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Textbook Buying Preferences

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Textbook Buying Preferences:

Factors That Influence Where Students Buy Their Textbooks


Yanjie Han, Nicole Sagullo, Shao Shu, and Yu Tian
Boston University
October 16, 2014

Textbook Buying Preferences

TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction......................................................................................................................4
II. The Client. The Competition. The Industry.
The Client.................................................................................................................5
The Competition......................................................................................................6
The Industry.............................................................................................................9
III. Literature Review
Scholarly Journals .................................................................................................11
Newspapers and Magazines ..................................................................................16
Industry and Trade Publications........................................................................... 18
IV. Proposed Predictors 19
V. Measures . 21
VI. Instrument....29
VII. Methodology......34
VIII. Results
Analysis of Measures.36
Analysis of Variation of Measures ...38
Correlations ...58
IX. Discussion60
X. Recommendations61
XI. Assessment
Measures67
Instrument..68

Textbook Buying Preferences

Methodology..69
XII. References..70
APPENDICES
Appendix A: SPSS Output of Frequencies
Appendix B: SPSS Output for Correlations

Textbook Buying Preferences

I. Introduction
Chegg, an online textbook renting and buying company, would like to increase its market
penetration among college students. Researchers examine the factors that motivate
students to rent textbooks where they do. The goal of the study was to determine how
certain factors influence decisions of students to use a particular website or company to
buy textbooks. Informed recommendations will be made for Chegg to reach its goal of
increasing its customer base.

Textbook Buying Preferences

II. The Client. The Competition. The Industry.


The Client
Chegg is an educational aide company that specializes in online textbooks rentals,
homework help, scholarships, course reviews and internship matching. The textbooks are
offered in both electronic and print formats. The name Chegg is shorthand for chicken
and egg (Helft, 2009). It is designed to help students in both high school and college.
In 2003, Chegg, then called CheggPost, formatted similarly to Craigslist for
college campuses; it was a network of university-based Web sites where students could
buy and sell everything such as used mattresses and textbooks. The founders planned to
put advertising on the site for profit, but model did not work. In 2007, Chegg started the
business of renting books (Helft, 2009). Because students have high demand for low cost
textbooks, Chegg targeted this market and found success. Chegg gathers books from
sellers at the end of a semester and then renting or selling these books to students at the
beginning of a semester (Helft, 2009). According to Helft (2009), Chegg attempts to rent
books out for half the retail price found in college bookstores, one of their largest
competitors.
Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, Chegg has been one of the two leading
online rental companiesChegg and BookRenter (Reynolds, 2011). Chegg rented its two
millionth book in 2010. Chegg has not released figures about itself, but it has not reputed
online sources (Girard, 2012). These sources note the revenue surge Chegg has
experienced over the last few years when the economy was going down. The revenue of
Chegg was an estimated $10 million in 2008, $25 million in 2009 and $130 million in
2010 (Girard, 2012).

Textbook Buying Preferences

Chegg has raised more than $220 million in venture capital from such companies
as Hong Kong-based Ace limited and Silicon Valley investment giant Kleiner Perkins
Caufield and Byers (Girard, 2012). Cheggs initial public offering of up to $150 million
took place in 2013 (Geron, 2013). For the first half of 2013, Chegg earned $116.9 million
in the first half of 2013 alone, up from $92.5 million in 2012. The net loss of $21.2
million in the first half of 2013 is significantly less than the $31.9 million net loss the
previous year (Geron, 2013).
Chegg has also started to partner with multiple services to aid in learning and
development for students. Using data about its members, Chegg hopes to pair members
with relevant services, such as internship and job recruitment, financial aid, study tools
and guides as well as tutor services, and specific supply industries. Chegg has acquired
six separate companies related to education: Courserank, Cramster.com, Notehall,
Student of Fortune, Zinch and 3D3R. In June 2014, Chegg announced that it purchased
InstaEDU, an online tutoring service, for $30 million (Griffith, 2014). Having these
services to work with and offer consumers may bring in a customer base if students know
about these opportunities and are interested. Finding relevant resources for members
according to their purchasing patterns and information given to the site can be an appeal
to college students.
The Competition
Nowadays, the competition between campus bookstores and online retailers has
become quite intense. Many universities have exclusive contracts with larger bookstores
companies, such as Follett and Barnes & Noble. So these bookstores have sole rights to
buy and sell course materials on the campus. At Southern Connecticut State University

