CONSUMER BEHAVIOR ON FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE: A CROSS-CULTURE
STUDY OF INDIA AND CANADA

by

Rana Kidwai
B.Tech., Uttar Pradesh Technical University, 2014
M.B.A., Aligarh Muslim University, 2017

THESIS SUBMITTED IN THE PARTIAL FULFILLMENT
OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF SCIENCE
IN
BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
August 2025
© Rana Kidwai, 2025

Abstract
This study examines the cultural factors influencing differences in Facebook Marketplace usage
between Indian and Canadian consumers. The research identified a model for factors influencing
consumers behavior explaining by User Satisfaction, Interpersonal trust, Perceived Usefulness,
Perceived Ease of Use, Financial Risk, Privacy Risk, Quality Risk and Facilitating Conditions on
cross culture basis. Results of linear regression showed that there were significant differences on
User satisfaction, Interpersonal trust and Perceived Usefulness but no significant differences in
Facilitating condition between Indian and Canadian consumers. Furthermore, the study analyzed
the mediation model which presented interpersonal trust, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of
use and financial risk as a mediator between culture and user satisfaction. The implications of the
study are discussed, and further research is suggested.

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Abstract

ii

Table of Contents

iii

List of Figures

iv

Acknowledgement

v

Introduction

1

Conceptual Model and Hypothesis Development

3

Data and Methods

15

Analysis and Results

18

Discussion and Conclusion

22

Managerial Implications

23

Limitations and Future Research

24

References

25

Appendix A

30

Appendix B

33

Appendix C

34

iii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Conceptual Model for Facebook Marketplace

15

Figure 2: Parallel Mediation Model for Facebook Marketplace

21

Figure 3: Series Mediation Model for Facebook Marketplace

21

iv

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Xin Ge, for her unwavering
support, insightful guidance, and encouragement throughout the course of my research. Their
expertise and mentorship were crucial to the development and completion of this thesis.
I am also grateful to the committee members of my thesis —Prof. Wootae Chun, and Prof. Paul
Messinger —for their valuable feedback, thoughtful suggestions, and time.
My sincere thanks go to the Chair of the Department, Prof. Kafui Monu, for fostering a supportive
academic environment and his leadership throughout my time in the program.
I also wish to acknowledge the efforts of the department staff, for their assistance with
administrative matters, scheduling, and day-to-day support that helped make this journey smoother.
To my fellow colleagues during the course, thank you for the collaboration, shared ideas, and
constant encouragement.
Finally, I owe the deepest thanks to my husband and family for their love, patience, and belief in
me. Their support has been the foundation of my perseverance.
Thank you all.

v

1. Introduction
Social media represents one of the most transformative outcomes of information technology,
reshaping interactions both within and beyond organizational boundaries (Aral et al., 2013). By
offering inexpensive and scalable avenues for interaction, social media platforms such as Facebook
and Instagram have evolved into essential channels for commercial exchange. This evolution has
given rise to the concept of social commerce, defined as “a form of internet-based social media
that allows people to participate in the marketing, selling, comparing, and buying of products and
services in online marketplaces and communities” (Stephen & Toubia, 2010). Social commerce
extends beyond the sale of new products, facilitating peer-to-peer transactions involving secondhand goods. One notable example is Facebook Marketplace, a platform that has gained significant
global traction by enabling users to post, discover, and purchase used items within their social
networks. This feature has altered the user experience on social media by transforming it into a
transactional environment.
Despite its widespread use, Facebook Marketplace has received limited academic attention
compared to other social media platforms. While previous research has explored adoption and use
of social media and e-commerce platforms in general (Haryanti & Subriadi, 2020), few studies
have examined consumer behavior specific to Facebook Marketplace, particularly in cross-cultural
contexts. This lack of focused inquiry is notable, especially given existing evidence that privacy
and security concerns often inhibit consumers from completing mobile transactions (Luo et al.,
2010). However, these concerns have not been studied in the specific context of Facebook
Marketplace, a gap that this study seeks to address.
Globally, Facebook Marketplace supports peer-to-peer commerce across diverse markets.
According to Capital One Shopping Research (2025), an estimated 1.228 billion online shoppers
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engage with the platform each month. This global reach underscores the need to account for
cultural, economic, and technological variations that influence consumer behavior. The design of
successful digital applications increasingly depends on a localized understanding of how
consumers in different regions interact with technology. For example, Chopdar et al. (2018) found
that perceived risk significantly affected mobile shopping adoption in Indian consumers compared
to U.S. consumers, emphasizing the role of cultural context in shaping technology use.
The motivation for the present study also stems from personal observation. Having relocated from
a developing country (India) to a developed one (Canada) for academic purposes, I observed that
Facebook Marketplace played a vital role in helping newcomers acquire essential items during
their initial settlement. This experience highlighted stark differences in how consumers from each
country engaged with the platform, suggesting that cultural context significantly shapes the use
and perception of digital marketplaces.
To examine the cultural determinants of Facebook Marketplace adoption, this study employs the
Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) (Davis, 1989) as its theoretical foundation. In doing so, it
integrates cultural variability using the computer-Based Media Support Index (CMSI), which
draws on Hofstede’s (1991) four core dimensions of national culture—power distance,
individualism, masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance (Hofstede et al., 2010; Smith et al., 2013).
CMSI enables researchers to assess the simultaneous effects of these dimensions through an
aggregate cultural index. India and Canada are selected as comparison countries due to their
significant contrast in CMSI scores. India represents a high CMSI context, marked by greater
power distance, masculinity, and uncertainty avoidance, and lower individualism. In contrast,
Canada is characterized by low CMSI, with high individualism and lower levels of power distance
and uncertainty avoidance.

