Global Journal of Management and Business Research, B: Economics and Commerce, Volume 21 Issue 5

Gender difference in e-commerce has been observed from diverse perspectives, such as the perceived risk of online behavior (Garbarino E et.al , 2004), and technology acceptance (Ali et.al, 2007; Constance P et.al , 2006), etc. In terms of technology acceptance and usage, several studies state that men are more technology-oriented, and therefore use the internet more than women (Villarejo-Ramos et.al , 2014; Werner et.al, 2011). In line with these studies, Sebastianello, Vake, and Chang (Slyke et.al , 2010; Sebastianelli R et.al, 2008; Chang M.K et.al, 2005) reported that products sold on e-platforms are more focused on men and therefore men purchase online more frequently than women. The reasons why women purchase less than men were proposed by several types of research and the majority of conclusions stated that women have lower trust and higher perceived risk towards online shopping (Garbarino E et.al , 2004; Gichang Cho et.al , 2009). However, a study by Wu revealed that even though men use online banking more frequently than women, apparently women have more trust to the online platforms security than men. (Wu W. et.al , 2016) Other reasons were found by Dittmar and Cho (Dittmar H et.al, 2004; Cho J, 2004), who concluded that online purchase is less attractive to women because of the absence of direct interaction with sellers and physical evaluation of products. Despite to above conclusions, Andrej (Andrej S.et.al, 2018), Donna (Donna W., 2010), and Abu H. (Abu H, 2021) found that men and women participate at equal rates, and in some cases, women even outnumber in online purchases. As it can be seen the impact of gender on online purchase has been analyzed and the results are not conclusive. Therefore, we propose that men purchase online more than women in SCO member states. Hypothesis 2: Online purchase is prevalent among male consumers of SCO member states. Education Online shopping differs from the traditional way of purchasing products and requires a set of technical skills, such as web browsing, credit or debit card usage, etc. Better educated consumers don’t only use the information technology for diverse tasks, comprehensive search, but also use their cyber-fluency to find products that match their needs. (Sharon E et.al , 1987; Mathwick C. et.al , 2001; Punj G, 2011). Tan, Wu Si, Afizah, Beneke, Leo (Tan et.al, 2000; Wu Si, 2003; Afizah Hashim et.al , 2009; Beneke, J. et.al , 2010; Leo Sin et.al , 2001) studies concluded that education level influences the adoption, usage of e-commerce and the online shopping behavior. Moreover, Delia (Delia et.al, 2012) found that education has an impact on online purchases regularity and how consumers perceive the products. Consumers with higher education consider price as an important factor for product perception, whereas users with low education consider service quality and subjective norms important in online shopping (Crespo et.al , 2010). Thus far, according to Mills (Mills et.al , 2003) less educated people even avoid the internet because they assume that digital content is concentrating on better-educated consumers. These conclusions were also supported by Goldfarb, Allred, Federici, and Chuang (Goldfarb et.al , 2008; Allred et.al , 206; Federici T, 2009; Chuang TT et.al, 2009), whose studies proved that education level and customer’s tendency to shop online are positively related. Despite to above, Eastman (Eastman J. et.al , 2004) and Donna (Donna W.et.al , 2010) studies stated that education is negatively correlated with online purchase among people aged 65-85 years. Therefore, we propose the following hypothesis: Hypothesis 3: Online purchase is prevalent among higher educated consumers of SCO member states. Employment and income According to an OECD report (OECD report, 2019), a higher level of education leads to better employment opportunities and therefore has a positive effect on higher earnings. In traditional studies, such as Shouvik (Shouvik S. et.al , 2018), high income is leading to higher consumption and affects the choice of store. Siyal, Hwang, Haque's studies (Hwang W et.al 2006; Siyal et.al , 2006; Haque et.al , 2011) found that income level is not only a significant factor for store shopping but also a positive approach for e-commerce adoption and purchase. Following these assumptions, some studies stated that online customers are not only employed, but also wealthier than traditional store consumers (Allred CR et.al , 2006; Punj G, 2011; Perez Hernandez et.al , 2011). Depending on earnings, customers with higher income prefer to save time and shop online, whereas customers with lower income prefer to save money (Punj G, 2011). Based on the above assumptions, we propose the following: Hypothesis 4: Online purchase is prevalent among employed consumers of SCO member states. Hypothesis 5: Online purchase is associated with higher income in SCO member states. Cultural factors One of the internationally recognized theories to understand cultural differences is Hofstede’s cultural dimensions model, which was first published in the late 1970s, and updated in 1991 and 2010 (Hofstede 1980; 2001; 2010). Many researchers developed conceptual models analyzing Hofstede’s cultural dimensions with Demographic and Cultural Factors Influencing the Adoption of B2C E-Commerce in SCO Region © 2021 Global Journals 30 Global Journal of Management and Business Research Volume XXI Issue V Version I Year 2021 ( ) B