Habitual mobile shopping behavior in China and Vietnam—applying complexity theory via fsQCA

ABSTRACT Mobile shoppers’ purchase intention is affected not only by products or the shopping environment but also by shopping application (app) features. In this study, we adopted complexity theory to explore how the use of shopping apps is affected by complex causal factors including user demographics, shopping situations, and conscious or unconscious attitudes and behaviors. We conducted a cross-cultural survey of 425 Vietnamese and 469 Chinese mobile shoppers. A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis was used to examine the relationship between antecedents and outcomes depending on complex conditions in the given contexts. The results showed that the continuous usage intention of a shopping app is not influenced by one factor alone but by complex conditions including a shopper’s satisfaction and habitual activities via two particular features of a shopping app. This study offers multiple ways to enhance continued usage by targeting various users via habitual activities based on their cultural values, demographics, and shopping situations.