Virtual gifting behavior on new social media: the perspectives of the community gift-giving model and face-negotiation theory
基于488份问卷数据，研究发现消费者竞争性唤醒、礼物设计美感和主播形象影响观众冲动购买和持续购买意愿，且面子（自我面子、相互面子、他人面子）起调节作用。
Purpose This study aims to investigate the factors that affect an audience's purchase decisions on a new type of social media, namely live video streaming platforms. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on data from an online survey providing 488 valid responses. These responses are used to test the research model by employing partial least squares (PLS) modeling. Findings Three antecedents (consumer competitive arousal, gift design aesthetics and broadcaster's image) influence the audience's purchase decisions (impulse buying and continuous buying intention). Chinese impression management ( mianzi ) acts as a moderator. Self-mianzi , mutual mianzi and other mianzi (i.e. three subtypes of mianzi ) moderate the effects of consumer competitive arousal, gift design aesthetics and broadcaster's image on impulse buying. Practical implications The findings encourage practitioners developing marketing strategies for live video streaming platforms in the Chinese cultural context to consider peer influence, gift appearance, broadcaster's image and mianzi . Originality/value Drawing on the community gift-giving model and face-negotiation theory, this study provides an integrated research model to investigate a new type of social media (live video streaming). It offers insight into virtual gifting behaviors by confirming the effects of three antecedents on the audience's purchase decisions, with mianzi acting as a moderator.