International Journal of Business and Economics Volume 14, No. 1 June, 2015

Motivational Duality in Online Consumer Behaviour : Website Usability and Flow State as Moderating Factors

Juan Miguel Alcántara-Pilar

Deparment of Marketing and Markets Research, University of Granada, Spain

Salvador del Barrio-García

Deparment of Marketing and Markets Research, University of Granada, Spain

Lucia Porcu

Deparment of Marketing and Markets Research, University of Granada, Spain

Esmeralda Crespo-Almendros

Deparment of Marketing and Markets Research, University of Granada, Spain

Abstract

The present study explores the influence of website usability (utilitarian motivation) and user flow state (hedonic motivation) on online purchasing behaviour in the context of a site promoting a tourist destination. A 2x2 (high vs. low website usability and high vs. low flow state) experimental design was chosen. The sample comprised 227 Spanish individuals. The results underline the importance of utilitarian aspects for the effectiveness of the purchasing process and the formation of perceived risk online. The findings also demonstrate the influence of hedonic aspects on attitudes and loyalty towards the tourist destination, and affirm that message involvement plays an important role in reducing perceived risk and augmenting attitudes and loyalty. It is recommended that websites should reflect the different types of motivation so as to make browsing both appealing and useful for the online consumer.

Keywords：website usability, flow state, website attitude, tourist destination loyalty.

JEL Classifications：M15, M30, M390.

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