Cross-cultural examination of online shopping behavior: A comparison of Norway, Germany, and the United States

While the rise of the commercial Internet has promoted many brands to a globally ubiquitous status, convergent demand for certain goods and services masks many culture-bound differences in consumer shopping behaviors. Adopting the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this research examines the role of culture in influencing online shopping use, comparing differences across three countries: Germany, Norway, and the United States. The roles of cognitive and affective involvement in driving technology perceptions and usage are also examined. After assuring measurement equivalence for study constructs, the study assesses differences in structural patterns across the countries. Findings show that the full TAM model does not hold for the European samples. In addition, cognitive involvement influences perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use in all countries, but the relationship between affective involvement and behavioral intention does not hold in Germany.

► We examine cross-cultural online shopping using the Technology Acceptance Model.
► The TAM held for the U.S. but the relationships did not hold for Germany and Norway.
► Cognitive involvement influences perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use.
► Affective involvement does not influence behavior intention in Germany.