Drivers and outcomes of customer engagement in livestreaming commerce

This study aims to investigate the antecedents and consequences of customer engagement in livestreaming commerce. The research integrates the elaboration likelihood model and trust transfer theory with customer engagement and parasocial relationships. The empirical design employs a sequential, exploratory, mixed-methods approach, starting with 12 open-ended surveys with livestreaming commerce buyers, followed by a close-ended survey of 361 users of various Chinese livestreaming commerce platforms. The collected data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS. The results suggest that review consistency and resonant contagion drive customer engagement; however, streamer interaction quality do not. Additionally, customer engagement and parasocial relationships build trust in the streamer and the product. Ultimately, trust in both the streamer and the product drives purchase intention. The study presents novel findings in the domain of livestreaming commerce, contributing to the underlying theories and offering practical insights for managers and streamers.