Understanding E-commerce continuance. An integration of gratification, trust dimensions and security perspectives

Purpose This research examines the relationships between user gratification, trust dimensions (ability, benevolence and integrity) and perceived security in influencing users' attitudes and continued use intentions in the context of B2C e-commerce within developing economies, with a specific focus on Ghana. The study addresses four critical gaps in the B2C e-commerce literature, including the limited focus on Africa, the lack of quantitative assessment of gratification effects, the absence of an isolated examination of the three trust dimensions and insufficient research on the role of security perceptions in continuance. Design/methodology/approach The study utilises the uses and gratifications (U&G) theory and the trust dimensions theory to validate an integrated model. Data were collected through an online survey conducted over three months, employing a convenience sampling strategy. The final sample consists of 352 B2C e-commerce users in Ghana. The hypothesised relationships were empirically tested using partial least squares–structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings Findings from our PLS-SEM showed that hedonic gratification, ability trust, and benevolence trust significantly and positively influence users' attitudes toward B2C e-commerce use. In contrast, cognitive gratification, integrative gratification, integrity trust and perceived security do not significantly affect attitude. Attitude toward use, however, strongly predicts users' continued use intention. Originality/value Our study provides an integrated, context-specific framework for e-commerce continuance in a developing economy. Our research refines the theory of trust by showing that, in a resource-constrained context, ability and benevolence are more salient drivers of trust than integrity. We also enhance the U&G theory by highlighting the significant role of hedonic gratification in shaping attitudes toward ongoing usage. Furthermore, the finding regarding the non-significance of perceived security, potentially linked to the prevalence of cash-on-delivery, offers a crucial contextual insight into adaptive coping mechanisms in African e-commerce.