Investigating the Effect of Subjective Factors on the Online Shopping Willingness in Iran

Abstract

Aims: The main objective of this study was to investigate the influence of subjective factors in the tendency to shop online. Study Design: The research model was formed using some variables such as raw data collection, perceived benefits of web-surfing, perceived risks of online shopping, overall evaluation of online shopping and the willingness to shop online. This study followed a descriptive, survey method and it was a correlational one since it investigated the relationship between variables. Methodology: The statistical population of this study included all students of Tehran Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch and Islamic Azad University of Yazd. Using Krejcie and Morgan's sample size estimation table (1970), 374 individuals were selected for Science and Research branch and 300 cases were chosen for Yazd branch based on stratified random sampling technique. A field method was used in order to collect data, and the research instrument used here was a questionnaire. Using structural equation modeling, data analysis and testing hypotheses were done through LISREL and SPSS. Results: The results of the study, which were the same in both populations, indicated that perceived benefits of surfing the net with basic data collection and also basic data collection directly correlates with perceived risk of buying online. Also, perceived benefits of browsing the net directly correlates with overall evaluation of online purchase. Conclusion: The last generation is not still willing to take the risk and spend money where there is not benefit for that. Almost all Iranians tend to go out of the house for shopping and while they are passing the streets, they try to buy something. Online shopping removes this opportunity. The two above mentioned cases are true for those students of Tehran Azad University, Branch of Science and Technology and Azad University of Yazd who know how to use the Internet and their everyday life is, to some extent, affected by Internet. And about those students who do not have access to internet, or those who despite their access to internet, are not interested in using it, Fortunately, many cities in Iran are equipped by Internet connection in recent years and all these cities are almost big. Besides all mentioned, there are still some problems left for creating infrastructure of online shopping.