus. Beliefs are [51]
assumed to be the precursors of emotions.
Distraction–conflict theory The theory states that distractions and interruptions facilitate the performance of simple tasks but inhibit the [7]
performance of complex ones.
Elaboration likelihood model The model posits that there are two paths to persuasion: the central path and the peripheral path. People react [12]
and behave differently while processing stimuli received from the environment.
Flow theory The theory states that when individuals are in the stage of flow, they will deeply immerse themselves in an [21,28,55]
activity in such a way that nothing else seems to matter.
Heuristics information processing The theory suggests that consumers are attracted to deals for increasingly scarce items because of fear; they [17]
worry the price will go up again when the stock is depleted.
Latent trait–state theory The theory suggests that consumer behaviors are dependent on an individual’s traits, the characteristics of the [53]
environment, and the interaction between these two variables.
Mowen’s 3M model The model assumes that narrower situation-specific behavioral tendencies are influenced by the effect of [48]
abstract, cross-situational traits.
Prospect theory The theory posits that people assess income and expenses as gains and losses from a neutral reference point, [22]
instead of looking at overall wealth status.
Reactance theory The theory proposes that individuals desire freedom of choice, and if such freedom is deprived by external [60]
constraints, people will engage in negative aversive responses.
Reflective–impulsive model The model explains social behaviors with reflective and impulsive systems. The reflective system suggests that [25,44]
behavioral decisions are made based on knowledge about facts and values, while the impulsive system elicits
behaviors through associative links and motivational orientations.
S–O–R framework The framework postulates that stimulating cues (stimuli) perceived from the environment trigger one’s internal [1,15,25,30,35,44]
evaluation (organism), which subsequently leads to an approach-and-avoidance behavior (response).
Technology Acceptance Model The model explains how users come to accept and use a technology. Perceived usefulness and perceived ease of [26,28,58,59]
use are suggested to be the two factors that influence the decision.
The consumption impulse The model describes consumers’ online impulse-buying mechanism. The mechanism involves consumption [9,10]
formation enactment model impulses, constraining factors, and a volitional system that determines online impulse buying.
Theory of resource allocation The theory argues that mental resources are limited in one shopping occasion, and the depletion of the time [60]
resource by time pressure reduces cognitive resources for decision-making.

5. A classification framework of online impulse-buying & response (R), which is an outcome of consumers’ reaction(s)
factors toward the online impulse-buying stimuli and their internal
evaluations.
As mentioned in the previous section, the S–O–R framework
was the most commonly used theoretical foundation in online We reviewed the 34 identified studies and extracted all of the
impulse-buying studies, possibly because this framework has variables related to the three key elements (stimulus, organism,
traditionally provided the foundation for consumer behavior and response) of the S–O–R framework. In classifying the factors
studies. Furthermore, most studies on online impulse buying have related to online impulse buying, two authors independently
emphasized the role of environmental cues in online impulse- coded the factors. For example, Liu et al. [30] conceptualized visual
buying behavior. Regardless of their adopted theoretical frame- appeal and website ease of use as the website attributes that
works, existing studies on online impulse buying have consistently induce consumers’ internal reactions. These two constructs were
examined the relationships between environmental cues, con- then consolidated under the website stimuli (survey) section in our
sumers’ cognitive and affective reactions, and the resulting classification framework. When there was a disagreement
behavior, and have largely drawn on the environmental psychology between the two authors, or where there was no clear
paradigm, which can be reconciled with the S–O–R framework. conceptualization in the identified study, the third author
Therefore, we adopted the S–O–R framework to guide the facilitated discussions to reach a coding consensus. The judgment
classification of variables in online impulse-buying studies. of the two authors was consistent, as shown by a minimum
Fig. 4 depicts our classification framework. Cohen’s kappa of 0.8 across categories.
The S–O–R framework is an extension of the classical stimulus–
response (S–R) approach. The three major elements of the S–O–R 5.1. Online impulse-buying stimulus
framework are as follows:
A stimulus is a trigger that arouses consumers. There are two
& stimulus (S), which is a trigger that arouses consumers, types of stimuli, such as external and internal. In this literature
& organism (O), which is an internal evaluation of consumers, and analysis, the external stimuli were website stimuli, marketing

Fig. 3. Research methodologies among the identified studies on online impulse buying.
208 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217

Fig. 4. A classification framework of online impulse-buying factor.1

stimuli, and situational stimuli, and the internal stimuli were set of studies used experiments to investigate the role of website
consumer characteristics. characteristics in online impulse buying (e.g., see Ref. [53]). These
Website stimuli are cues embedded in a shopping website that studies focused on the effects of visual elements such as media
are visible and audible to consumers [14]. As shown in Table 2, we format, colors, and graphics on online impulse-buying responses
identified the following two main streams of research on the role of
website stimuli: (1) studies on the effects of particular website
features/presentations on online impulse buying that used
1
experimental manipulations, and (2) studies on the perceptions All variables identified from the 34 identified studies were included in this
classification framework. The classification of the variables was based on the
of, or beliefs about, website stimuli that used survey data. The first
conceptualization of the original paper.
 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217 209

Table 2
Summary of website stimulus.

