Sense of virtual community and perceived critical mass in online group buying

This study examines the effect of social influences (sense of virtual community and perceived critical mass) on online consumer behavior in online group buying (perceived risk and behavioral intention). The study tests 458 usable responses collected with mall-intercept systematic sampling from consumers with past experience in participating and purchasing on online group buying websites. Proposed hypotheses based on a review of relevant literature were tested using structural equation modeling. The findings indicate that sense of virtual community and perceived critical mass represent social influences that have a significant effect on consumers' behavioral intentions to engage in online group buying. Sense of virtual community also exerts a significant influence on perceived risk, which in turn is significantly related to online group buying intention. The implications of the findings and future research directions are discussed.