The effect of self construal on the intention to bid on an online group-buying auction

People attempt to reduce the risk and uncertainty they bear in an online group-buying auction by showing conformity behaviors and by bidding on popular auctions, thus, auction popularity is critical for their intention to bid. However, not everyone is concerned about the risk and uncertainty encountered. This research aims to show that different type of self construal (i.e., independent or interdependent) changes people's propensity for risk, and thus, systematically alters the effect of auction popularity on their intention to bid. Results from two experiments show (1) that for people with interdependent self construal, auction popularity has greater effect on their intention to bid than their independent counterparts; (2) that for people with independent self construal, their intention to bid is higher than their interdependent counterparts when the auction is unpopular. These findings have implications for defining target customers and the formulation of effective marketing communications.