Research Design: Experiment

Factor Manipulation of Feature Study

Media format Text, still images, or video [1]
Payment Usability, by way of changing the number of clicks needed to complete the transaction process [13]
feature
Feedback system, by means of adding the reminder of the exact amount spent, as well as the running total of all purchases made after each [13]
individual purchase
Rehearsal procedures, as a result of adding an additional step where the subjects were asked to type the amount they were spending to complete [13]
the purchase
Persuasive Scarcity claim, by including a written statement or a visual icon that indicates a quantity or time restriction that has been imposed on a deal’s [17]
claim availability
Popularity claim, by including a written statement or a visual icon that indicates a high consumer demand for the product in terms of [17]
quantitative or qualitative cue
Website Visual appeal, by changing colors of the background and graphics [35,53]
feature
Navigability, by changing different levels of the ease of navigation, or the use of the shopping cart [35,53]
Security display, owing to the inclusion of policy statements and trust verification seals [53]
Website Vividness, via adding multimedia displays [25,44]
trigger
Interactivity, from movie choosing, database search customization, or title/posters moving around the screen [25,44]

Research Design: Survey

Factor Definition Study

Customized view The perceived ability of a website that can adapt products, services and environment to individual customers [15,32]
Ease of use The perception about the extent to which the website can be browsed at ease [30,58]
Navigation The organization and hierarchical layout of the content and pages in a website [15,32,35]
Social presence The feeling of being together [25,44]
Store content The belief about the availability of the communicated material of a website [15]
Telepresence The perception about the sense of being located somewhere [25,44]
Use of recommendation agent The belief about the use of recommendation agents to search for recommended products [20]
Use of search mechanism The belief about the information generated by the website [28]
Visual appeal The perceived visual appeal through website design (e.g., text, style, graphics, colors, logos, themes, and slogans) [6,15,30,32,35]

[1,35,53]. The second set of studies used surveys to examine how and promotional campaigns, such as limiting the offer period [60]
the perceptions of websites influence online impulse buying (e.g., and providing discounts [56] on consumers’ impulse buying. When
see Ref. [30]). In these studies, website stimuli were operation- examining marketing stimuli, researchers used both qualitative
alized as perceptual measures (e.g., perceived website quality) and and quantitative approaches. For instance, Dawson and Kim [9]
the respondents were instructed to recall and indicate their conducted interviews with consumers and solicited their feedback
perceptions of or beliefs about an online shopping website, their about the types of marketing activities that triggered their online
internal reactions, and their online impulse-buying behavior. impulse-buying tendencies. Zheng et al. [60] manipulated types of
Marketing stimuli are the marketing cues that marketers use to marketing promotions in a controlled laboratory setting.
entice consumers to make a purchase [57]. As shown in Table 3, Situational stimuli are the social or environmental factors
researchers have tested the effects of different marketing tactics associated with a particular consumption occasion that affect

Table 3
Summary of marketing stimulus.

Research Design: Experiment

Factor Manipulation Study

Bonus Offering bonus packs [56]

Discount Offering price discounts [56]
Product type Changing the product type (Hedonic product vs. Utilitarian product) [56]
Product price Changing the product price (Expensive vs. Inexpensive) [56]
Scarcity Limiting the promotion frequency, the offer period, or the quantity [60]

Research Design: Survey

Factor Definition Study

Price attribute The price of a product [36]

Product availability The presence of a diversity of various products in the online store [30]
Sensory attribute The aesthetic elements (e.g., color, design, style) of a product that are shown in the web store [36]

Research Design: Interview

Factor Definition Study

Idea New styles/fashions, featured items, top picks/favorites [9]

Promotion Additional item with purchase (e.g., “buy 1, get 1 free”), coupon, percentage off, free gift with purchase [9]
Sales On sale (clearance, sales, and markdowns), bold sale price on product [9]
Suggestion Suggested noncoordination items, customer recommendations, the last thing the consumer looked at [9]
210 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217

Table 4
Summary of situational stimulus.

Research design: Survey

Factor Definition Study

Variety of selection The perception about the diversity of products in the online store [36]

