The role of online communication in avoiding perceived restrictiveness of shopping websites

Purpose - This paper aims to examine and highlight the influence of perceived restrictiveness on online communication, and in relation, the reduction of uncertainty in purchasing decisions. Design/methodology/approach - By testing statistical associations between such variables as uncertainty, perceived restrictiveness and online communications, the authors are to establish the prevalence of a phenomenon with quantitative methods that collect survey data from more than 500 real customers of a popular Chinese e-commerce site – Taobao.com. Findings - The findings show that the perceived restrictiveness of a shopping website has a significantly role in motivating individuals to engage with each other by initiating online communication that leads to information acquirement and exchange. In addition, online communication that takes place between buyers and sellers, or among buyers, is found to be an important factor in the process of making purchasing decisions by customers. Originality/value - This paper adds significance to the extant academic literature as well as assists the appropriate e-commerce vendors in assessing the determinants of customer’s purchasing behavior in the context where online shopping platforms do not support buyers’ desired decision options. It further reconciles and supplements the findings of the previous e-commerce-related studies that focus on the website characteristics only without bringing in the role of customer’s perceived restrictiveness.