THE EFFECT OF PARASOCIAL INTERACTION, FLOW, AND SOCIAL IDENTITY IN CROSS-BORDER E-COMMERCE VALUE CO-CREATION
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Abstract
This study investigates the relationships among parasocial interaction, user-generated content, flow experience, social identity, and value co-creation behavior in cross-border livestream shopping. A structured questionnaire was distributed to Chinese consumers who have used Thai e-commerce platforms, and 509 valid responses were analyzed using reliability tests, exploratory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. The measurement instruments demonstrated strong reliability and validity. The structural model exhibited acceptable fit (χ²/df = 2.441, RMSEA = 0.054, CFI = 0.937, TLI = 0.930). Difference analyses revealed that gender significantly influenced parasocial interaction (t = 2.832, p < 0.01) and user-generated content (t = 2.355, p < 0.05), while monthly income and cross-border shopping experience produced variations in flow experience, social identity, and value co-creation behavior. Structural modeling showed that parasocial interaction positively predicted flow experience (β = 0.358, p < 0.001), which in turn strongly influenced social identity (β = 0.412, p < 0.001). Both user-generated content (β = 0.224, p < 0.01) and social identity (β = 0.237, p < 0.001) significantly contributed to value co-creation behavior. Flow experience also had a significant direct effect on value co-creation behavior (β = 0.252, p < 0.001). The findings highlight the psychological mechanisms through which Chinese consumers form engagement and co-create value on cross-cultural digital platforms.
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