Hedonic Motives as a Moderator: Examining the Interplay between Digital Competency and Consumer Purchase Behavior

Abstract

Consumers have been encouraged to shop online more in the digital age, which may result in e-impulse purchasing (e-IB). This study aims to experimentally examine the connections among digital competencies, e-impulse purchasing (e-IB), and Customer Satisfaction (CS). E-impulse purchasing maintains its consistency with a consistent marketing approach and language, which enhances consumer satisfaction and boosts brand revenue. Numerous digital marketing tools and capabilities are available in this digital age to enhance e-impulse buying and assist build strong relationships with clients in order to influence their purchasing decisions. We do not, however, fully grasp the factors that lead to e-impulse buying in the digital age or how hedonic motivation in brands may act as a moderator in consumers' decision-making. In this regard, the study's objectives are to identify the factors that contribute to impulsive online purchases in the digital age and investigate if customer satisfaction influences Consumer Purchase Decisions (CPD) in any moderating ways. A theoretical model has been constructed based on social identity theory and the resource-based view. Covariance-based structural equation modeling verifies our model based on survey responses from representatives of 413 organizations/brands. Hedonic motivation has a moderating role in the development of e-impulse buying, which influences sales strategy differently in different situations to influence CPD. Our investigation confirms that e-WOM, digital infrastructure, skilled manpower, and digital marketing competence have a favorable impact on this development. One of the study's shortcomings is that the results were obtained by evaluating the responses of respondents who were based in India, which raised questions about external validity.