level and monthly income are the control variables. OLSM is an independent variable, e-satisfaction, e-trust and e-commitment are dependent variables, and the signal credibility is the moderator. The detailed description of H4 are as follows.
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H4: Signal credibility positively moderated the influence of OLSM on relationship quality.
H4a: Signal credibility positively moderated the influence of OLSM on e- satisfaction.
H4b: Signal credibility positively moderated the influence of OLSM on e-trust. H4c: Signal credibility positively moderated the influence of OLSM on e- commitment.
5.9.2.1 The testing of H4a
To test hypothesis H4a, a hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used. E-satisfaction was entered as the dependent variable and the control variables (gender, age, education, monthly income and shopping years) were entered as a block, to exclude the possible influence of the control variables on the independent variables. OLSM was entered as a block, as was signal credibility. The interaction term OLSMXMS, formed by multiplying OLSM and signal credibility, was entered as a block. Table 5-16 below illustrates the results from the hierarchical regression analysis in respect to OLSM, e-satisfaction and signal credibility.
Table 5-16 Results of Hierarchical regression analysis (ES as the dependent variable)
Independent Variables
Dependent Variables：ES
Step1 Step 2 Step3 Step 4
β t β t β t β t Gender -0.004 -0.080 -0.013 -0.304 0.001 0.026 0.000 0.002 Age -0.083 -1.947 -0.101* -2.534 -0.118** -3.044 -0.116** -3.013 Education -0.128** -2.932 -0.114** -2.777 -0.128** -3.234 -0.127** -3.220 Monthly income 0.126** 2.645 0.089* 1.989 0.098* 2.269 0.086* 1.980 Shopping years 0.075 1.630 0.036 0.845 0.026 0.631 0.020 0.491 OLSM mean 0.350*** 8.823 0.270*** 6.714 0.304*** 7.031 MS mean 0.260*** 6.529 0.263*** 6.623
117 OLSMxMS 0.086* 2.099 R Square 0.036 0.154 0.215 0.221 Adjusted R Square 0.027 0.145 0.205 0.209 F 4.136** 16.898*** 21.657*** 19.617*** Note: *p<0.05 **p<0.01 ***p<0.001
Figure 5-3 Signal credibility as the moderator between OLSM and e-satisfaction
As displayed in Table 5-16, the coefficient of the interaction term OLSMXMS is 0.086 and the interaction effect is significant (p<0.05). This indicates that the signal credibility could positively influence the relation between OLSM and online customer satisfaction, thus hypothesis H4a is accepted. Figure 5-3 above depicts the moderation effect of the signal credibility between OLSM and e-satisfaction. As shown in the figure, the influence of OLSM on e-satisfaction is enhanced with the rise of signal credibility. In the situation of high signal credibility, the influence of OLSM on e-satisfaction is relatively stronger (the slope of the curve is relatively steep), while the influence of OLSM on e- satisfaction is relatively weaker (the slope of the curve is relatively gentle) in the situation of low signal credibility.
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E-trust was entered as a dependent variable, with the control variables (gender, age, education, monthly income and shopping years) entered as the independent variables. OLSM was entered as a block, as was signal credibility. The interaction term OLSMXMS was then also entered as a block. Table 5-17 below illustrates the results from the hierarchical regression analysis in respect with OLSM, e-trust and signal credibility.
Table 5-17 Results of Hierarchical regression analysis (ET as the dependent variable)
Independent Variables
Dependent Variables：ET
Step1 Step 2 Step3 Step 4
β t β t β t β t Gender -0.012 -0.266 -0.021 -0.525 -0.005 -0.121 -0.006 -0.146 Age -0.029 -0.685 -0.049 -1.241 -0.069 -1.851 -0.068 -1.817 Education -0.090* -2.065 -0.075 -1.847 -0.092* -2.413 -0.092* -2.397 Monthly income 0.061 1.278 0.021 0.478 0.032 0.771 0.020 0.485 Shopping years 0.160** 3.495 0.119** 2.786 0.106** 2.639 0.101* 2.498 OLSM mean 0.378*** 9.634 0.279*** 7.173 0.312*** 7.476 MS mean 0.321*** 8.335 0.324*** 8.437 OLSMxMS 0.085* 2.145 R Square 0.036 0.174 0.266 0.272 Adjusted R Square 0.027 0.165 0.256 0.261 F 4.127** 19.474*** 28.673*** 25.827*** Note: *p<0.05 **p<0.01 ***p<0.001
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Figure 5-4 Signal credibility as the moderator between OLSM and e-trust As shown in the table 5-17, the coefficient of the interaction term OLSMXMS is 0.085 and the interaction effect is significant (p<0.05). This indicates that signal credibility could positively influence the relationship between OLSM and online customer trust, thus hypothesis H4b is accepted. Figure 5-4 depicts the moderation effect of signal credibility between OLSM and e-trust. As shown in the figure, the influence of OLSM on e-trust is enhanced with the rise of signal credibility. In the situation of high signal credibility, the influence of OLSM on e- trust is relatively stronger (the slope of the curve is relatively steep), while the influence of OLSM on e-trust is relatively weaker (the slope of the curve is relatively gentle) in the situation of low signal credibility.
5.9.2.3 The test of H4c
The steps used to test H4a and H4b were then repeated with e-commitment as the dependent variable. The table records the results from the hierarchical regression analysis in respect to OLSM, e-commitment and signal credibility. As shown in Table 5-18, the coefficient of the interaction term OLSMXMS is 0.096 and the interaction effect is significant (p<0.05). This indicates that signal credibility could positively influence the relation between OLSM and e- commitment, thus hypothesis H4c is accepted.
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Table 5-18 Results of Hierarchical regression analysis (EC as the dependent variable)
Independent Variables
Dependent Variables：EC
Step1 Step 2 Step3 Step 4
β t β t β t β t Gender -0.003 -0.060 -0.013 -0.316 -0.003 -0.077 -0.004 -0.104 Age 0.031 0.727 0.010 0.260 -0.002 -0.039 0.000 0.004 Education -0.046 -1.041 -0.030 -0.732 -0.040 -1.003 -0.039 -0.980 Monthly income 0.093 1.942 0.051 1.159 0.058 1.330 0.044 1.018 Shopping years 0.106* 2.294 0.062 1.464 0.055 1.314 0.048 1.161 OLSM mean 0.397*** 10.153 0.339*** 8.412 0.376*** 8.702 MS mean 0.188*** 4.697 0.191*** 4.800 OLSMxMS 0.096* 2.325 R Square 0.026 0.179 0.210 0.218 Adjusted R Square 0.018 0.170 0.200 0.206 F 3.012* 20.149*** 21.077*** 19.264*** Note: *p<0.05 **p<0.01 ***p<0.001
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Figure 5-5 reveals the moderation effect of the signal credibility between OLSM and e-commitment. As suggested in the figure, the influence of OLSM on e- commitment increases with the growth of signal credibility. In the situation of high signal credibility, the influence of OLSM on e-commitment is relatively stronger, while the influence of OLSM on e-commitment is relatively weaker with low signal credibility.