2

In this study, individualism is a key focus due to its pronounced disparity between the two countries.
Individualism describes the nature of relationships between individuals and major societal groups,
such as families or workplaces (Smith et al., 2013), and it is hypothesized to influence attitudes
and behaviors related to peer-to-peer commerce. Accordingly, this study develops and empirically
tests a model to identify the factors influencing adoption and use of Facebook Marketplace in India
and Canada. By applying the TAM framework across two distinct cultural contexts, this research
aims to: (1) What are the key predictors of behavioral intention to use Facebook Marketplace
among Canadian and Indian users? and 2)

Does the relationship between culture and user

satisfaction operate through mediators such as risks, interpersonal trust, perceived usefulness,
perceived ease of use and facilitating conditions? This inquiry is motivated both by an observed
gap in academic literature and by personal experience, and it contributes to the literature on social
commerce by providing insight into how culture moderates consumer behavior on emerging digital
platforms.

2. Conceptual Model and Hypothesis Development
Over the years, TAM (Davis, 1989) has emerged as the most widely adopted framework among
the researchers in examining adoption of technology. Furthermore, literature shows that alone
within internet, TAM has been used to examine technology adoption across numerous settings,
including mobile Internet services (Jiang, 2009), online trading (M.-C. Lee, 2009), and online
games (Hsu & Lu, 2004).
The TAM model's original constructs include perceived usefulness (PU), which is “the degree to
which a person believes that using a system would enhance his or her job performance”, perceived
ease of use (PEOU), or “the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would
be free of effort”, (Smith et al., 2013).
3

Figure 1 depicts the model for our study and is based on TAM as defined by Davis (1989). In this
study we extended the model first by including culture as an independent variable to assess the
model for our cross-culture study. Second, interpersonal trust, and three types of risk for more
specific in exploring the causes for the usage of Facebook Marketplace.
In the marketing literature, it has been found several times that risk perception directly affects
purchase and purchase intent, hence when consumers perceive high risk consumers are less likely
to purchase online. The risk is not only limited to financial or privacy risk but also related to trust
on buyers and sellers. There is research which found that during online purchases individuals are
concerned about risk(Bhatti et al., 2018). Likewise, online shopping is compared riskier that
traditional retail one (M.-C. Lee, 2009). Thus, to address this issue the baseline TAM model is
extended with manifestations of risk to explore the context of uncertainty on Facebook
Marketplace based on (a) financial risk, (b) Privacy risk, (c) Quality risk and (c) Interpersonal trust.
We are addressing three types of risks and interpersonal trust because Facebook Marketplace is a
platform for second-hand products thus the product quality, transaction risk and the trust among
unknown users on the platform needs to be explored. To our knowledge, no study till date has
investigated the impact of financial risk, Privacy risk, Quality risk and interpersonal trust
associated with Facebook Marketplace in a cross-cultural context. Thus, examining the effects of
three types of risks and interpersonal trust constructs along with other predictors of TAM on
consumers adoption and use of Facebook Marketplace in two distinctive cultural settings is
expected to engender actionable insights for both academia and industry.
This study is structured as follows: First, it starts with the building the conceptual model on
theoretical foundations. Subsequently, we formulate the research hypotheses building on the
existing hypothesized paths of TAM. Next providing the research methodology and report the

4

results from two studies (India and Canada) followed by discussion of the results and implication.
The last section discusses limitations and outlines for the future research directions.
Facebook Marketplace
Facebook, launched on February 4, 2004, by Mark Zuckerberg, is a social media platform that
enables users to communicate, share photos and stories, and join communities to connect with
others. Users typically construct personal profiles containing details such as biographical
information, interests, and preferences, which facilitate social interaction and the formation of
online friendship networks. Today, Facebook is not just limited to sharing and communicating
mode, it has move beyond that and have entered the social commerce era. Now there are so many
groups and pages on Facebook that are doing different types of business. For instance, In India
there are so many pages selling Pakistani outfits through Facebook groups and pages. Similarly in
Canada there are so many groups that are working on rentals for a particular city or targeting a
community. Thus, as Facebook was giving an extension for doing business, Facebook launched
Facebook Marketplace in the year 2007, an option for facilitating business in various categories
which majorly includes the selling second-hand products. According to Capital One Shopping
(2025), in an average month, up to 1.228 billion online shoppers buy something on Facebook
Marketplace. The platform is available in 228 countries and territories on the globe. Furthermore,
according to Go Beyond (n.d.), Facebook Marketplace was second only to eBay for luxury item
purchases in 2021. Additionally, the data showcases that top Sellers on Facebook Marketplace are
Clothes, Shoes, and Accessories (Go Beyond, n.d.). Moving across the borders, the India,
Indonesia, Brazil, and United States account for more than 100 million Marketplace users.
However, despite its global reach the adoption of Facebook Marketplace can vary across cultures.
This study aims to explore the factors influencing the adoption of Facebook Marketplace, with

