Psychology

Online shopping has experienced tremendous growth with a reported 13.8 million of Britons having had an online shopping experience in 2003. In the same year, Taiwanese shoppers spent an estimated NT 20.4 billion (6 billion) on online shopping. Growth estimates for Taiwans online shopping industry was 30 for 2004 and 88 for 2005, with the total amount of money spent on online shopping for 2005 estimated at NT50.1billion (8billion). In 2007 20 percent of Taiwanese internet subscribers purchased goods online. The research criticizes studies for failing to separate between traditional shoppers and online shoppers. In addition to failing to separate between the two types of shoppers, these researches have mostly confined themselves to studying purchasing intentions without considering the problems that these consumers encounter in their shopping experience. The research will therefore try to do its study by considering both observed behavior and a study of available literature to ensure that the research is backed by sound theoretical justifications.

Critique  
The introduction gives the figures, though not exhaustive, of internet shoppers, its growth and thus highlights its significance in fact, this is almost like a justification for the study. The figures may however be criticized as lacking diversification. For instance, unless the research design is such that it does not need to include the US market, then naturally it should have figures from the US because the country is the quintessential internet market. That aside, the research constructively criticizes previous study models, and from that criticism, it is able to set itself apart from them and define its own agenda.

Methodology
Theory of planned behavior and hypothesis
The theory of Planned behavior (TPB) and is a theory that can be used to explain human decision making processes. The theory is similar to that of reasoned behavior, with the difference being in circumstances and the amount of control exercised by the individuals. In TPB, unlike reasoned behavior, the individuals are not in full control of the decision making process, external factors such as circumstance and opportunity (uncertainties) may influence the process. On the other hand behavior intentions are those factors that determine whether an individual will take a specific action or not. In other words, these are motivators or de-motivators for the actions. They provide a mechanism for predicting ones actions. Given that intentions change over time, TPB cites three factors that influence ones behavior intentions, and these are attitude towards the behavior, subjective norms and uncertainties. The research formulated three sets of hypothesis to reflect these determinants.

Critique
This section offers a theoretical background of the study. The section is almost like a literature review, but not as thorough, nevertheless, it provides one with sound theoretical grounding and sets out the hypothesis for the study. Evidently, the research develops a very clear hypothesis that stems from the theoretical explanations of issues. The quest to prove or disapprove the hypothesis will be done using primary research.

Research and sampling process
The research and sampling process was carried out according to principles of Ajzen and Fishbein concept and scale development. The process involved finite steps as follows
Part one consisted of establishing whether there were any advantages consumers found in doing their shopping online.

The second part was made up of items seeking to establish the attitude of those around them towards online shopping.

Part three sought to probe items that encouraged or discouraged them towards online shopping.
The final part was designed so as to establish the consumers future intentions regarding online shopping.

The questionnaire consisted of 226 online and 70 ordinary or offline questionnaires.

Critique
The research questions were designed in accordance with the behavioral theories that had been introduced in the theoretical background section. It will therefore be possible to classify the results of the study on the basis of the different behavioral models being studied.

Results
Each of the study variables was analyzed within the broader classes of subjective norm, perceived behavior control and attitude. Principal factor analysis was used with varimax rotation to extract the major factors. Some items were eliminated from each of the classes based on weak correlation factors (those with less than 0.5 to the item total) were eliminated. The study then employed structural equation modeling to examine the assumptions made in the study and 2 of the hypotheses were found to be true while one turned out to be null.

Critique
The method of results analysis is the reflection of the diversity of the data being analyzed. Of importance is the fact that each of the steps listed above had a minimum of 13 items that had to be analyzed. With this in mind the first step of elimination of those factors with certain correlation factors and the subsequent use of varimax rotation optimizes the research.

Conclusion and managerial implications
The study found that consumer attitude and perceived control beliefs are the two factors that affect online consumer shopping. The research recommends that factors that influence the attitude of shoppers such as content should be diversified to make them interesting. In addition, other things that need to be considered include increase of bandwidths so that the consumer can access the pages with ease, and to attract them, the companies can include incentives such as after sales service.

Critique
The researcher gives the implications of the study by explaining the consequences of the hypothesis. It also gives a recommendation to the online businesses on how to generate or increase internet traffic to their sites. The study however fails to give neither its limitations nor the scope, which is a weakness given the convolutions that characterizes any of the global markets.