A Cognitive-Dissonance Theory Perspective in Understanding Online Shopping Journey

Abstract

Online purchase experience is considered an a pivotal antecedent to customer satisfaction. This study explores the dimensions of online purchase experience affecting customer satisfaction while investigating the moderating role of negative e-word of mouth (NEWOM) toward customer satisfaction and repurchase intention. Employing a web survey, 453 valid responses were generated from urban consumers with online purchase experience. A PLS-SEM based approach was used to validate the proposed relationships. Dimensions of online purchase experience, such as hedonic experience, service experience, website experience, and trustworthy experience, were found to significantly impact online customer satisfaction. NEWOM was found to significantly and negatively moderate the relationship between online customer satisfaction and repurchase intention. The current study provides novel insights into the concept of the online purchase experience. It proposes a framework that emphasizes the moderating effect of NEWOM on online customer satisfaction and repurchase intention, relying on cognitive dissonance theory.