5

particularly focussing on understanding the cultural causes shaping its use in India and Canada.
By examining these two distinct cultural environments, the research seeks to provide insights into
how cultural dynamics impact user behaviour on digital commerce platforms.
Culture
The society is greatly affected by culture and beliefs which strongly influence how the people
behave and make decisions (Ashraf et al., 2014). Previous research has emphasized on culture
influences psychological processes and human behaviour. In international marketing, culture is
considered as one of the most important causes that affects consumers attitudes, choices and
purchase intentions globally(Jarvenpaa et al., 1999). One study showcase that culture plays a role
in technology adoption as the differences in the way technologies are evaluated and given meaning
(Robey & Boudreau, 1999). Although there are so many ways in operationalizing and
conceptualizing culture but here we are using Hofstede’s framework in our study (Hofstede,
2001a). This study will explore the influence of Indian culture and the Canadian culture on
adoption of Facebook Marketplace. A researcher (D. Straub et al., 1997) constructed a “computerbased media support index” (CMSI) by connecting Hofstede's cultural dimensions (power distance,
individualism, masculinity and uncertainty avoidance). The CMSI index for Hofstede's indicators
for the countries India and USA is high and low respectively, which clearly indicates contrasting
cultures of the two countries. A previous study employed CMSI score to explain the causes of
online shopping across Pakistan and Canada using TAM (Ashraf et al., 2014). One more research
emphasized validating impact of CMSI on the relationships among various predictor variables and
e-mail user intention (D. Straub et al., 1997). We are using construct culture in the form of country
India (high CMSI) and Canada (low CMSI) for the model. The construct country will be used as
an independent variable in the study.

6

User Satisfaction
Prior literature is available for the success of Information system in relation to user satisfaction for
technology adoption (Davis, 1989; Venkatesh & Davis, 2000). In an offline context, it is concluded
that customers form intentions for future purchases by evaluating the value derived from prior
interactions or service encounters, with relationship benefits serving as a proxy for anticipated
future gains (Olaru et al., 2008). This has been also confirmed by an online study which supports
a relationship between customer satisfaction and online purchase intention (Khalifa & Liu, 2007).
There are many previous studies in which user satisfaction has been the driver for behavioural
intention to adopt that technology.
Furthermore, there is an evidence from prior studies that culture has been an influencer of overall
performance (Noiwan & Norcio, 2006). For instance, Chinese users found a software to be more
effective than the system ease of use, however Indonesians believe exactly the opposite
(Vöhringer-Kuhnt, 2002). Thus, we can say that every culture has a different perspective, belief
and different needs, which plays a crucial role in the evaluation of a platform. Hence, we frame
the following hypotheses based on previous research.
Hypothesis 1: Canadians will report higher levels of user satisfaction with Facebook
Marketplace than Indians.
Interpersonal Trust
One of the most important drivers for technology adoption is trust. In the online context, trust has
been defined as the extent to which a person expects that a new technology is credible and reliable
(McKnight & Chervany, 2001). In the context of this study, we are using Interpersonal trust that
users trust on each other when on Facebook Marketplace. Interpersonal trust can be described as
a peer’s confidence in another peer’s competence, integrity, and dependability (Ganzha et al.,

7

2007). Research has shown that, the effect of trust influences attitude and intention to engage in a
behaviours (Alsajjan & Dennis, 2010). Likewise, the establishment of trust between a customer
and a firm significantly mitigates the customer's perceived risk (Morgan & Hunt, 1994), which
subsequently becomes a critical factor influencing the adoption of online shopping (Ha & Stoel,
2009). Several studies have highlighted the importance of interpersonal trust for knowledge
sharing and networking on online social networking sites. However, very few explored and
demonstrated how people can establish and sustain trusted relationships on social media. One
study of students’ online thrift shopping behaviour showcased that higher trust toward the product
and the seller increases the willingness to purchase used products from unknown retailers in the
online electronic market (S. M. Lee & Lee, 2005). Given that our investigation focuses on online
shopping for second-hand products, we argue that users' trust—specifically, their confidence in the
ability and integrity of fellow users to share reliable information—is enhanced by the presence of
identifiable buyer profiles on Facebook. Furthermore, none of the studies worked on how the
interpersonal trust, may vary according to cultural settings. One study concluded that trust may be
conceptualized as a general mechanism through which the focal independent variables under
consideration are able to positively influence purchase intention (Ganguly et al., 2010). Numerous
studies show that cultural dimensions, such as individualism, uncertainty avoidance, and power
distance, influence how people form interpersonal trust online. For instance, individuals from
collectivist cultures (e.g., Taiwan or South Korea) may place more emphasis on interpersonal
connections and group membership in building trust, whereas individualistic cultures (e.g., the U.S.
or UK) may rely more on institutional or platform-based cues (Hofstede, 2001a). Thus, we
hypothesize that:
Hypothesis 2: Country is predictor of interpersonal trust.

8

Furthermore, existing research shows that trust often plays a pivotal mediating role in determining
consumer attitudes and satisfaction in online marketplaces. A analysis of 325 members of
electronic book stores in Taiwan found the positive mediation of trust between e-retailer quality
and consumers’ purchase intention(Chuang & Fan, 2011).Additionally one study of Amazon
customers find mediating role of trust (Jeon et al., 2017). In our model we are also using
interpersonal trust as mediator between country culture and user satisfaction. Thus framing:
Hypothesis 2a: The effect of country on user satisfaction with Facebook Marketplace is
mediated by interpersonal trust.
Financial Risk
Financial risk is loss of money. In our study we are considering the loss of money in purchase
process on Facebook Marketplace. Financial risk is considered a major risk when shopping online
(Sinha & Singh, 2017). Perceived Risk can lead to anxiety, second guessing and reduced intention
to buy online(Forsythe & Shi, 2003).
According to Hofstede dimension (Hofstede, 2001a) collectivism, the collectivist culture portray
more trust on in-group and less trust toward out-group members thus difficult to process
transaction with unknown(Yamagishi & Yamagishi, 1994). Thus, we can say that interpersonal
trust is a key to mitigate financial risk. High level of interpersonal trust will reduce financial risk
by increasing user’s belief (Pavlou & Gefen, 2004). Adding more, the culture in high uncertainty
avoidance such as in our study we have India, users may find riskier to transact with strangers and
may require higher level of interpersonal trust to engage in transactions(Gefen et al., 2003). Thus,
based on previous research our study hypothesised the following:
Hypothesis 2b: Interpersonal trust and Financial Risk serially mediate the relationship
between country and user satisfaction on Facebook Marketplace