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Barnes & Noble fought against Cheggs aggressive marketing tactics (Koenig, 2014).
Barnes & Noble thought Chegg had violated their sole rights to buy and sell course
materials on the campus. However, Chegg said that they would not decrease their
marketing efforts (Koenig, 2014). The line would have to be drawn by colleges and
universities; some schools do not allow fliers or posters around campus, promotional
events, or working with student groups due to these previous agreements. To change this,
Chegg would have to find colleges without contracts or ways around the arrangements
previously made by colleges and universities. One of Cheggs marketing techniques is to
hire students as brand ambassadors (Koenig, 2014). Chegg also tends to buy textbooks
back at a higher price than the campus bookstores (Koenig, 2014).
The competition is fierce in the textbook retailing industry, but this competition
can be beneficial to consumers. When campus bookstores and textbook publishers have a
monopoly on the market, it allows the prices to escalate at a rapid rate, as they have.
Campus bookstores are forced to learn from online textbook retailers and benefits from
mimicking their marketing tactics (Bookstores - quarterly update 9/22/2014, 2014). The
aggressive competition is good for college students and professors as well as for both
campus and online bookstores.
Although college bookstores are still main source for students, they now have an
increasing number of options. In the United States, Congress allotted $10 million to
college bookstores to encourage rental programs for textbooks (Associated Press, 2010).
In 2009, Follett Higher Education Group started a rental program; in 2010, Barnes &
Noble began its textbook rental program. Barnes & Noble owns 636 college bookstores;
with their rental program, students can order textbooks online or in-store to rent and buy.

Textbook Buying Preferences

Students can pick up their books at their college bookstore or choose to have them
shipped to their dorms. The Barnes & Noble renting price is at about 42% of their
original price on average (The Associated Press, 2010). Barnes & Noble has an incredible
hold on the market due to their options for rental and purchase, online and in-store
buying, convenience, price, and contracts with universities.
Besides the stores mentioned above, Chegg also has many competitors who focus
on online textbook rentals service. Many online textbook companies offer similar
services as Chegg does. According to Burke (2014), Amazon, Bigwords.com,
Ecampus.com, and Valorebooks.com offer the same formats of textbook: new, used,
rental, electronic books, and purchasing. Some sites have a comparative feature allowing
students to see multiple retailers in one place; this can be advantageous in a market where
consumers enjoy feeling control and options. Some retailers sell textbook alternatives
rather than the exact textbook, which students may not prefer due to the specificity of
professor assigned textbooks.
Amazon has created its own platform for electronic book consumption: the Kindle
(Girard, 2012). This tactic is incredibly smart as e-books for kindle are now offered.
Students can even rent e-books for the Amazon Kindle in their college bookstores. Ebooks on Kindle have been able to save students up to 90% of retail price of physical
textbooks, according to Amazon advertisements. Textbooks.com sells textbooks online
and even offers a guaranteed buyback to some textbooks (Girard, 2012). Chegg has
developed rapidly, but it still only reaches 30 percent of the U.S. college market (Girard,
2012).

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The Industry
The bookstore industry can be segmented into three types: general, college, and
specialty bookstore (Bookstores - quarterly update 9/22/2014, 2014). College store sells
mostly textbooks and textbooks account for about 30 percent of sales (Bookstores quarterly update 9/22/2014, 2014). Some big companies rent and sell e-textbooks. These
companies, such as Amazon, Chegg, and Barnes & Noble, are likely to affect the
availability and affordability in college students (Colleges & universities - quarterly
update 8/27/2012, 2012). The increasing use of reading devices can also affect the use of
e-textbooks, such as Kindles and iPads (Colleges & universities - quarterly update
8/27/2012, 2012).
According to King (2009), textbook prices have increased at twice the inflation
rate in the past 20 years. The textbook prices are inelastic, because the purchasers of
textbooks students- cannot decide to purchase what kinds of textbooks. They will buy
whatever textbooks professors assign. So when textbook prices are rising, the demand of
textbooks will not decrease (Zomer, 2007). However with increasing options, students
start to avoid high cost of textbooks. According to Schick and Marklein (2013), there are
about 34% of students downloading course content from an unauthorized website and
31% of students photocopying chapters from other students' books. Faculties are also
trying to decrease the escalating textbook prices. Professors now are adopting free or
lower-cost course materials online (Schick & Marklein, 2013). With the effort of students
and faculty pushing back against ever-escalating textbook prices, the textbook industry
will have to find ways to combat them and even consider changing how books are priced.

