Digital library
Hossein Rahimi Kolour; Younes Nikkhah
Abstract
Background and Objectives: The advancement of information technology and the increase in internet users have made online buying, especially in books, an integral part of the distribution channels of services and products. Also, online bookstores and digital libraries earn money by providing physical ...
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Background and Objectives: The advancement of information technology and the increase in internet users have made online buying, especially in books, an integral part of the distribution channels of services and products. Also, online bookstores and digital libraries earn money by providing physical and digital books and knowledge services. However, online stores, especially in Iran, are still developing and understanding the online behavior of customers is still a new and unknown issue for businesses, especially for online library service providers. Nowadays, with businesses going online, especially the online sale of books and the promotion of the science of digital reading, identifying the purchase behavior in the online environment has become of great importance for the owners of bookstores and digital libraries because the purchase behavior in the online environment is very complicated. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of perceived ease and perceived usefulness of buying online with the mediating role of online perceived value on online purchase behavior among customers of online bookstores and digital libraries. Research shows that through online social networks, customers can obtain more detailed product information, personalized service, and quick support, which influence customers' purchase intentions. In addition, the rich content and interpersonal networks generated by customers on social networks keep them connected. Based on social networking sites, microblogs, forums, and social commerce platforms, customers share purchase information, consumption experiences, and evaluations, and this content can spread rapidly and, as a result, significantly influence the purchase intentions of other customers. On the other hand, the desire of young Iranian researchers to write new approaches to the digital society has led to the transfer of technology, knowledge and emerging global ideas in the library sector. Because various studies have been conducted in the field of buying behavior, but in previous studies, the mediating role of perceived value in the relationship between perceived ease and usefulness and online purchase behavior has not been the focus and attention of researchers. This study, in addition to understanding the direct effects and Indirect factors affecting online purchase behavior, can play an influential role in increasing the subject literature of online consumer behavior in the field of librarianship and online customer orientation in the field of books.
Methodology: The statistical population of the research includes customers of online bookstores and digital libraries in Iran who have at least one experience of online purchasing (physical and digital books). On the other hand, to ensure the measurement process of each variable, the validity and reliability indicators of the questionnaire were examined, and the opinions of experts and professors in this field were applied. This research is a quantitative and hypothetical-inferential study. In this study, the random sampling method was used. Data collection was done in the field using a questionnaire. The structural equation modeling method was used to investigate the relationships between the variables, and SPSS 24 and Amos 24 software was used.
Findings: The results of this study showed that the direct effects of ease, usefulness and perceived online value on the online purchase behavior of customers of online bookstores and digital libraries are significant. Finally, the mediating role of online perceived value among variables of ease, usefulness and online purchase behavior of book customers was significant and considerable.
Discussion: This study shows that perceived ease and usefulness of online buying are two critical factors in predicting online purchase behavior. Among, online perceived value is an essential factor in better identifying this effect in the online behavior of online bookstores and digital libraries. Therefore, in addition to presenting a new model, this study helps to increase the literature on consumer behavior in the context of digital library services and online book sales and has provided practical suggestions on this theme. For example, managers of online bookstores and digital libraries can develop a good and beneficial social atmosphere among customers by providing simple interactive channels to share knowledge and strengthen social relationships. On the other hand, managers of online bookstores and digital libraries can improve personalization by customizing customer information based on their preferences, which entails placing functional information about books on the first visual page. This creates value for customers and users, leading them to search for products and services.
