An Examination of Social Online Shopping Attitudes of Undergraduate Students Enrolled in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications at Texas A&M University

Abstract

Current research aims at exploring attitudes of undergraduate agriculture students towards online social shopping (i.e., the use of social network features on shopping websites). The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and the Innovation Adoption and Diffusion theory served as the theoretical framework for this study. A sample of 432 students was selected from 1,130 currently enrolled undergraduate students in the Department of Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications (ALEC) at Texas A&M University. A 24-item survey questionnaire was designed and distributed via Qualtrics, and 226 complete responses were received. Results reveal that past online shopping experience, stage of adoption of the innovation, and social network intensity all significantly affect college students’ attitudes towards online social shopping. However, demographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender, academic major, ethnicity, and connection to an agricultural organization) did not significantly affect attitudes towards social online shopping. Based on the results of this study, college students have purchased agricultural products online, and college students have indicated that social online shopping is synonymous with online shopping. Thus, agricultural companies should strive to reach college students on social shopping websites or risk missing opportunities to make a sale. Future research is recommended to target a larger population that includes diverse age groups and individuals who hold different occupations.