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According to Reynolds (2011), the general publishing, education, and technology


markets and the growth of digital textbook sales will be influenced by multiple factors.
The popularity of online and distribution options as well as the availability of digital
textbook content will disrupt the market as well as the rising trend towards open digital
content. Students also share both textbooks and information, such as where students can
borrow, download, or buy textbooks. The cost of textbooks and other learning materials
will influence on the industry, as cited by Reynolds (2011) as well as professor
recommendations and usage of learning materials. The popularity of tablets, and the
allowed use of them in the classroom, can also change the market in the upcoming future.
With the rise in electronic device usage, change in e-book formatting, and rise of digital
trends, the textbook market is in for a state of fluctuation and variation.

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III. Literature Review


Scholarly Journals
Researchers tested multiple drivers of textbook buying, such as options,
convenience, awareness, value and price. Each of their findings is discussed below.
Options: E-books versus paper
Spencer (2006) found that students preferred print copies of text materials,
because print copies are easy to carry, more efficient and flexible to read, and can be
highlighted, marked, and dog-eared. Students often take notes in textbooks or need to
bring them to their classes. Professors often times do not allow laptops or tablets in
classrooms and require that students have textbooks in class, which creates a requirement
for printed paper texts. Even students who had used e-books still show the tendency to
prefer print books (Woody, Daniel, and Baker, 2010). Despite having the capability to use
electronic textbooks, as shown through previous use, students prefer printed textbooks.
Woody, Daniel, and Baker (2010) found that students preferred paper copies to ebooks regardless of their gender, computer use or comfort with computer (Woody
Daniel, and Baker, 2010, p. 945). Despite being digitally aware and quite comfortable
with computers, students still prefer printed textbooks. However, computer and Internet
skills predicted whether they purchased their textbooks online (Lester and Yang, 2007).
While students may prefer print texts to electronic, one important case to look at is
whether students prefer to buy those printed textbooks online or in store. An important
finding to note was that students preferred paper texts even when given e-textbooks for
free (Robinson, 2011).
Convenience

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Convenience is a broad category that encompasses many predictors. One


predictor that has varied over the years is timeliness. In 2001, Talaga and Tucci found that
if students needed their books in a timely manner, in-stock status was the most important
variable for in store buying. If the textbooks needed were not in stock, students would
turn to online buying (Talaga and Tucci, 2001). Thompson (2006) found time saving to
be considered an advantage of online shopping. It is interesting to note that students may
consider ordering books online timesaving when bookstores may have the textbook near
the school. In 2014, Vaidehi found that time saving was one of the reasons students shop
online. One factor to look at may be how students perceive the timeliness of online
shopping compared to in store shopping.
Thompson (2006) looked at convenience of online shopping with multiple
measures, including 24-hour availability, the inexistence of lines/waiting, finding
deals/bargains/price comparisons, and saved time and effort. Problems in online shopping
focused on the difficulty of assurance: assurance of a good product, price, reliability,
return or exchange, and dependability of online service (Thompson, 2006). The predictor
to examine would be perceived benefits and perceived inconveniences- or drawbacks- of
online shopping for textbooks.
Online Shopping
One major factor to examine when looking at textbook purchasing will be how
students perceive online shopping for textbooks. Foucault and Scheufele (2002) found a
positive correlation between positive previous online purchase and online textbook
purchase (Foucault and Scheufele, 2002). As discussed previously, convenience will
likely encompass many factors of online shopping perceptions.

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The advantages of online shopping include more information about product,


convenience, ease of search and comparison of product offerings, and time saving;
overall online shopping can reduce search cost (Thompson, 2006). Predictors of textbook
purchasing behavior may be these perceived benefits of online shopping; each predictor
would have to be examined as separate constructs.
Delafrooz, Paim, and Khatibi (2010) found that utilitarian orientation,
convenience, price and a wider selection influenced students attitudes toward online
shopping (p. 137). Utilitarian shopping refers to shopping with a singular goal based on
necessity (Delafrooz, Paim, and Khatibi, 2010); we can assume most textbook shopping,
if not all, is utilitarian in nature. Ease of search and comparison as well as website
orientation and format may influence a students choice of retailer for textbooks. Students
will likely prefer straightforward and easy-to-navigate websites and applications; students
may also enjoy the ability to compare rates online on multiple sites as opposed to at a
singular bookstore. According to Vaidehi (2014) predictors of online buying included
time saving, less price, promotions offered by e-retailers and ease in payment.
Overall, to understand predictors of buying textbooks online, researchers looked
at timeliness/time-saving, ease of search and website format, wider selection and ability
to compare prices, and discounts/promotions as predictors. These predictors were each to
found to have a positive correlation to online shopping preferences.
Another consideration of online shopping is privacy and security. Jabbari (2012)
found organizing information communication, information security, privacy policy, and
facilitating selection and access (p. 654) to be influencers on online shopping behaviors.
To understand hesitation to shop online, security and privacy may be important predictors

