Author: Doris Morales Solana
Programme: Doctoral Programme on the Information and Knowledge Society
Language: Spanish
Supervisor: Dr Irene Esteban Millat, Dr Alejandro Alegret Cotas
Faculty / Institute: Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.
Key words: Online supermarkets, flow, consumer behavior, digital consumer, estructural equation
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Abstract:
The general aim of this doctoral thesis is to further our knowledge of flow experiences in mass consumption environments online. Flow is a mental state that people experience when they become deeply emerged in an activity, and can be studied to gain a deeper understanding of online consumers' behaviour. The research methodology employed involves the qualitative analysis of five interviews with online supermarket experts and the quantitative analysis of an online survey, which has allowed us to compare our proposed theoretical model of flow to structural equations. Our results confirm the existence of flow as part of consumers' experiences with online supermarkets, verifies two direct consequences - purchase intent and loyalty - and demonstrates the importance of encouraging flow experiences in online supermarkets to obtain competitive advantages.