Luonan Li, Wangyue Zhou and Yuangao Chen
This study explores the effects of virtual streamer characteristics, virtual scene characteristics and streamer image-scene fit on users’ watching intention from the perspective…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores the effects of virtual streamer characteristics, virtual scene characteristics and streamer image-scene fit on users’ watching intention from the perspective of flow experience.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey data for this study were collected from the QQ fan group of virtual streamers between November 26th 2022 and December 5th 2022. The authors survey 274 viewers who have experience of watching virtual streaming and employ the partial least squares structural equation model to test the research hypotheses.
Findings
Among the characteristics of virtual streamers, interactivity significantly influences users’ perceived enjoyment and concentration, while vividness only affects perceived enjoyment. In addition, the novelty of the virtual scene has a notable impact on users’ perceived enjoyment and concentration, whereas aesthetic appeal serves as an important indicator solely for concentration. Furthermore, the virtual streamer image-scene fit also affects users’ perceived enjoyment and concentration. Finally, perceived enjoyment and concentration equally contribute to users' watching intention.
Originality/value
This study explores the impact of virtual streamer characteristics, virtual scene characteristics and streamer image-scene fit on users’ watching intention, which enriches the research on user behavioral intention in virtual streaming. Additionally, this study attempts to combine the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model and flow theory in the field of virtual streaming, expanding the research areas. Finally, this study also provides valuable insights for virtual streamers and virtual streaming platforms. By enhancing their virtual personas and optimizing their streaming strategies, virtual streamers can more effectively retain users and maintain audience engagement. Meanwhile, virtual streaming platforms can gain a deeper understanding of user preferences, enabling them to launch high-quality events that sustain user popularity. These efforts collectively contribute to the advancement of the virtual streaming industry.
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Wooyoung (William) Jang, Wonjun Choi, Min Jung Kim, Hyunseok Song and Kevin K. Byon
This study aimed to understand better what makes esports fans engage with streamers' live-streaming of esports gameplay. This study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to understand better what makes esports fans engage with streamers' live-streaming of esports gameplay. This study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and additionally adopted streamer identification and esports game identification as moderating variables.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from streamers' esports content streaming viewers over 18 years of age using an online survey in Amazon M-Turk (N = 307). Based on past esports live-streaming weekly watching hours, which range from 1 to 45 h, the participants were divided into lower (n = 152) and higher (n = 155) frequency groups. PLS-SEM and bootstrapping techniques were used to test the moderated mediation relationships among the constructs.
Findings
This study found a negative moderating effect of past watching experience on the relationship between attitudes and behavioral intention, and it positively moderated the path between perceived behavioral control and behavioral intention. Also, it was found statistically significant direct impacts of streamer identification (STI) and esports game identification (EGI) on attitude and subjective norms. While the indirect impact of STI on behavioral intention through attitude was statistically significant, there were no significant indirect impacts of EGI on attitude and behavioral intention through subjective norms.
Originality/value
Theoretically, this study extends the TPB model by exploring the two identifications (i.e. streamers and esports games) as antecedents of the focal TPB factors (i.e. attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control) and the moderating effect of prior experience based on high/low weekly watching frequencies. Practically, content creators of esports live-streaming and live-streaming platform managers can use the study’s findings to develop strategies to nurture their current and future viewership.
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Keni Keni, Nicholas Wilson and Ai Ping Teoh
This study aims to determine the impact of attitude toward content creators, subjective norm and perceived content quality in affecting people’s intention and behavior to watch…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to determine the impact of attitude toward content creators, subjective norm and perceived content quality in affecting people’s intention and behavior to watch videos posted on YouTube in Indonesia.
Design/methodology/approach
Using questionnaire, data from the total of 112 individuals living in Indonesia were gathered in this study, and these respondents are individuals who have been watching YouTube contents at least 3 h a day for the past eight months. Moreover, all of these data were processed and analyzed using PLS method to determine the impact given by one variable toward the other.
Findings
Based on the results of the analysis, the authors concluded that both factors, namely, content credibility and perceived content quality, play significant and positive roles in determining people’s intention to watch – and ultimately behavior to watch – contents or videos published on YouTube, with the former turned out to be the stronger predictor.
Originality/value
The current study attempts to modify and merge both the concept of theory of reasoned action and product quality theory to explain Indonesians’ behavior toward watching contents published on YouTube, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this type of studies is still in rarity.
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Fangfang Hou, Zhengzhi Guan, Boying Li and Alain Yee Loong Chong
The purpose of this paper is to investigate what factors can affect people’s continuous watching and consumption intentions in live streaming.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate what factors can affect people’s continuous watching and consumption intentions in live streaming.
Design/methodology/approach
This research conducted a mixed-methods study. The semi-structured interview was deployed to develop a research model and a live streaming typology. A survey was then used for quantitative assessment of the research model. Survey data were analyzed using partial least squares-structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results suggest that sex and humor appeals, social status display and interactivity play considerable roles in the viewer’s behavioral intentions in live streaming and their effects vary across different live streaming types.