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to understand as well as comfort levels with interfaces online. Anxiety about computer
use and computer/Internet skills influences students decisions to purchase their textbooks
online (Lester and Yang, 2007). When looking at online shopping predictors, perceived
convenience via the previously discussed constructs will be just as important as comfort
levels with computer use and Internet literacy.
Value
Price is almost always a factor of purchasing behaviors, but as noted previously
may not be the top influencer of retailer choice. According to Talaga and Tucci (2001),
price of the text was the third most important variable in textbook buying decisions.
While selection may be less relevant to textbook buying- most textbook assigned are
specific- the ability to find the lowest price may influence students decisions.
Students are more likely to purchase textbooks online if the price was lower than
in stores (Maxwell, 2003). The perceived fairness of the price influences students
choices of where to buy their books; students who thought bookstore prices were unfair
would prefer buy books online (Maxwell, 2003). One predictor may be if students
perceive bookstore prices of textbooks as fair. If prices are the same online and in stores,
students tend to buy books in store due to convenience and no shipping charges
(Maxwell, 2003). Delafrooz, Paim, and Khatibi (2010); Maxwell (2003); Talaga and
Tucci (2001); and Vaidehi (2014) all found price in some way or another was an
influencer of purchase behavior. Price as a construct can be measured in various ways.
Perceived value, tangential to price, may be a more accurate construct to look at.
Thompson (2006) looked at transaction cost: the time spent looking for
information, effort, monitoring costs, and adapting costs. These factors may influence

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perceive value. If students feel an online retailer will take too much time or effort, they
may prefer to pay the monetary cost difference at a bookstore. Minimizing concerns
through help options and effort with user-friendly formatting can likely increase
penetration in the market of college students.
One factor of price may be the offers students have; Chegg often offers discounts
and coupon books to college students. Also, many textbook retailers offer buy-back
policies and guarantees. These buy-back policies and guarantees provided by Internet
retailers influence buying decisions according to Talaga and Tucci (2001). Bookstores
will often pay much less for returned textbooks, leaving students upset. Having rental
options and buy-back guarantees may be important to investigate when trying to
understand students textbook purchasing decisions.
Awareness
One factor that we believe to be an important predictor of textbook buying
behavior is awareness of retailers. Foucault and Scheufele (2002) noted the correlation
between awareness of online retailers to likelihood of online textbook purchase. This may
translate to in-store buying behaviors as well; students are likely to buy textbooks- online
or in-store- at retailers they have heard of.
One positive correlate to planned future online textbook purchases were previous
online textbook purchases of friends (Foucault and Scheufele, 2002). Concrete
suggestions from professors and time to make online purchases have also been found to
influence retailer choice (Foucault and Scheufele, 2002). Students may be more likely to
purchase textbooks where their friends and peers buy theirs or where professors
recommend students go. Word-of-mouth may contribute to awareness as well as the

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coupon books Chegg offers. Another form of awareness may be social media presence
and native content advertising; while students may not enjoy being directly advertised to,
native content and social media presence are less obvious methods of gaining awareness.
Newspapers and Magazines
Textbooks play an essential role in education, but print textbooks are encountering
challenges nowadays. The chief executive and president of McGraw-Hill Education said,
sales of new printed textbooks made up 38% of McGraw-Hill Education's highereducation revenue in 2013, down from 71% in 2010 (Mitchell, 2014, par.11). Students
are paying less and less for their textbooks than they did several years ago. From 2010 to
2014, students cost on textbooks reduced 17%, including all kinds of textbooks
(Mitchell, 2014). The college-textbook publishing industry is confronted with weak
trading environment and bookstores are especially facing the decrease of sales (Zekaria,
2013).
The top reason for the reduction may be attributed to students financial concerns.
Students are under heavy financial burden, and the high price of new print textbooks
sometimes could lead them to go to classes without textbooks. An annual report of New
York-based collegeboard.com reveals that students attend public universities spend $942
for books and supplies on average per year, and those who attend private universities
spend $935 (Maloney, 2007). As costs of textbooks increase, students have to figure out
new ways to save money. As a result, students tend to buy textbooks online with much
lower prices. Some students prefer to buy used textbooks online instead of new, printed
textbooks (Mitchell, 2014).

