Defining the determinants of online impulse buying through a shopping process of integrating perceived risk, expectation-confirmation model, and flow theory issues

Since much online shopping is attributed to online impulse buying, it is important to define this particular shopping process. This process has three important issues, perceived risk for virtual stores as well as e-store design and psychological state for online shopping. This is because consumers are both system users and impulse buyers when shopping on e-stores. E-store design is based on the interaction of customers with e-stores and the expectation-confirmation model supports examination of this issue with a wide familiarity in IT use. Psychological state is emotional responses to the stimulus of products in e-stores and flow theory, with task skill and task challenge as precursors, is suitable for exploring this issue. Grounding on the three issues, this study proposes a new research model with these considerations to thoroughly examine the determinants of online impulse buying. Flow state and customer satisfaction also interact with each other. Empirical research shows an important link for the three defined issues of online impulse buying.