9

Privacy Risk
The rise of social commerce has rooted the privacy risk on internet. Privacy traditionally has been
described as a person’s ability to control information about the self (Altman, 1975). Hence privacy
risk is important risk among consumers when shopping online. Privacy risk increases uncertainty
and effects the online shopping experience(Forsythe & Shi, 2003). A study found that compared
to low privacy bookstore website, the participants had more trust in the high privacy bookstore
website that includes a dimension of privacy and security(Liu et al., 2005).
Hofstede cultural dimensions (Hofstede, 2001b) suggests that the differences in

cultures

influences consumers behaviour online. For example, in high uncertainty avoidance the culture is
more concerned with risk and may demand a higher level of trust in engaging online transactions
(Komiak & Benbasat, 2006). The interpersonal trust among consumers may reduce the risk among
consumers to shop online. The interpersonal trust among sellers and buyers has shown reduced the
privacy risk (Malhotra et al., 2004). Thus, higher trust can mitigate perceived privacy risk making
users more satisfied with their experiences (Dinev & Hart, 2006a).
In the context of our study on Facebook Marketplace privacy risk can include concerns about data
exposure, surveillance, or third-party misuse. Numerous studies have found negative relationship
between privacy risk and user satisfaction (Xu et al., 2009). Bringing pervious findings we propose:
Hypothesis 2c: Interpersonal trust and Privacy Risk serially mediate the relationship
between country and user satisfaction on Facebook Marketplace
Quality Risk
In the marketing domain, perceived quality is widely recognized as a pivotal determinant of
purchase intention (Olson & Jacoby, 1972). “Perceived quality is defined as a consumer’s
evaluation of a brand’s overall excellence based on intrinsic (performance and durability) and

10

extrinsic cues (brand name)” (Asshidin et al., 2016).In addition perceived quality varies depending
on many factors such as the time when purchase is made, when product is consumed and the place
from where the product is purchased (Asshidin et al., 2016). Prior research reported perceived
quality as a determinant in consumer purchase decisions. For instance, perceived quality has a
positive impact on satisfaction(Han & Hyun, 2017). One study also reveals that perceived quality
have an effect on customer repurchase intentions (Pham et al., 2016) . In our study we are using
perceived quality as a quality risk for second hand products on Facebook Marketplace.
Therefore, in this study we are proposing a relationship between culture and user satisfaction of
Facebook marketplace that is not direct but goes through a sequential process that includes
interpersonal trust and quality risk as a mediator. Thus:
Hypothesis 2d: Interpersonal trust and Quality Risk serially mediate the relationship
between country and user satisfaction on Facebook Marketplace.
Perceived usefulness
A person is ready to adopt the technology if that technology helps to perform a task easier or
efficient (Davis, 1989). In 1989, Davis found Perceived Usefulness have a strong influence on
users’ intentions to adopt a new technology. In this study we argue the importance of Perceived
Usefulness in accordance with the cultural settings i.ie, country with India (high CMSI) and
Canada (low CMSI). For example, one study test the TAM using mobile Internet access, e-mail,
and online payments in the United States and Turkey and report that the relationship between
perceived usefulness and usage was significant for the U.S. sample but not for the Turkish sample
(Mao et al., 2005). More research have shown that the perceived usefulness on intention either
remains stable or strengthens with experience (Venkatesh & Davis, 2000). In the same way there
are many studies in which success of information system has been measured by user satisfaction.

11

Furthermore, beyond direct effect, perceived usefulness has also been used as a mediator in many
studies. For example, it was a mediator for the relationship between people’s cognitive
personalization and purchasing intentions(Xia & Bechwati, 2008). Research also suggests that
perceived usefulness for computer technology mediate the influence of national culture dimension
on intention to use computer technology (D. W. Straub, 1994).
Building on these findings, the study will compare perceived usefulness among Canadians and
Indians, and the mediating role of perceived usefulness. Accordingly, we propose the following
hypothesis:
Hypothesis 3: Canadians will report higher perceived usefulness compared to Indians.
Hypothesis 3a: The effect of country on user satisfaction with Facebook Marketplace is
mediated by perceived usefulness.
Perceived ease of use
A significant body of TAM research has shown that Perceived Ease of Use as strong determinant
of user satisfaction and usage behaviour (Taylor & Todd, 1995). The technologies that are “easy
to use” results in positive attitude toward the use of technology, thus in turn enhances the intention
to accept the technology(Bagozzi & Warshaw, 1989). “Perceived Ease of Use relates to an
individual's perception that using, or learning to use, a technology will be free of effort”(Smith et
al., 2013). Previous studies indicate that consumers from low-context cultures—such as Germany,
Norway, and the United States—value convenience when navigating a website (Ko et al., 2006).
This implies a positive correlation between perceived ease of use (PEOU) and behavioural
intention (BI) across all three nations. However, many scholars have also discussed about the
importance of PEOU in relation with the user satisfaction. For example, in online businesses it has
been found that it is necessary to make easy and user friendly websites(Jun et al., 2004).