consumers’ buying responses [11]. Situational factors may increase cited response variables. Measuring actual impulse-buying behav-
or decrease consumers’ propensity to buying impulsively. Al- ior has been reported as challenging and sometimes problematic
though situational stimuli have been widely studied in the offline [35] because respondents tended to behave in a socially desirable
impulse-buying context, few studies have explored situational manner when they were being observed in an experiment or when
stimuli in the online impulse-buying context (see Table 4)— completing a self-reported survey [41]. Therefore, the urge to buy
product availability was the only factor related to situational impulsively was commonly used in studies as a surrogate for
stimuli found in the identified articles. estimating actual online impulse buying (e.g., see Refs. [30,53]).
Impulsive consumer characteristics are inherent factors of
consumers that are related to their propensity to act impulsively 6. A conceptual framework of online impulse-buying research
[23,49]. Previous studies reported that certain consumer charac-
teristics are more responsive to impulse buying, such as age [37], To synthesize the findings from the identified articles, we
culture [54], and personality traits [40]. As shown in Table 5, the proposed a conceptual framework to provide a more comprehen-
tendency toward impulse buying or impulsiveness has received sive picture of the extant knowledge. The S–O–R framework was
most attention in previous studies. used because it is the dominant theory in the literature. Some
studies have further enriched this framework by explaining the
5.2. Online impulse-buying organism relationships between the three key elements of the S–O–R
framework using other theoretical perspectives. Building on the S–
In our framework, organism refers to consumers’ internal O–R framework, this section presents and discusses the inter-
evaluations. There are two types of organisms, for example, relationships between online impulse-buying factors, and their
cognitive and affective. related theoretical foundation. Fig. 5 depicts the conceptual
Cognitive reactions are the mental processes that occur when framework.
consumers interact with stimuli, and they take place when
consumers become aware of potential constraints during the 6.1. Effect of online impulse-buying stimulus
online impulse-buying process [35]. Positive cognitive reactions
stimulate, and negative cognitive reactions deter, consumers’ The literature analysis showed that the online impulse-buying
buying responses [18]. Table 6 presents the known factors related stimuli have both direct and indirect effects on the online impulse-
to cognitive reactions in online impulse buying. buying response. Some studies suggested that impulse-buying
Affective reactions are the emotional responses that arise when responses are often the immediate results of exposure to various
consumers interact with an environment [47]. Consumers indulge stimuli (i.e., a direct relationship), and thus online impulse buying
in online impulse-buying responses when they experience positive is a rapid and impulsive process [35] (see Table 9). Other studies
affective reactions, such as pleasure and arousal [1,44]. It has been have conceptualized online impulse buying as the product of
suggested that pleasure motivates impulse buying, and arousal consumers’ reactions to external stimuli and internal reactions
mobilizes the process [42]. As shown in Table 7, enjoyment, (i.e., an indirect relationship; see Table 10).
impulsiveness, pleasure, and arousal were the most commonly
examined affective reactions associated with online impulse- 6.1.1. Direct effect of online impulse-buying stimulus
buying responses (e.g., see Refs. [1,15,55]). Table 9 presents the direct relationships between an online
impulse-buying stimulus and response and the underlying
5.3. Online impulse-buying response theoretical foundation. Some researchers have applied an envi-
ronmental psychology approach and suggested that online
A response is a consumer’s reaction to online impulse-buying impulse buying is a result of an interaction between the individual
stimuli and organisms [31]. As shown in Table 8, the urge to buy and the website environment. For instance, Wells et al. [53] applied
impulsively and online impulse buying were the two commonly latent trait theory and found that impulse buying was triggered by

Table 5
Summary of impulsive consumer characteristic.

Survey

Factor Definition Study

Hedonic consumption The potential needs of consumers to satisfy individual requirements for subjective fun and pleasure during shopping [8,26]
needs
Hedonic shopping The hedonic shopping motivation includes Adventure/explore shopping, Value shopping, Idea shopping, Social shopping, and [34]
motivation Relaxation shopping
Impulsive buying A consumer’s internal trait of responding quickly to a given stimulus without deliberating regarding action outcomes [8,10,30,53]
tendency
Informational social An individual’s tendency to obtain information by observing or directly seeking information from other people [16]
influence
Instant gratification The degree of immediate gratification that an individual obtains via making an impulse purchase [30]
Normative social An individual’s need to use a website in order to identify with, or enhance his or her image in the eyes of significant others, and a [16]
influence willingness to conform to the expectations of others in making purchase decisions
 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217 211

Table 6
Summary of cognitive reaction.

Factor Definition Study

Attentional The perceived attention to media information without interference from outside or from other factors unrelated to the media [55]
involvement
Cognitive product A psychological reaction that is induced by functional, utilitarian aspects of products. It drives consumers to seek relevant types [12]
involvement of information when forming product attitudes and intentions
Cognitive state How one understands, thinks, and interprets information [10]
Concentration The consumers’ responses in putting their attention to the web store [28]
Merchandise The perception of the size and attractiveness of the assortment [51]
attractiveness
Normative evaluations The consumer judgments regarding the positive appropriateness of impulse-buying behavior [8,10,30,58,59]
Perceived control The perception of being in control over what to see and do in the web store [28]
Perceived ease of use The degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free from effort [51]
Product search The ability of the recommendation agent to fulfill consumers’ needs for information and exploration [20]
effectiveness
Perceived usefulness The extent to which the online user believes that his or her shopping productivity will be enhanced by using a particular [35,58]
website
Satisfaction The perception of the pleasure fulfillment of a service [6,20]
Website The subjective perception of the style in which the site communicates with and services its visitors [51]
communication style

Table 7
Summary of affective reaction.

