Scrutinizing the efficacy of branded apps quality to counter counterfeiting and restore trust in M-Commerce

Abstract

Counterfeiting in m-commerce is rife in emerging markets. Our research intent is to understand how branded app quality counters perceived counterfeit deception (PCD) and engenders trust while analyzing consumer willingness to buy (WillB) in an emerging market. This work captures the perception of 1,146 online shoppers through a questionnaire-based survey and uses SPSSv23 and Amos 21 to construct a structural equation model to test the conceptual model. The results indicate that information quality (IQ), system quality (SysQ), and service quality (ServQ) of branded apps negatively affect PCD, and IQ and SysQ positively affect consumers’ trust in the seller. The study establishes stronger effects of SysQ and ServQ on PCD than on trust, and alongside this, a stronger effect of IQ on trust than on PCD is witnessed. Hence, the study proves that ServQ and SysQ are sale qualifiers and IQ is a sale enabler in counterfeiting contexts. A strong direct negative effect of PCD on WillB seems to overwhelm the positive effect of trust on WillB. The study makes several theoretical contributions, including toward the established literature on two factor theory and trust theory. The insights have important practical implications for retailers attempting to counter counterfeiting in m-commerce.

Keywords:

• branded app quality
• COVID-19
• information quality
• service quality
• system quality
• unscrupulous marketing

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mohit Manchanda

Mohit Manchanda, an MBA, is a senior marketing professional with more than 15 years of work experience in New Product Development & Digital Marketing in Telecom category. He is currently undergoing doctoral programme at Indian Institution of Management, Kashipur, India.

Madhurima Deb

Madhurima Deb is faculty of Branding at Indian Institute of Management Kashipur, India. She obtained her PhD from Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur), India. Prior to joining academics, she was an Assistant Manager at Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj Property Consultant Pvt. Ltd. She has published papers in various international journals of repute such as Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing & Logistics, International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Journal of Strategic Marketing, Journal of Marketing Communication etc to mention a few.

Ewuuk Lomo-David

Ewuuk Lomo-David is an Associate Professor in the School of Business and Economics at the North Carolina A&T State University. He received his Doctorate and Master’s degrees from the University of Memphis and Baccalaureate from the Minnesota State University. His research interests include application of analytical hierarchical process (AHP) in critical retail service quality decision-making, the bane of crude oil exploitation and marketing on the lives of Andonis of Nigeria and reevaluation of plagiarism policies in academia. His research has appeared in Journal of Computer Information Systems, Business Studies Journal, Academy of Information and Management Sciences Journal, and Industrial Management & Data Systems, to mention a few.