Research limitations/implications
This research is conducted in the Chinese context. Future research can test the research model in other cultural contexts. This study can also be extended by incorporating the roles of viewer gender and price sensitivity in the future.
Practical implications
This study provides managerial insights into how live streaming platforms and streamers can improve their popularity and profitability.
Originality/value
The paper introduces a novel form of social media and a new business model. It illustrates what will affect people’s behavioral intentions in such a new context.
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Abul Kalam, Chai Lee Goi and Ying Ying Tiong
Due to the incredible criticisms by scholars of the excessive use of social media networks, this study aims to explore students’ motivation for social media use (SMU) and its…
Abstract
Purpose
Due to the incredible criticisms by scholars of the excessive use of social media networks, this study aims to explore students’ motivation for social media use (SMU) and its effects on academic performance (AP) in the light of uses and gratification theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the simple random and snowball sampling techniques, this study has considered 299 responses and critically analyzed them using structural equation modeling through the AMOS version 24. The mediation analysis has been done to explore the effective use of social media networks.
Findings
The results reveal that video clip watching and nonacademic learning intentions significantly influence SMU and AP. Besides, socialization through friends and family connections has tremendously fostered SMU intention, while it could not benefit AP. This study found an exceptional result that the entertainment intention of the students did not influence SMU but dramatically impacted their AP. Again, SMU has robust effects on enhancing students’ academic achievement. This study also concluded the results of the mediation analysis.
Practical implications
The learners, professionals, higher education policymakers, etc. may benefit from following this study's guidelines for using social media networks.
Social implications
This study may tremendously contribute to changing the mindset of youth from addiction to SMU and improving AP.
Originality/value
The prime novelty of this study is to justify the mediation analysis for SMU to explore whether it can truly influence students’ AP and critically examine the deep insight of certain factors associated with SMU.
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Minghuan Shou, Jie Yu and Ruinan Dai
On December 20, 2021, Viya, a social media influencer (SMI) with the largest number of followers in China, was exposed for having evaded RMB 643 million in taxes during 2019 and…
Abstract
Purpose
On December 20, 2021, Viya, a social media influencer (SMI) with the largest number of followers in China, was exposed for having evaded RMB 643 million in taxes during 2019 and 2020. Consequently, she was fined a total of RMB 1.341 billion by the tax authorities. While the strict government regulations demonstrated in the Viya event may build confidence in the consumers for future purchases, the exposure of issues and problems through implementation of the stronger government regulations may warn consumers off. Thus, the main objective of this paper is to examine the effect of government regulations on consumers' usage intentions of live streaming e-commerce by taking the Viya event as an example.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors consider both the positive effect of consumers' perceived benefits of the government regulations and the negative effect of their perceived risks of the Viya event on the usage intentions of live streaming e-commerce. After collecting 314 subjects with diverse gender, ages, education levels and income profiles, the data are processed by partial least squares-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and SmartPLS software.
Findings
The results demonstrate that strict government regulations can build trust in consumers of live streaming e-commerce by increasing the perceived benefits of restricting the behavior of SMIs. Among the potential perceived risks (social risk, safety risk and psychological risk), the safety risk is supported to have a negative effect on consumers' trust in live streaming e-commerce platforms. Besides, the authors have also identified different types of usage intentions in live streaming e-commerce, i.e. watching intention and purchase intention, and have empirical support for the positive relationships between the consumers' trust in live streaming e-commerce platforms and different usage intentions.
Originality/value
The authors' findings contribute to the application of commitment-trust theory, institutional theory and organizational control theory in the context of the live streaming e-commerce industry. Particularly, the authors use the Viya event as an example to quantitatively examine the effects of strict government regulations, which enriches the existing literature on this topic.
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Vijaya Patil, Weng Marc Lim, Hema Date, Naveen Donthu and Satish Kumar
This study aims to examine the intricate relationships in the making of a box office through a stakeholder lens that considers the influence of filmmakers and theatres on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the intricate relationships in the making of a box office through a stakeholder lens that considers the influence of filmmakers and theatres on moviegoers' intention to watch a movie at the theatre.
Design/methodology/approach
Employing covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM), this study analyses survey data on cinema-going experience collected from 673 moviegoers in digital era of a new normal.
Findings
The findings elucidate that movie branding, movie genre and theatre preference positively influence moviegoers' intention to watch a movie at the theatre. Furthermore, the study unveils that theatre preference is swayed by an array of personal and social factors, including control belief and social companion. Intriguingly, promotional elements, both commercial and non-commercial, were found to influence movie branding, yet not the genre when predicting theatre attendance intentions.
Research limitations/implications
Amid the burgeoning alternatives for watching movies (e.g. cable television and online streaming platforms), this article offers a contemporary exploration of the variables that motivate audiences to partake in the cinema-going experience, thereby serving as a proxy to decipher the factors that drive a movie's box-office success in digital era.
