Internet dependency: Its impact on online behavioral patterns in E-commerce

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Chen, Kuanchin | Tarn, J. Michael^{; *} | Han, Bernard T.

Affiliations: Department of Business Information Systems, Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 269 387 5428; Fax: +1 269 387 5710; E-mail: mike.tarn@wmich.edu.

Abstract: Delivering the right Internet service to the right person has been a major challenge to E-commerce strategies. Developers of E-commerce and online services have constantly faced the issue of scarce design guidelines to model their customers' online behavioral patterns. This has called for new research on the characteristics of Internet users so that appropriate E-commerce website design strategies can be developed. This study attempts to investigate the possibility of the non-detrimental effects of Internet dependency and proposes an instrument to measure both positive and negative Internet dependency. The authors further assess the effects of these two types of dependency on several online activities to delineate the characteristics of Internet users. This article is concluded with the managerial implications of the findings and the suggested E-commerce website design guidelines.

Keywords: Internet dependency, Internet addiction, E-commerce, website design, online behavioral differences

DOI: 10.3233/HSM-2004-23104

Journal: Human Systems Management, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 49-58, 2004