12

Additionally, users adapt to the new technology if they found that technology easy to use which is
referred to as PEOU. In this study PEOU, assess about the friendly nature of Facebook
Marketplace and getting the application to do what user wants.
Hence, this mediation can be explained by cultural differences. In this study we can say that
consumers from more individualistic cultures will desire for personal convenience. This leads to
Hypothesis 4: Canadians will report higher perceived ease of use compared to Indians.
Hypothesis 4a: The effect of country on user satisfaction with Facebook Marketplace is
mediated by perceived ease of use.
Facilitating Conditions
Facilitating conditions refers to the consumer’s perception of the resources available to perform a
behaviour (Brown & Venkatesh, 2005). It has been observed a positive correlation between
facilitating conditions and online shopping (Ijaz & Rhee, 2018). There are many more studies
pointing that facilitating conditions influences the behavioural intention, one such study is about
the usage of mobile applications (Hew et al., 2015). Facilitating Condition has been suggested as
a key variable by Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) for adoption of
technology. For using Facebook Marketplace, a user requires smartphone, digital literacy, internet
and comfort digital payment systems. Hence all these conditions not only make adoption easy but
also the user satisfaction and continuous engagement (Zhou, 2012).
According to World Economic Forum (2023), Canada has advanced technology and ranks high in
digital readiness. On the other side, India is still among the developing countries with high mobile
penetration, but the quality of infrastructure remains uneven thus less perceived facilitating
conditions.

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Facilitating conditions is not only considered for technology adoption but also as an mediator
between user experience and satisfaction (Alalwan et al., 2018). Henec we can say that when users
perceive higher facilitating conditions their satisfaction increases. Additionally, there are some
studies from previous literature that have used facilitating condition as a mediator. For example,
in the field of digital commerce facilitating condition was a mediator between technological beliefs
and user satisfaction in online environments (Dwivedi et al., 2016). Thus, with support from
previous research we hypothesised:
Hypothesis 5: Canadians perceive stronger facilitating conditions for Facebook Marketplace
use compared to Indians.
Hypothesis 5a: The effect of country on user satisfaction with Facebook Marketplace is
mediated by facilitating conditions.
Behavioural Intention
There are two outcomes’ variables in TAM model namely behavioural intention (BI) and actual
use (AU). In this study we are using behavioural intention (BI). BI is defined as behavioural
tendency to keep using technology in the future, thus determining the acceptance of technology
(Alharbi & Drew, 2014).The theory of planned behaviour also describes the correlation between
behavioural intention and actual behaviour (Ajzen, 1991). We are using BI as dependent variable
in our study and the outcome of user satisfaction. Following the theoretical and empirical evidence,
we expect a positive direct link between Behavioural intention and user satisfaction for Facebook
Marketplace.
Hypothesis 6: User Satisfaction significantly predicts Behaviour Intention to use Facebook
Marketplace.

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Figure 1: Conceptual Model for Facebook Marketplace

3. Data and Methods
Instrument Development
The instrument used for data collection is online survey using questionnaire (see Appendix A). The
items used to measure the variables were taken from previous literature. The recruitment poster
(see Appendix C) was posted among Indian and Canadian Facebook Groups and WhatsApp groups
for asking participants to participate in the survey. The participants who showed willingness to
participate in the study were then contacted through an email with questionnaire for collecting the
data. Participants responded on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 = Strongly Disagree to 5 =
Strongly Agree and Not Applicable.
Measurements
User Satisfaction was measured by using Alnawas and Aburub’s (2016) three item scale. The items
yielded reliability coefficient α =0.79, which is an acceptable standard value. A composite score

15

was calculated by averaging the three items, with higher scores indicating more user satisfaction
on the platform.
Behavioural Intention to use Facebook Marketplace was measured using one item developed by
Venkatesh and Bala (2008).
Interpersonal Trust was measured using three items developed by Ashraf et al., 2014. (Ashraf et
al., 2014). The items yielded reliability coefficient α =0.77, which is an acceptable standard value.
A composite score by averaging the three items, was used for the analysis in the study.
Financial Risk and Quality risk were measured using items adapted from Forsythe et al. (2006),
Hanjun et al. (2004) and Almousa, M. (2011). There were three items for financial risk and four
items for Quality risk. The quality risk items yielded reliability coefficient which is an acceptable
value, and the composite score by averaging the four items was used for analysis. However, due
to below standard value for Cronbach one item was deleted that improved the value to α =0.62 for
financial risk.
Privacy Risk included two items adapted from Cheung and Lee (2001) and Flavian and Guinaliu
(2006). The items yielded reliability coefficient α =0.64 which is an acceptable standard value.
Perceived Usefulness (four items) and Perceived Ease of Use (three items) were measured using
items adapted from Davis (1989). Composite scores for each construct were calculated by
averaging the respective items, with higher scores indicating greater perceived usefulness or ease
of use. The reliability of the scales was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, and both demonstrated
acceptable internal consistency (Perceived Usefulness: α =0.84; Perceived Ease of Use: α =0.78).
Facilitating Conditions was measured with two items adopted from Venkatesh et al. (2003,2012).
The facilitating conditions measured in this study were the access to smartphone, internet and