Originality/value
Unlike prior studies relying on archival data, the present study collects and uses survey data to develop a novel stakeholder theory-based marketing framework for the box office and moviegoers. The study also provides seminal insights on the box office and moviegoers in the digital era of a new normal.
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This paper proposes a structural model that explores the relationship between game/esports streamers’ credibility dimensions and viewers’ willingness to spend money (WTP) on…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper proposes a structural model that explores the relationship between game/esports streamers’ credibility dimensions and viewers’ willingness to spend money (WTP) on online games. The study seeks to uncover the underlying mechanisms in this relationship by drawing on the source credibility model, social identity theory and S-O-R framework.
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilized an online survey conducted through Qualtrics survey software to validate the proposed framework. The sample (N = 612) consisted of viewers of a Turkish esports live streamer with a substantial following on both Twitch and YouTube. The main research framework was tested using AMOS 22, and the serial mediation analyses were done using Process v3.0 on SPSS.
Findings
The findings of this study are significant, revealing that streamer credibility (SC) factors – trustworthiness, attractiveness and expertise – have a profound impact on the response variables purchase intention (PI) and WTP through streamer identification (STI). Moreover, the study uncovers that the time spent watching the streamer significantly influences WTP for games, a crucial insight for the gaming industry.
Practical implications
By bridging the realms of social identity theory and the source credibility model within the context of game streaming, this study charts new territory in understanding the intricate web of factors shaping consumer behaviour in live-stream gaming environments. It highlights the multifaceted nature of viewer-streamer interactions and their implications for marketers and industry stakeholders seeking to navigate the expanding landscape of live stream commerce.
Originality/value
This paper offers a novel structural framework that synthesizes multiple perspectives to investigate the relationship between esports streamers’ credibility and viewers’ spending behaviour. By incorporating concepts from the source credibility model, social identity theory and S-O-R framework, the study not only expands upon existing theories of identity in the streaming domain but also provides a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing consumer behaviour in online gaming environments.
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Adi Alić and Merima Činjarević
To understand how three features of online consumer reviews - the strength of persuasiveness in online consumer reviews (argument quality), the number of online consumer reviews…
Abstract
Purpose
To understand how three features of online consumer reviews - the strength of persuasiveness in online consumer reviews (argument quality), the number of online consumer reviews (volume of reviews), and source credibility – are related to the behavioural intentions in the movie consumption context. Besides, the present study aims to explore intergenerational differences (X, Y, and Z) in the patterns of association between three characteristics of online consumer reviews (argument quality, volume of reviews, and source credibility) and an individual’s choice of a movie intended to be watched.
Design/methodology/approach
The study sample (n = 518) was recruited from a population of users of IMDb living in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Structural equation modelling and multi-group analysis were used to test the proposed hypotheses.
Findings
The results revealed that argument quality, the volume of reviews, and source credibility of movie-related online consumer reviews are positively related to the intention to watch a movie for all three generational cohorts (X, Y, and Z). Regarding biases in processing information cues, our findings indicate that movie viewers from all three generations (X, Y, and Z) make inferences between source credibility and argument quality. However, biases in the relation between the volume of reviews and the argument quality were found only among X-ers and Y-ers but not among Z-ers.
Originality/value
The present study contributes to the eWOM research stream by examining the role of different characteristics of online consumer reviews (argument quality, the volume of reviews, and the source credibility) in movie consumption. Moreover, it sheds light on how argument quality, the volume reviews and the source credibility interact with the behavioural intentions of different generations and whether these interactions exhibit similarities or differences across three distinct generation cohorts: X-ers, Y-ers, and Z-ers.
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Jung-Kuei Hsieh, Werner H. Kunz and Ai-Yun Wu
This study aims to investigate the factors that affect an audience's purchase decisions on a new type of social media, namely live video streaming platforms.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the factors that affect an audience's purchase decisions on a new type of social media, namely live video streaming platforms.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based on data from an online survey providing 488 valid responses. These responses are used to test the research model by employing partial least squares (PLS) modeling.
Findings
Three antecedents (consumer competitive arousal, gift design aesthetics and broadcaster's image) influence the audience's purchase decisions (impulse buying and continuous buying intention). Chinese impression management (mianzi) acts as a moderator. Self-mianzi, mutual mianzi and other mianzi (i.e. three subtypes of mianzi) moderate the effects of consumer competitive arousal, gift design aesthetics and broadcaster's image on impulse buying.
Practical implications
The findings encourage practitioners developing marketing strategies for live video streaming platforms in the Chinese cultural context to consider peer influence, gift appearance, broadcaster's image and mianzi.
Originality/value
Drawing on the community gift-giving model and face-negotiation theory, this study provides an integrated research model to investigate a new type of social media (live video streaming). It offers insight into virtual gifting behaviors by confirming the effects of three antecedents on the audience's purchase decisions, with mianzi acting as a moderator.