The extension of technology acceptance model (TAM): effects of social media, facilitating conditions and perceived risk in online purchase in Saudi Arabia / Areeg Abdulghani Almowalad

In Saudi Arabia, there is currently an active revolution not only in its physical and economy development, but also in the purchasing behaviour among Saudis. The world is observing massive change in people's behaviour in communication and the influence technology has on it. This has led to numerous studies related to information technology and purchasing behaviour, in particular the reality of online purchasing in Saudi Arabia. As it involves technology, the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) has been widely used in various studies in the attempt to understand people's intention and actual behaviour online through the involvement of several external factors. This study is designed to examine the effects of ease of use, usefulness, enj(?yment, and trust as the direct antecedent to intention, while social media, facilitating conditions and perceived risk are the moderating effects between intention and actual purchase to be able to advance the theories in TAM. This study aims to answer seven research questions by proving seven hypotheses involving seven relationships of dependent, independent as well as moderating variables. As the study employed a quantitative research design, 500 questionnaires were distributed to respondents identified using the snowball sampling method, however only 208 were successfully analysed and discussed. Data analysis was successfully conducted using a Structural Equation Model (SEM) and the findings were presented in numerical forms with systematic descriptions to prove the proposed hypotheses and to answer research questions. At the end of the study, the researcher managed to explain the proposed research framework which involved the extension of TAM. It was discovered that trust, ease of use, and usefulness are the main factors to online shopping in Saudi Arabia. On the other hand, two of the three moderators: social media, and facilitating conditions positively influenced the relationship between consumers' intention, and online purchase, whereas the third condition, which was the perceived risk, was found on the contrary. Ultimately, the findings of this study will be beneficial for marketers to understand the intrinsic behavioural factors that influence consumers' selection, hence avoid trial and errors in their advertising drives.