Factor Definition Study

Affective product A psychological reaction derived from value-expressive or affective motives [12]
involvement
Affective state A person’s emotional state, mood, and self-feelings [10]
Arousal A state of feeling that varies from feelings of excitement, stimulation, alertness or activeness, to feelings of being tired, sleepy, or [1,25,44]
bored
Desirability The extent to which a deal is perceived as being attractive to an individual [17]
Dominance The extent to which an individual feels in control of, or free to act, in a particular situation [1]
Enjoyment The pleasure a customer obtained during a shopping experience [7,15,28,55]
Flow experience A state of optimal psychological experience when an individual becomes entirely focused on his or her activity and feels many [21]
positive experiential characteristics, including great enjoyment and loss of self-consciousness
Negative affects The extent to which a person feels distress, irritation, and disturbance [51]
Pleasure The degree to which a person feels good, joyful, happy, or satisfied with a particular situation [1,25,44]
Positive affects The extent to which a person feels enthusiastic, excited, and inspired [8,51]

Table 8
Summary of response.

Felt urge to buy impulsively

Factor Definition Study

Affective impulse-buying The degree to which an individual is likely to make unintended, immediate, and unreflective [34]
tendency purchases
Purchase intention An intention to make an online purchase [58,59]
Urge to buy impulsively A sudden, often powerful, and persistent urge to buy something immediately [1,6–
8,25,30,35,44,45,51,53,55,56,58,59]

Online impulse buying

Category Definition Study

Affective impulse behavior Unplanned purchases that are associated with feelings of excitement and overpowering urges to buy [16]
Cognitive impulse Unplanned purchases that are related to a lack of planning in association with the purchase decisions [16]
behavior
Impulse buying A sudden and immediate online purchase with no preshopping intentions. It is unplanned, [4,13,15,17,21,26,32,36,45,51,58,59]
spontaneous, and decided on the spot
Impulse enactment The promotional item bought, or the amount of money spent, by clicking through the promotion [25,43,44]
Impulse-buying The actual amount of money spent on impulse buying [15]
expenditure
Online impulse purchase The alternative purchase decision made [10]
decision
Unplanned purchase Any purchases made in addition to what consumers had initially said they would buy [20,22,28,60]

the following two types of precursors: (1) the state of mind created direct effect of the online impulse-buying stimulus. For example,
by the environment (website quality) and (2) a specific personality Zheng et al. [60] drew on reactance theory and found that a
trait inherent in consumers (impulsiveness). Another group of marketing stimulus (quantity scarcity) aroused consumers’ desire
researchers used rational-based theoretical models to explain the to buy a product impulsively.
212 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217

Fig. 5. A conceptual framework of online impulse-buying research.2

Table 9
The direct effect of stimulus on response (S–R).

Website stimulus

Hypothesis Theory/Model Relationship Study

Visual appeal ! Urge to buy impulsively* Latent state–trait theory 1.1 ! 3.1 [53]
Navigability ! Urge to buy impulsively*
Security ! Urge to buy impulsively*
Usability ! Impulse buying^ NIL 1.1 ! 3.2 [13]
Feedback ! Impulse buying ()^
Rehearsal ! Impulse buying ()^
Interactivity and personalization ! Online-buying impulse* NIL 1.1 ! 3.1 [6]
Design ! Online-buying impulse^
Ease of use ! Online-buying impulse ()*
Quality and quantity of information ! Online-buying impulse^
Reliability and respect for commitments ! Online-buying impulse^
Security and privacy ! Online-buying impulse^

Marketing stimulus

Hypothesis Theory/Model Relationship Study

Continuing time scarcity ! Unplanned buying* Theory of resource allocation 1.2 ! 3.2 [60]
Quantity scarcity ! Unplanned buying* Reactance theory 1.2 ! 3.2 [60]
Frequency scarcity ! Unplanned buying* NIL 1.2 ! 3.2 [60]
Sensory attributes ! e-Impulse buying* NIL 1.2 ! 3.2 [36]

Situational stimulus

Hypothesis Theory/Model Relationship Study

Variety of selection ! e-Impulse buying ()* 1.3 ! 3.2 [36]

Impulsive consumer characteristic

Hypothesis Theory/Model Relationship Study

Impulsive buying tendency ! Consumption impulse* CIFE model 1.4 ! 3.1 [10]
Impulsiveness ! Urge to buy impulsively* Latent state–trait theory 1.4 ! 3.1 [53]
Hedonic shopping motivation ! Impulse buying* NIL 1.4 ! 3.2 [26]
Adventure/explore shopping ! Affective impulse-buying tendency* NIL 1.4 ! 3.1 [34]
Idea shopping ! Affective impulse-buying tendency*
Social shopping ! Affective impulse-buying tendency*
Relaxation shopping ! Affective impulse-buying tendency*
Value shopping ! Affective impulse-buying tendency^
Impulsive buying tendency ! Buying impulsiveness* NIL 1.4 ! 3.1 [8]
Hedonic consumption needs ! Buying impulsiveness*
Normative social influence ! Affective impulse behavior* NIL 1.4 ! 3.2 [16]
Informational social influence ! Cognitive impulse behavior ()^

Notes: *Significant effect; ^Insignificant effect; ()Hypothesized as negatively related.