16

necessary knowledge with respect to Facebook Marketplace. The reliability coefficient was not an
acceptable standard value. Thus, one item was deleted.
Apart from above constructs, the questionnaire has four opening questions to screen the
participants with respect to the study. In addition, there were descriptives such as age, gender and
the most important for the differentiation of data on culture basis was country.
Sampling and Data Collection
The study included two consumer panels for India and Canada. A total of 44 and 51 responses
were administered from India and Canada respectively. The questionnaire consists of thirty
multiple choice items related to Facebook Marketplace and three demographic questions. The
items were measured on a five-point Likert scale (1-Strongly Disagree ,2-Disgaree, 3- Neutral, 4Agree,5- Strongly Agree) and 0 indicating if not applicable.
In the Indian sample, 21.4 percent were between 18yrs to 24yrs, 61.9 percent were between 25yrs
to 34yrs, 9.5 percent were between 35yrs to 44yrs, and 7.1 percent were above 44yrs. The Indian
sample consisted of 43.2 percent males, and 56.8 percent females. In the Canada sample, 47.1
percent were between18yrs to 24yrs, 35.3 percent were between 25yrs to 34yrs, 13.7 percent were
between 35yrs to 44yrs, and 3.9 percent were above 44yrs. The Canadian sample consisted of 44.2
percent males, and 55.8 percent females.
In the beginning of the questionnaire there are four questions related to Facebook Marketplace that
are used as the conditions that indicates the familiarity, awareness, usage and the frequency of
usage of Facebook Marketplace. Those participants who indicated “Not Applicable” are not
considered for further analysis. Hence, data cleaning was done and received 95 participants from
total of 130 participants.

17

A chi-square test of independence was conducted to examine the association between nationality
(Canada vs. India) and the frequency with which participants response to first four questions. The
statements were categorized as "Not Applicable," "Low Agreement," and "High Agreement." For
the first question regarding awareness of Facebook Marketplace the test revealed a statistically
significant association between nationality and response category, χ² (2, N = 130) = 9.59, p = .008.
Thus, clearly demonstrating that awareness varies significantly on nationality, with Canadians
positive perception and high familiarity. Second, with respect to familiarity the test results suggest
that χ² (2, N = 130) = 20.79, p < .001 Canadian users are more uniformly familiar with Facebook
Marketplace's features, while Indian users demonstrate more mixed levels of awareness and
understanding. Third, regarding regularly check Facebook Marketplace for local listings,
Canadians reflect higher engagement and routine usage patterns than Indians, χ² (2, N = 130) =
26.19, p < .001.
Lastly related to usage of Facebook Marketplace, that gave very contrasting results χ² (2, N = 130)
= 52.06, p < .001. Canadians appear to be more active users while Indians showcased lower usage,
with many possibly never having engaged with the platform.

4. Analysis and Results
A simple linear regression was conducted to examine hypothesis 1, 2,3,4 and 5. The countries were
coded as India=1 and Canada=2.

For hypothesis 1, the regression model was statistically

significant, F (1,93) = 32.71, p<0.001, accounting for approximately 26.0% of the variance in User
Satisfaction (R² = .260). Culture was a significant predictor, β =0.86, SE = 0.15, t = 5.72, p < .001,
indicating that Canadian participants reported significantly higher levels of User Satisfaction
compared to Indian participants on Facebook Marketplace. Thus, supporting our hypothesis 1. For
the hypothesis 2, the result was statistically significant, F (1, 93) = 15.72, p < 0.001, explaining
18

approximately 14.5% of the variance in interpersonal trust (R² = 0.145). Culture was a significant
predictor of interpersonal trust, β = 0.55, SE = 0.14, t = 3.96, p < 0.001. Specifically, participants
from Canada (coded as 2) reported significantly higher levels of interpersonal trust compared to
participants from India (coded as 1) on Facebook Marketplace. Thus, supporting hypothesis 2. For
hypothesis 3, the results were significant, F (1, 93) = 38.03, p < .001, accounting for approximately
29.0% of the variance in perceived usefulness (R² = .290). Country was a significant predictor of
perceived usefulness, β = 0.82, SE = 0.13, t (93) = 6.17, p < 0.001, indicating that participants
from Canada reported significantly higher perceived usefulness of Facebook Marketplace than
participants from India. Thus, supporting hypothesis 3.
Similarly, for hypothesis 4, the results were significant, F (1, 93) = 14.45, p < .001, accounting for
approximately 13.5% of the variance in perceived ease of use (R² = .135), country was a significant
predictor of perceived ease of use, β = 0.53, SE = 0.13, t (93) = 3.80, p < 0.001. Thus, supporting
hypothesis 4.
Again, with hypothesis 5, the results were significant, F (1, 93) = 38.03, p < .001, accounting for
approximately 29.0% of the variance in perceived ease of use (R² = 0.29), country being a
significant predictor of facilitating conditions, β = 0.84, SE = 0.14, t (93) =5.96, p < 0.001. Thus,
supporting hypothesis 5. Canada reported significantly higher perceived ease of use and facilitating
conditions on Facebook Marketplace than participants from India.
For hypothesis 6, which predicts the user satisfaction leads to behaviour intention for using
Facebook Marketplace. The results show that behaviour intention was significant predictor of user
satisfaction, F (1, 93) = 56.76, p < .001, accounting for approximately 38% of the variance in user
satisfaction (R² = 0.37, R = 0.61). Additionally, coefficient (β) for behavioural intention was 0.72
(SE = 0.096), indicating that for each one-unit increase in behavioural intention, user satisfaction