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Professors and school faculty make suggestions that drive students to look for
books online. Since professors usually directly decide which textbooks students should
read, their recommendation is pivotal in students decision-making process of textbook
purchases. Out of the consideration to ease students financial burden, some professors
will recommend students to buy textbooks online by using websites like Amazon
(Maloney, 2007). Some universities even encourage and train their faculties to use free
online textbooks in place of traditional books (Burleson, 2014).
The tendency that students are seeking cheaper or free books online drives
publishers to shift to digital products (Mitchell, 2014). In addition to online buying, the
textbook industry is trying other ways to attract students with lower price, like book
renting services. The textbook industry expects to reclaim market share thats been lost
over the years to online sales by offering different services (Brian, 2010). Online book
shopping offers more advantages than lower, discounted prices. The convenience of
avoiding long bookstore lines is also effects students preference to buy books online
(Maloney, 2007). Online shopping also has its disadvantages as previously discussed; for
example, shipping fees and delivery time may compensate the convenience (Brian, 2010).
E-textbooks are portable and much cheaper than paper version. However, etextbooks cannot replace traditional print textbooks. Many students still prefer to hold
paper version books because they would like to write in margins, dog-ear pages,
highlight material and easily refer back to sections, which could not be done on e-books
(Mitchell, 2014).
Industry and Trade Publications

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Students are very sensitive to the price of their textbooks. While the adoption rate
toward digital textbooks remains low, students seek used textbooks to save money. This
secondary market catches about $5.5 billion of the over $8 billion higher education
textbook market. The core issue is enhancing the direct engagement between learning
companies, professors, and students (Shannon, 2014, par. 14).
Although used textbooks are usually cheaper, some factors limit the market for
them: professors must permit the different editions of used books, the stores must get
used books in time, and book stores must prepare enough books for renting and selling
(Higher Education Retail Market Facts & Figures, 2013).

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Aside from the price, college students also pay much attention to other aspects,
such as service, brand and free gifts. From Cheggs third-annual Undercover with College
Students survey (2013), students are more likely to respond to the brand that makes them
feel they are special, including customer service, social responsibility, or a personalized
offer (Undercover With College Students, 2013). On that survey, 84 percent of
participants say they "advocate for brands who reward my loyalty" (Undercover With
College Students, 2013). This finding shows that the brands with students loyalty benefit
a lot from word-of-mouth (Undercover with College Students, 2013). Also, students who
receive free product are more likely to tell their friends, purchase the product and post
something about the product on social media (Undercover with College Students, 2013).
These factors should be taken into account to attract more college students to buy
textbooks.IV. Proposed Predictors
Options
Students perception of electronic textbooks (Spencer, 2006; Robinson, 2011; Woody,
Daniel, and Baker, 2010)
Online Shopping
Perceived benefits of online shopping (Meuter et al., 2005)
Satisfaction with online retailors-Purchases in General (adapted from Arora,
1985)
Satisfaction with online textbooks-Purchases in General (adapted from Arora,
1985)
Internet comfort (adapted from Davis, 1986)
Privacy concern (Korgaonkar, Pradeep and Lori, 1999)

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Value (Delafrooz, Paim, and Khatibi, 2010; Maxwell, 2003; Vaidehi, 2014)
Perceived transaction costs (adapted from Thompson, 2006)
Convenience (Thompson,2006; Delafrooz, Paim, and Khatibi, 2010; Vaidehi, 2014)
Service Convenience-Post-Purchase (adapted from Seiders et al, 2007)
Perceived convenience of online shopping (adapted from Szymanski, David and
Hise, 2000)
Ease of search and comparison of products offering (Thompson, 2006)
Importance of ease of navigation on website (adapted from Childers, Terry,
Christopher, Carr, Joann and Stephen, 2001)
Importance of the ability to compare prices and selection (Darden and Perreault,
1976)
Awareness (Foucault and Scheufele, 2002)
Information Seeker-Interpersonal-from professors (adapted from Wells and Tigert,
1971)
Information Seeker-Interpersonal-from friends (adapted from Wells and Tigert,
1971)
Peers online textbook purchasing behavior (adapted from Foucault and
Scheufele, 2002)
Students online textbook purchasing behavior (adapted from Foucault and
Scheufele, 2002)
Time pressure (Thompson, 2006; Vaidehi, 2014; adapted from Beatty and Ferrell, 1998)
Utilitarian orientation of consumer (adapted from Montoya-Weiss, Voss, and Grewal,
2003)