Although most studies have found a positive relationship

between the stimulus and online impulse-buying response,
thereare some exceptions. For example, ease of use has been
2
Only significant relationships were included in this framework.
 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217 213

reported to be negatively associated with the online-buying 6.2. Interplay between cognitive and affective reactions
impulse [6]: when consumers completed their task easily, they left
the website sooner and thus were less tempted to buy impulsively. Previous studies found that when consumers interacted with a
The variety of selection [36], and the quality and quantity of shopping website, they processed the information received and
information [6] have also been found to deter online impulse developed affective appraisals of the website [35]. Table 11
buying: when consumers were exposed to too many choices, they summarizes the relationship between cognitive and affective
tended to engage in deeper evaluations. Thus, a wide range of reactions. Overall, previous research has shown that a positive
choice and a vast amount of information induce rational cognitive reaction is strongly associated with a positive affective
informational processing. The literature analysis also showed that reaction. For example, Chih et al. [8] reported that consumer
the relationships between some stimuli (e.g., informational social judgments of the appropriateness of impulse-buying behavior
influence [16] and security and privacy [6]) and online impulse (normative evaluation) induced positive affect on an online
buying were insignificant. impulse-buying occasion. Verhagen and van Dolen [51] applied
cognitive emotion theory and pointed out that beliefs precede
6.1.2. The indirect effect of online impulse-buying stimulus emotions, and thus perceptions of merchandise attractiveness and
Table 10 summarizes the empirical relationships of the indirect website communication style are important factors that generate
effects of the online impulse-buying stimulus on response. As positive affect and suppress negative affect (see Table 11).
mentioned in Section 5.2, organism reactions may be affective or
cognitive. Previous studies have found that the two reactions 6.3. Chain effect of online impulse-buying response
mediate the relationships between online impulse-buying stimu-
lus and responses. Most studies have used the S–O–R framework to Previous studies have described a two-stage response resulting
justify this relationship. For instance, Moez [32] found that the from exposure to an online impulse-buying stimulus and organism
quality of e-service produced pleasure in a virtual platform, which [25,44,51]. First, when consumers encounter a stimulus on a
in turn led to online impulse buying. Gwee and Chang [17] adopted shopping website (directly or indirectly through the effect of
heuristic information processing to explain online impulse buying. internal evaluations), they experience the urge to buy impulsively.
Specifically, they found that scarcity and popularity claims fostered Second, they actualize the urge by using the shopping cart (i.e.,
heuristics information processing and stimulated consumers’ making a payment). When consumers experience more buying
desire for a product, which eventually led to impulse-buying urges, they are more likely to make an impulse purchase. The
behavior. relationship between the urge to buy impulsively and impulse
buying has been described as a chain effect at the response stage in

Table 10
The effect of website stimulus on organism and response (S–O–R).

Cognitive reaction

Hypothesis Theory/Model Relationship Study

Task-relevant cue ! Perceived usefulness* ! Perceived enjoyment* ! Urge to buy impulsively* S–O–R framework 1.1 ! 2.1 ! 2.2 ! 3.1 [35]
Mood-relevant cue ! Perceived usefulness* ! Perceived enjoyment* ! Urge to buy impulsively*
Visual appearance ! Quality of e-service ! Commitment ! Impulse buying* S–O–R framework 1.1 ! 2.1 ! 3.2 [32]
Navigation ! Quality of e-service ! Commitment ! Impulse buying*
Customized view ! Quality of e-service ! Commitment ! Impulse buying*
Use of recommendation agent ! Product promotion effectiveness* ! Customer satisfaction* ! Unplanned purchase* NIL 1.1 ! 2.1 ! 3.2 [20]
Use of recommendation agent ! Product search effectiveness* ! Unplanned purchase*
Ease of use ! Satisfaction* ! Buying impulse* NIL 1.1 ! 2.1 ! 3.1 [6]
Quality and quantity of information ! Satisfaction* ! Buying impulse*
Design ! Satisfaction* ! Buying impulse*
Interactivity and personalization ! Satisfaction* ! Buying impulse*
Security and privacy ! Satisfaction* ! Buying impulse*