19

increased by 0.72 units. This effect was statistically significant, t (93) = 7.54, p < 0.001. Thus,
supporting our Hypothesis 6.
For testing hypothesis 2a, 3a, 4a and 5a (fig-2), we are using Model Number 4 in Hayes Process
Macros, the results reveal that the direct effect of country on user satisfaction controlling all the
mediators is not significant β = 0.20, SE = 0.14, t(89) = 1.46, p = .149, 95% CI [−0.07, 0.48]. For
indirect effects the results were significant for interpersonal trust (β= 0.17, Boot SE = 0.07, 95%
CI [0.04, 0.32]), suggesting that there is differences in interpersonal trust among users from
different cultures and perceived usefulness (β= 0.44, Boot SE = 0.14, 95% CI [0.20, 0.77]),
indicating that perceived usefulness serves as a mediating mechanism in the relationship between
country and user satisfaction. Thus, hypothesis 2a and 3a was supported.
In contrast the indirect effects of Perceived ease of use β= 0.02, Boot SE = 0.07, 95% CI [−0.12,
0.16] and facilitating conditions β = 0.02, Boot SE = 0.05, 95% CI [−0.08, 0.13] was not significant
as their respective confidence intervals included zero. Thus, hypothesis 4a and 5a was not
supported.
For hypothesis 2b (fig-3), serial mediation for interpersonal trust and financial risk was done using
Model 6 of Hayes Process Macros. The indirect effect of country through interpersonal trust and
financial risk on user satisfaction was significant, β = 0.05, SE = 0.03, 95% CI [0.02, 0.13],
indicating the serial mediation effect. Therefore, Hypothesis 2b was supported.
To test the hypothesis 2c (fig-3), whether interpersonal trust and privacy risk serially mediates the
relationship between country and user satisfaction on Facebook Marketplace using by Hayes
Process Macros (serial mediation Model 6). The indirect effect of country through interpersonal
trust and privacy risk on user satisfaction was not significant, β = 0.01, SE = 0.01, 95% CI [–0.01,

20

0.06], as the confidence interval includes zero, indicating the mediation effect was not statistically
significant. Therefore, Hypothesis 2c was not supported.
Similarly for the hypothesis 2d (fig-3), whether interpersonal trust and quality risk serially
mediated effects of country on user satisfaction (serial mediation Model 6) by Hayes Process
Macros, again we used bootstrap methods. The indirect effect of country through interpersonal
trust and perceived quality on user satisfaction was not significant, β = 0.01, SE = 0.02, 95% CI
[–0.03, 0.06], as the confidence interval includes zero, indicating the mediation effect was not
statistically significant. Therefore, Hypothesis 2d was not supported.

Interpersonal trust

Country

Perceived
Usefulness

User Satisfaction

Perceived Ease of
Use
Facilitating
Condition

Figure 2: Parallel Mediation Model for Facebook Marketplace
Financial Risk

Country

Interpersonal trust

Privacy Risk

User Satisfaction

Quality Risk

Figure 3: Series Mediation Model for Facebook Marketplace

21

5. Discussion and Conclusion
This study aimed to examine the cross-culture differences in adoption of Facebook Marketplace
between Indian and Canadian users using, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and the TAM framework
as guiding theories. The findings partially supported the proposed hypotheses and highlighted the
influence of culture—particularly in relation to interpersonal trust and risk involved on Facebook
Marketplace.
The results of the study supported the first hypothesis, which is in consistent with Hofstede’s (2001)
cultural dimensions theory particularly with the dimension of individualism versus collectivism.
Canada being individualistic society prefer impersonal interactions as per online platforms, in
contrast India being collective society places stronger emphasis on trusted social networks, word
of mouth from their known ones while shopping online.
The findings of the study supported hypothesis 2, being country as the predictor of interpersonal
trust. Canadians report higher level of interpersonal trust on Facebook Marketplace than Indians.
These results also align with the previous research that interpersonal trust in online environments
is often shaped by cultural context(Gefen et al., 2003). Cultures with high in institutional trust such
as Canada, tend to foster greater user confidence in digital commerce (Dinev & Hart, 2006b).
Additionally, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and facilitating conditions were
significantly higher among Canadians. This may be attributed to greater awareness of the platform
in Canada, as well as cultural tendencies that emphasize efficiency and individual benefit. However,
perceived ease of use and facilitating conditions did not serve as mediators between country and
user satisfaction. This could be because both Canadian and Indian participants were comparable
in terms of digital literacy and access to technological infrastructure for using Facebook

22

Marketplace. As a result, the variance in these constructs may not have been substantial enough to
yield statistically significant differences.
The findings of the study also supported serial mediation of interpersonal trust and financial risk
between country and user satisfaction. This support the previous research suggesting interpersonal
trust reduces financial risk (Kim et al., 2008). However, the study did not support serial mediation
of interpersonal trust through privacy risk nor either through quality risk. This may be explained
further due to the reason that these two risks are more platform specific or technological rather
than related to culture. This suggests that financial risk is closely related to interpersonal trust, but
privacy and quality risk may be influenced by other factor such as prior platform experience,
design features, or user reviews.
This study contributes to the existing literature on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) by
extending its application to a cross-cultural context, demonstrating that perceived ease of use
(PEOU) and perceived usefulness (PEU) can function not only as dependent variables but also as
mediators in understanding technological adoption across different cultural settings.

6. Managerial Implications
The findings of the study might be very beneficial for practitioners, retailers and application
developers when strategize something which is culturally diverse. The findings highlight a set of
causes that depicted consumers adoption for Facebook Marketplace across different cultures and
the mediating roles of interpersonal trust, perceived financial risk, and perceived usefulness.
Retailers should consider culturally adaptive platform design that are locally accepted. The study
revealed the need of trust building mechanism. Implementing secure transaction options can
reduce risk involved thus fostering interpersonal trust on the platform. Additionally, localized
marketing strategies should consider the cultural values.
23

Finally, incorporating cultural insights into application design can improve user experience with
more consumer engagement and increase in consumer trust for online purchases. These
implications are particularly relevant for retailers operating global platforms like Facebook
Marketplace.

