Guanxi Buying in the Social Media Environment

Abstract

In the online marketspace, social media has played an indispensably role in changing the way of online shopping and auctioning. Previous studies have found the interpersonal relationship is the key factor to a success social media business. This study aims at exploring group buying in social commerce environment from the Chinese “guanxi” perspective. Guanxi is a kind of interpersonal interaction that individuals tend to interact through the ren-quin (favor), and individuals have to give and save face for their friends to show their social friendship. Chinese culture is differentiated from Western culture in many aspects. Therefore exploring the impact of Chinese guanxi factors in affecting consumer participating in the group buying decision making has its research originality to bring the Chinese interpersonal relationships Guanxi into social media context.