Affective reaction

Hypothesis Theory/Model Relationship Study

Task-relevant cue ! Perceived enjoyment* ! Urge to buy impulsively* S–O–R framework 1.1 ! 2.2 ! 3.1 [35]
Mood-relevant cue ! Perceived enjoyment* ! Urge to buy impulsively*
Visual appearance ! Quality of e-service* ! Pleasure* ! Impulse buying* S–O–R framework 1.1 ! 2.2 ! 3.2 [32]
Navigation ! Quality of e-service* ! Pleasure* ! Impulse buying*
Customized view ! Quality of e-service* ! Pleasure* ! Impulse buying*
e-Store design quality ! Shopping enjoyment* ! Impulse-buying behavior* S–O–R framework 1.1 ! 2.2 ! 3.2 [15]
e-Store navigation quality ! Shopping enjoyment* ! Impulse-buying behavior*
e-Store content quality ! Shopping enjoyment^ ! Impulse-buying behavior*
Text ! Pleasure^/Arousal^/Dominance* S–O–R framework 1.1 ! 2.2 ! 3.1 [1]
Still image ! Pleasure^/Arousal^/Dominance*
Video ! Pleasure^/Arousal^/Dominance*
Pleasure ! Buying intent^
Arousal ! Buying intent*
Dominance ! Buying intent^
Telepresence ! Pleasure* ! Buying impulse* S–O–R framework 1.1 ! 2.2 ! 3.1 [25,44]
Social presence ! Pleasure* ! Buying impulse*
Value-added search mechanism ! Shopping enjoyment* ! Unplanned purchase* Technology acceptance model 1.1 ! 2.2 ! 3.2 [28]
Challenge ! Shopping enjoyment* ! Unplanned purchase*
Scarcity claim ! Desirability ! Impulse purchase# Heuristics information processing 1.1 ! 2.2 ! 3.2 [17]
Popularity claim ! Desirability ! Impulse purchase#

Note: *Significant effect; ^Insignificant effect; #Research in progress.

214 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217

Table 11
The interplay between cognitive and affective reaction.

Hypothesis Theory/Model Relationship Study

Attentional involvement ! Enjoyment* Flow theory 2.1 ! 2.2 [55]
Normative evaluations ! Positive affect* Theory of reasoned action 2.1 ! 2.2 [8]
Website communication style ! Positive affect* Cognitive emotion theory 2.1 ! 2.2 [51]
Website communication style ! Negative affect ()^
Ease of use ! Positive affect^
Ease of use ! Negative affect ()^
Merchandise attractiveness ! Positive affect*
Merchandise attractiveness ! Negative affect ()*
Product promotion effectiveness ! Customer satisfaction* NIL 2.1 ! 2.2 [20]
Perceived usefulness ! Perceived enjoyment* NIL 2.1 ! 2.2 [35]

Note: *Significant effect; ^Insignificant effect; ()Hypothesized as negatively related.

studies of both offline and online impulse buying (e.g., see Refs. of website stimuli and explore their relationships with online
[5,44,51]). For example, Verhagen and van Dolen [51] and Shen and impulse buying in a systematic way. For instance, Parboteeah et al.
Khalifa [44] found a positive and significant relationship between [35] attempted to classify website stimuli into high and low task-
the urge to buy impulsively and online impulse-buying behavior. relevant cues and explored the effect of these cues on consumers’
internal reactions.
6.4. Moderating role of impulsive consumer characteristic
7.1.2. Reconsidering the role of cognitive reaction
Previous studies have shown that consumers with higher The classic literature on impulse buying suggests that impulse
impulsiveness are more responsive to online impulse-buying buying is a rapid process, in which thoughtful and deliberate
stimuli, and are more likely to respond to the online impulse- consideration of information and alternative choices is precluded
buying organism, highlighting the moderating role of the [40]. When consumers encounter a stimulus, their internal
impulsive consumer characteristic. According to latent state–trait evaluation is often dominated by high-arousal emotions [11].
theory, impulsiveness strengthens the relationship between Cognitive processing takes place between the buying impulse and
website quality and the urge to buy impulsively [53]. Value enactment when consumers realize there are potential constraints
perception has been reported to moderate the relationship (such as availability of money) [41]. In this literature analysis, we
between the buying impulse and impulse enactment under the found two different conceptualizations of online impulse buying.
reflective–impulsive model [25,44] (see Table 13). Some studies viewed online impulse buying as a hedonic and
unreflective process, which lacks serious cognitive reactions (e.g.,
7. Discussion see Ref. [1]), whereas others included the effects of cognitive
reactions, highlighting the role of cognitive effort in mediating the
In the past decade, online impulse buying has attracted relationship between stimulus and response (e.g., see Ref. [30]). As
increasing scholarly attention across disciplines. However, little the purpose of our study was to synthesize the findings of
has been done to summarize the findings. In this paper, we published studies on online impulse buying, we presented both
synthesized the research on online impulse buying, consolidated types of empirically validated relationships in the conceptual
online impulse-buying factors into a classification framework, and framework. Indeed, the four types of impulse-buying behavior
summarized the empirically validated relationships within a identified by Stern [46] reflect various degrees of cognitive
conceptual framework of online impulse buying. In the following processes involved in a buying process. For example, in buying
sections, we offer our recommendations for future research processes classified as pure online impulse-buying behavior,
addressing the research gaps identified in the literature. Finally, consumers are usually making a novel and spontaneous online
we discuss the contributions and limitations of this study. purchase that breaks their normal buying pattern. In this case, little
cognitive reaction is involved. Alternatively, if consumers make an
7.1. Recommendation for future research online impulse purchase due to the recognition of needs prompted
by a suggestion list, cognitive reactions may be relevant, as they are
7.1.1. Developing a typology of website stimuli involved in evaluating the usefulness of the suggested item. Thus,
The literature analysis showed that different types of stimuli we expect that Stern’s [46] classification of impulse buying
have not received equal attention from researchers. Studies on remains important, and, to justify the inclusion and exclusion of
website stimuli and consumer characteristics dominate the cognitive reaction in the research model, future studies should
literature. Furthermore, most studies conceptualized and oper- clarify which type of impulse buying they are measuring. With the
ationalized website stimuli in terms of general beliefs about advance of website analytic tools, researchers can now easily
website usage (e.g., perceived ease of use). In other words, the measure and identify a consumer’s online shopping journey and
particular and context-specific website stimuli that trigger their online footprints. They can also make use of these tools in
consumers’ online impulse-buying behavior remain relatively their experimental design to capture the four different types of
underexplored. Thus, it would be meaningful to develop a typology impulse-buying behavior.

