Bridging the Rural Trust Gap in Social Commerce
Unpacking the Stimulus Organism Response Mechanism on Repurchase Intention
Keywords:
Live Streaming, Product Quality, Consumer Attitude, Repurchase Intention, Stimulus Organism Response (SOR), Rural Social CommerceAbstract
The proliferation of social commerce platforms like TikTok Shop has penetrated deep into rural markets, yet sustaining customer loyalty in these regions remains a critical challenge due to institutional voids and trust deficits. While initial adoption rates are high, rural consumers often exhibit low repurchase intention, and existing literature lacks a behavioral explanation for this disconnect, particularly regarding the psychological mechanism bridging digital stimuli and post-purchase loyalty. This study aims to analyze the influence of live streaming and product quality on repurchase intention, specifically examining the mediating role of consumer attitude through the lens of the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) framework. A quantitative study was conducted in Wehali Village, Indonesia, involving 108 active TikTok Shop users selected via purposive sampling. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4.0. (Key Findings) The results demonstrate that live streaming interactivity and product quality significantly enhance consumer attitude. Crucially, consumer attitude fully mediates the relationship between these stimuli and repurchase intention ($β=0.440, p<0.01$). This study contributes to the literature by validating the S-O-R framework in a “hard-to-reach” rural context, proving that “attitude” serves as the critical “organism” that translates digital telepresence into behavioral response. Practically, the findings suggest that rural sellers must prioritize high-fidelity streaming and strict quality control to cultivate a positive attitude, which is the sole direct driver of sustainable repurchase behavior.
References
Chen, C., Hu, Y., & Lin, Y. (2021). Understanding the influence of live streaming on purchase intention. Journal of Business Research, 134, 258-267.
Chopra, S., Gupta, A., & Singh, G. (2024). Decoding the rural digital consumer: Trust and technology adoption. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 78, 103-115.
Dwicahyo, H. R. (2025). The Role of Service, Product Quality, and Consumer Satisfaction on Repeat Purchase Intention. Journal of Economics and Management Research, 4(1), 12-24.
Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2021). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) (3rd ed.). Sage.
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing Management (15th ed.). Pearson Education.
Ma, L., Gao, S., & Zhang, X. (2022). How to keep customers in the live streaming commerce: The role of trust and engagement. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 64, 102821.
Mehrabian, A., & Russell, J. A. (1974). An Approach to Environmental Psychology. MIT Press.
Rahmita, T. A. (2025). The Role of Live Streaming Value Perception Factors in Forming Trust and Repurchase Intention. Jurnal Aplikasi Manajemen, 23(2), 112-125.
Ramadani, P. (2026). International Journal of Indonesian Business Review. International Journal of Indonesian Business Review, 5(1), 20-35.
Widiastuti, L. P., Ningrum, N. K., & Maharani, B. D. (2024). The Influence of Live Streaming Commerce on Purchase Intention Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) Framework. International Journal of Economics Development Research, 5(3), 345-360.
Xu, X., Wu, J., & Li, Q. (2023). What drives consumer shopping behavior in live streaming commerce? Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, 24(3), 144-167.
Zhang, M., Qin, F., & Wang, G. A. (2024). The impact of live streaming on consumer purchase intention: An S-O-R perspective. Information & Management, 61(2), 103-120.