7. Limitations and Future Research
This study has some limitations owing to be exploratory in nature. First the sample size was too
small to generalize the results. Second, some constructs included only one item for measurement
that can question the reliability of the questionnaire. In addition, more study is required in this area
of marketing to make more variables clear that are more culture precise for creating any application.
As future research a structural Equation modelling can be used to explain the causal relationship
between variables. Furthermore, the study can be extended to several countries to seek the
differences and similarities on the platform. These different cultures will help in more generalizing
the results.

24

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Appendix- A
Dear Participant,
Thank you for taking the time to participate in this survey. As part of my master’s thesis, I am
conducting research on the factors that influence consumer usage of Facebook Marketplace. Your
insights will significantly contribute to my understanding of consumer behaviors on this popular
platform.
Your responses will be kept confidential and used solely for academic purposes in an anonymous
way. The data collected will be destroyed after one year. The survey should take approximately
15 minutes to complete. Also feel free to abort the questionnaire at any time.
Thank you for your time and support!

Section A: Causes of Using Facebook Marketplace

i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
v.
vi.
vii.
viii.

I know about Facebook Marketplace.
I am familiar with the features and
functionalities of Facebook Marketplace.
I regularly check Facebook Marketplace
for new listings in my area.
I have used Facebook Marketplace.
I can trust a person on Facebook
Marketplace to buy second-hand
products.
Seller can be trusted to carry out
transactions faithfully on Facebook
Marketplace.
I believe that people on Facebook
Marketplace keep their commitments.
There is a degree of product uncertainty
(i.e. the product you receive does not
match the description) when purchasing
products from Facebook Marketplace.
30

Strongly
Disagree

Disagree

Neutral

Agree

Strongly
Agree

Statements

Not
Applicable

You will be presented with a series of statements related to your experiences and perceptions of
Facebook Marketplace. Please indicate to what extent you agree with each statement using a
five-point scale (1-Strongly Disagree ,2-Disgaree, 3- Neutral, 4- Agree,5- Strongly Agree).

0

1

2

3

4

5

ix.

x.
xi.

xii.
xiii.
xiv.
xv.
xvi.
xvii.
xviii.
xix.
xx.
xxi.
xxii.
xxiii.
xxiv.
xxv.
xxvi.
xxvii.
xxviii.

I feel that purchasing second-hand
products from the Facebook Marketplace
involves a high degree of quality
uncertainty.
It is hard to judge the quality of secondhand products on Facebook Marketplace.
There is a high level of probability that
buyers might end up with faulty secondhand product from Facebook
Marketplace.
I am likely to be exposed to scams on
Facebook Marketplace.
I feel uncomfortable sharing my location
information on Facebook Marketplace.
I am concerned about the privacy of my
personal information when using
Facebook Marketplace.
I may never receive the product after
having made the payment.
I might get overcharged for second-hand
product on Facebook Marketplace.
It’s convenient to purchase second-hand
products on Facebook Marketplace
It’s easy to purchase second-hand
products on Facebook Marketplace.
Overall, Facebook Marketplace is useful
for second-hand shopping.
I can find good deals on Facebook
Marketplace.
It is efficient to interact between buyers
and sellers on Facebook.
It is easy to search second-hand products
on Facebook Marketplace.
Overall, I think it is easy to use Facebook
Marketplace.
I have the facility to use Facebook
Marketplace, e.g., smartphone and
internet.
I have the knowledge necessary to use
Facebook Marketplace.
I am satisfied with my overall experiences
from using Facebook Marketplace.
I am satisfied with the product
comparison on Facebook Marketplace.
I am satisfied with the post-purchase
experience from Facebook Marketplace
31

xxix.
xxx.

such as product delivery, return and
refund.
I will be interested in using Facebook
Marketplace in the future.
I will recommend Facebook Marketplace
to friends and family.

Section B: Demographic Questions
1. Age:
18-24
25-34
35-44
45 and above
2. Gender:
Male
Female
Other____________
Prefer not to say
3. How frequently do you use Facebook Marketplace?
• Daily
• Weekly
• Monthly
• Rarely
• Never Used
Thank you once again for your participation. Your feedback is essential to the success of this
study.
Best regards
Rana Kidwai (rkidwai@unbc.ca)
MSc Business Administration, UNBC

32

APPENDIX B

33

APPENDIX C
Participants Needed for Research Study “Causes of using Facebook
Marketplace”
My name is Rana Kidwai, and I am currently pursuing a master’s degree under the supervision of
Prof. Xin Ge at the School of Business, University of Northern British Columbia. I am conducting
a research study that explores the underlying factors influencing the use of Facebook Marketplace,
comparing the behaviours of Canadian and Indian consumers. This study is part of my graduate
thesis and aims to examine various independent and dependent variables related to consumer
engagement with the platform.
To participate in this study, you must:
1. be a resident of either India or Canada at the time of participation.
2. be at least 18 years old.
Participation in this study is entirely voluntary, and you may withdraw at any point during the
survey without any consequences. The expected time commitment is approximately 15 minutes.
By participating, you will contribute valuable input into how cultural factors influence consumer
behaviour, particularly in the context of online shopping on Facebook Marketplace. The results of
this study will assist academia and professionals in developing insights into Facebook Marketplace
adoption behaviour.
How to Participate: If you are interested in taking part in this study, please contact me at
rkidwai@unbc.ca. I will then send you an email containing the link to the questionnaire.
For further information about the study or to inquire about the results, please contact:
•

Student Researcher: Mrs. Rana Kidwai, rkidwai@unbc.ca

•

Principal Investigator: Prof. Xin Ge, xin.ge@unbc.ca

Thank you for considering participation in this important research study.
This study has been reviewed by the UNBC Research Ethics Board. Any concerns or complaints
can be directed to reb@unbc.ca or by phone to 250-960-6735.

34