Table 12
The chain effect of online impulse-buying response.

Hypothesis Theory/Model Relationship Study

Urge to buy impulsively ! Impulse buying* NIL 3.1 ! 3.2 [25,44,51]

Note: *Significant effect.

 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217 215

Table 13
The moderating role of impulsive consumer characteristic.

Hypothesis Theory/Model Relationship Study

(Value perception) Buying impulse ! Impulse enactment* Reflective–impulsive model (1.4) 3.1 ! 3.2 [25,44]
(Impulsiveness) Perceived website quality ! Urge to buy impulsively* Latent state–trait theory (1.4) 1.1 ! 3.1 [53]
(Impulsivity) Enjoyment ! Impulse-buying intention* NIL (1.4) 2.2 ! 3.1 [55]
(Trust propensity) Flow experience ! Impulsive buying* NIL (1.4) 2.2 ! 3.2 [21]
(Willingness to buy) Flow experience ! Impulsive buying*
(Impulse-buying superiority) Ease of use ! Buying impulse^ NIL (1.4) 1.1 ! 2.1 [6]
(Impulse-buying superiority) Quality and quantity of information ! Buying impulse^
(Impulse-buying superiority) Design ! Buying impulse^
(Impulse-buying superiority) Interactivity and personalization ! Buying impulse*
(Impulse-buying superiority) Reliability and respect for commitments ! Buying impulse^
(Impulse-buying superiority) Security and privacy ! Buying impulse^
(Impulse-buying superiority) Satisfaction ! Buying impulse*
(Trust in one’s impulses) Ease of use ! Buying impulse^
(Trust in one’s impulses) Quality and quantity of information ! Buying impulse^
(Trust in one’s impulses) Design ! Buying impulse^
(Trust in one’s impulses) Interactivity and personalization ! Buying impulse*
(Trust in one’s impulses) Reliability and respect for commitments ! Buying impulse^
(Trust in one’s impulses) Security and privacy ! Buying impulse^
(Trust in one’s impulses) Satisfaction ! Buying impulse*

Note: *Significant effect; ^Insignificant effect; () Moderator.

