Online consumer behaviors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Online consumer behaviors - Essay Example Addictive, compulsive, and impulsive buying are types of uncontrolled consumer behavior that have drew interest in actual shopping settings. Personally, uncontrolled buying can lead to serious life problems and consumer impoverishments. Generally, it could raise consumer prices and sustain the social problems of extreme poverty (LaRose & Eastin, 2002). Now that buying and selling have reached the Internet, has uncontrolled buying behavior become more intense?LaRose (2001) reported that major e-commerce sites possess attributes that could encourage uncontrolled buying behavior. Studies show that online buyers were more impulsive than traditional ones and that that impulsive consumers comprised a significant portion of the general population of e-commerce buyers. There was sketchy proof of addiction in statements of ‘eBay addicts’, a study on compulsive online buying (Chen, 2009). With vast numbers of online shoppers today, uncontrolled online buying emerges as a major con sumer problem. Examining Online Consumer Behaviors Teenagers and young adults are the target market of online shopping because they are the first online generation of buyers. This social group spends roughly 12 percent of their whole earnings online, and these purchases are mostly books, music, and clothes commonly linked to compulsive buying (LaRose & Eastin, 2002, 549). Young people are particularly predisposed to unreasonable buying habits because of their tendency toward ‘excessive’ online activities and uncontrolled traditional buying as well as easily accessible credit cards. According to Milne and colleagues (2009), research on compulsive buying shows that these tendencies are developed in late adolescence. According to developmental studies, Milne and colleagues (2009) added, depression negatively affects adolescents and young adults more often than other age groups, and depression has been discovered to significantly influence the emergence and growth of extrem e buying habits. Undoubtedly, the buying habits of people have changed. As stated in the 2010 report of Forrester Research, online revenues will be at $331 billion in the United States alone. The enlarging population of online buying households along with website upgrading and retailer improvements will push e-commerce to form 13 percent of overall retail earnings in 2010 (Chih-Chung & Chang, 2005, 41). Online revenues will increase at a 15 percent compound annual growth rate between 2004 and 2010. Therefore, as the Internet continuously becomes a widespread channel for consumer activities across the globe, it becomes ever more crucial to determine the aspects influencing consumer use of e-commerce. A number of studies examine the aspects influencing consumer online buying. However, Goldsmith (2010 as cited in Chih-Chung & Chang, 2005, 41) states that most studies on online buying habits is quite explanatory and not derived from consumer theory. Therefore, this paper uses the social cognitive theory of Albert Bandura to examine online consumer behavior. According to Faber and O’Guinn (1992), media were given an insignificant role in uncontrolled buying behavior in the past: encouraging consumer impulses with marketing or advertising. With the intervention of the whole retail industry thru e-commerce, a more inclusive theoretical perspective is needed. LaRose (2001) consolidated addictive, compulsive, and impulsive buying within the paradigm of Albert Bandura’s social cognitive theory, asserting that they created a range of behavior characterizing different levels of poor self-control. Nearly all consumers have a tendency to buy impulsively, which is to purchase rashly, irrationally, and spontaneously (LaRose & Eastin, 2002, 549). For several consumers, the yearning for particular products or services changes to a common yearning for compulsive buying, which is repeated, persistent buying that becomes a main reaction to

ICT Policy Evaluation and Compliance Research Paper

ICT Policy Evaluation and Compliance - Research Paper Example The other challenges are that ICT is a fast growing sector and this provides many challenges with regard to policy development and implementation. These two factors, combined with the volatility of ICT create issues with policy development thus leading to a point where the policies developed may not be useful in advancing technology (Pilat, 2003). Policies, which hinder the development and growth of ICT can be very detrimental, and it is necessary for stakeholders to understand this and try to come up with new ways to streamline ICT processes. This is very important for Qatar especially with regard to its vibrant and fast-growing economy, which requires ICT backing in order to be sustained. It is in this regard that the policy evaluation process should be able to identify how ICT policies in Qatar are affecting the growth and uptake of the sector. Impact on ICT policies on ICT uptake ICT policy can be very useful in making sure that ICT is being utilised properly. On the other hand, one of the main challenges, which can be faced with regard to developing ICT policies, is that they can hinder the uptake of ICT (Roy, 2005). Different policies meant to help in improving the ICT sector can lead to it being harder for the ICT to develop. For instance, those policies which are geared towards control are more likely to have a negative impact if they are unchecked. This is why it is absolutely to have a mechanism through which ICT policies are supposed to be evaluated in terms of how they achieve what they are meant for and also in terms of how they are likely to be generate other negative impacts in the industry (Roy, 2005). For instance, with regard to ICT products, it is necessary to have those policies which support the capabilities of the consumers to uptake or to start using various ICT products. One of the areas where this should be regarded with care and diligence in the communication networks. According to Metcalfe (1979), networks increase their utility to th e users as the number of users increase. In this regard, those policies which are geared towards control must be looked at and evaluated in terms of how they are affecting the growth of ICT. Failing to do this may end up meaning that there will be issues with the growth and development of the ICT sector. In this regard, there are a number of issues which must be looked at in order to make sure that the policies are not being detrimental to the growth of ICT. Compliance with international standards The world has become a global village, and this has made it necessary for all countries and territories in the world to be able to look at the ways in which they can align themselves in the global village (Roy, 2005). Compliance with international standards is not just an issue affecting only ICT, but it affects all sectors on a country’s economy. In this regard, there is a need to identify ways in which the ICT policies in Qatar are affecting the ability to comply with internationa l standards. There is a need to guarantee compliance with international requirements as well as the standards which are being implemented internationally (Khosrowpour, 2000). Failing to evaluate the ICT policies would bring in the risk of not complying with international standards and this would lead to Qatar being isolated from the rest of the world. With regard to ICT, compliance with international standards can never be stressed enough. In this regard, t