7.1.3. Using the neurophysiological approach to capture online 7.2. Contribution to research
impulse buying
Although experimental and survey designs are prevalent in the This study advances our knowledge of online impulse buying.
online impulse-buying literature, researchers have recognized First, it uses a rigorous and comprehensive literature analysis to
methodological deficits in the capture of actual online impulse- describe the research topic’s focus, theoretical foundation, and
buying behavior. For instance, responses captured from experi- research context. The literature analysis provides an overview of
mental settings in a controlled laboratory setting tended to suffer the current stage of research on online impulse buying. Second,
from demand artifacts (i.e., the experimental designs may cause this study consolidates factors associated with online impulse
the subject to perceive, interpret, and act upon what he or she buying into a classification framework. More specifically, by
believes the experimenters are looking for) [35]. Responses extending the S–O–R framework, the online impulse-buying
collected from self-reported questionnaires are also exposed to factors were classified in terms of external stimulus (website
the threat of social desirability bias [41]. Respondents may reply to stimulus, marketing stimulus, and situational stimulus), internal
the questionnaire in a socially desirable way and underreport the stimulus (impulsive consumer characteristic), organism (affective
level or frequency of their online impulse buying. As such, reaction and cognitive reaction), and online impulse-buying
experimental and survey research designs are arguably insufficient response (felt urge to buy impulsively, online impulse-buying
to fully capture online impulse-buying behavior. Future research behavior; see Tables 2–8). This classification framework provides
could consider using neurophysiological measures for method researchers with a list of factors that have received notable
triangulation. A neurophysiological approach allows researchers to scholarly attention, and a list of the factors that require more
assess the degree of impulsivity using neurophysiological meth- systematic investigation. Third, this study synthesizes the findings
ods, such as electrodermal activity (a measure of the conducting in the literature into a conceptual framework. In particular, the
properties of the skin), pulse plethysmography (a measure of blood empirical findings are mapped onto the S–O–R framework, with
flow used to infer heart rate), and electromyography (an electrical their corresponding theoretical foundation highlighted in the
measure of muscle activation) [39]. By combining these neuro- subsequent tables (see Tables 9–13 ). The conceptual framework
physiological approaches with the experiment and survey, more thus reports the empirically validated relationships in the extant
rigorous and objective measurements of online impulse-buying literature and demonstrates in a neat and systematic manner how
behavior can be obtained. online impulse-buying factors are theoretically interrelated.
Finally, this paper represents a necessary first step toward a
thorough understanding of online impulse buying. It identifies
7.1.4. Using a more diverse sample in different contexts
important issues in the existing literature and proposes an agenda
In the literature analysis, we found that most studies used
for future research. Further research can develop a typology of
university student samples to validate the research model. As
website stimuli in the context of online impulse buying, reconsider
online shopping is becoming more popular across different age
the role of cognitive reaction, use the neurophysiological approach
groups, it is worth examining online impulse-buying behavior in a
to capture online impulse buying, and use more diverse samples in
more diverse sample. This would greatly improve the generaliz-
different contexts to test the proposed research model.
ability of the research findings. Furthermore, researchers mostly
used B2C online shopping websites (e.g., online fashion retail
7.3. Limitations
websites such as ASOS.com) as the research context to investigate
online impulse-buying behavior. Yet, with the increasing popular-
Some limitations should be considered when applying the
ity of group-buying websites (such as Groupon.com), online
findings from this study. First, our study had the common
impulse buying in the context of group-buying websites deserves
limitations of a literature analysis. Our review was constrained
more attention. Specifically, the effects of group dynamics and the
to the pool of journals that satisfied our keywords and selection
visual presentation of the deals and transaction records may
criteria. Researchers can gain insight from the potentially
impose significant social influences on consumers’ impulse-buying
additional knowledge in practitioner articles; books; and mag-
tendencies.
azines. Future studies are recommended to explore articles and
216 T.K.H. Chan et al. / Information & Management 54 (2017) 204–217

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[55] Y.-L. Wu, Y.-S. Ye, Understanding impulsive buying behavior in mobile
commerce, Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS), Jeju, South Christy M.K. Cheung is an associate professor of information systems and e-
Korea, 2013. business management in the Department of Finance and Decision Sciences at Hong
[56] Y. Xu, J.-S. Huang, Effects of price discounts and bonus packs on online impulse Kong Baptist University. She received her PhD from the City University of Hong
buying, Social Behav. Personality 42 (8) (2014) 1293–1302. Kong. Her research interests include social media, e-marketing, IT adoption and
[57] S. Youn, R.J. Faber, Impulse buying: its relation to personality traits and cues, usage, and the dark side of using IS/IT. Her research articles have been published in
in: S.J. Hoch, R.J. Meyer (Eds.), Advances in Consumer Research, vol. 27, MIS Quarterly, Decision Support Systems, Information & Management, Journal of
Association for Consumer Research, Provo, UT, 2000, pp. 179–185. the American Society for Information Science and Technology, and Journal of
[58] X. Zhang, V.R. Prybutok, C.E. Koh, The role of impulsiveness in a tam-based Information Technology.
online purchasing behavior model, Inf. Resour. Manage. J. 19 (2) (2006) 54–68.
[59] X. Zhang, V.R. Prybutok, D. Strutton, Modeling influences on impulse
purchasing behaviors during online marketing transactions, J. Mark. Theory
Pract. 15 (1) (2007) 79–89. Zach W.Y. Lee is an assistant professor in the Department of Entrepreneurship,
[60] X. Zheng, N. Liu, L. Zhao, A study of the effectiveness of online scarce Marketing and Management Systems at The University of Nottingham Ningbo
promotion—based on the comparison of planned buying and unplanned China. He received his PhD from the Hong Kong Baptist University. His research
buying, Wuhan International Conference on e-Business, Wuhan, China, 2013. interests include the dark sides of IS/IT use, hedonic IS, and social media. His
research articles have been published in the Journal of the American Society for
Information Science and Technology, Information & Management, and leading
Tommy K.H. Chan is a PhD candidate of information systems and e-business information systems conference proceedings. Zach was the PhD fellow in the 2013
management in the Department of Finance and Decision Sciences at Hong Kong PACIS Doctoral Consortium.
Baptist University. His research interests include the dysfunctional use of IS/IT and
online consumer behaviors. His research articles have been published in
Information & Management, Industrial Management & Data Systems, Internet
Research, and leading information systems conference proceedings.