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Students attitudes towards online shopping (adapted from Yi & Jeon, 2003)
Attitude toward free access to textbooks (adapted from Oliver and Bearden, 1985).

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V. Measures
From the literature review, 20 predictors were developed as shown in the above se
ction. The predictors included Students perception of electronic textbooks, Importance of
the ability to compare prices and selection, Privacy concern, Satisfaction with online
retailers, Satisfaction with online textbooks, Perceived convenience of online shopping,
Information seeker-friends, Information seeker-professors, Utilitarian orientation of
consumer, Perceived benefits of online shopping, Internet comfort, Time pressure,
Importance of ease of navigation on website, Perceived transaction costs, Students
attitudes towards online shopping, Peers online textbook purchasing behavior, Service
Convenience-Post-Purchase, Attitude toward The Act, Purchase Intention and Students
online textbook purchasing behavior.
To develop these potential predictors, our team selected the ones that had been pro
ven to be the most important in the previous researches, and those most pertinent to our st
udy. This ensured that our study could evaluate our own dependent variable on the basis o
f already-tested predictors, which helped to reduce the possibility that we might test the u
nnecessary variables.
Our team used the Marketing Scales Handbook to find scales and measures. We c
hose the most pertinent scales and measures from the book and altered them to fit our stu
dy. The altered constructs included: Students perception of electronic textbooks (Berens,
Riel, and Bruggen, 2005), Satisfaction with online retailers(Arora, 1985), Satisfaction wit
h online textbooks(Arora, 1985), Perceived convenience of online shopping(Szymanski,
David and Hise, 2000), Information seeker-friends(Wells & Tigert, 1971), Information se
eker-professors (Wells & Tigert, 1971), Utilitarian orientation of consumer(Montoya-Wei

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ss, Voss and Grewal, 2003), Internet comfort(Davis, 1986), Time pressure(Beatty & Ferre
ll, 1998), Importance of ease of navigation on website(Childer, Terry, Christopher, Carr, J
oann and Stephen, 2001), Perceived transaction costs(Thompson, 2006), Student sattitud
e towards online shopping(Yi & Jeon, 2003), Peers online textbook purchase behavior(F
oucault & Scheufele, 2002), Service convenience(Seiders et al, 2007), Attitude toward th
e Act(Oliver & Bearden, 1985), Purchase intention(Taylor & Baker, 1994) and Student s
online textbook purchasing behavior(Foucault & Scheufele, 2002).
We had seventeen constructs measured with a Likert scale containing five points:
Does not describe me at all, Doesnt really describe me, Cant really tell,
Sometimes describes me, Definitely describes me; or Strongly Disagree, Disagree
, Feel Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree. The following shows the organization of o
ur constructs and measures.
Students perception of electronic textbooks measured the extent to which
students preferred electronic textbooks. The individual items were:

When planning to buy textbooks, I look for electronic textbooks.

I prefer electronic textbooks.

If a friend were looking for textbooks, I would advise him or her to purchase
electronic textbooks.

Importance of the ability to compare prices and selection measured the degree
to which a consumer engaged in comparative shopping and its intent on getting the best
price(Darden and Perreault, 1976). The individual items were:

I compare prices of at least a few brands before I choose one.

I find myself checking the prices even for small items.

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It is important to get the best price for the products I buy.

Privacy concern measured the degree to which a person was troubled about
use of the web because of personal privacy concerns as well as spam (unwanted
solicitations) (Korgaonkar, Pradeep and Lori, 1999). The individual items were:

I detest the fact that the web is becoming a haven for electronic junk mail.

I wish I had more control over unwanted message sent by business on the
web.

I dislike the fact that marketers are able to find out personal information of
on-line shoppers.

Satisfaction with online retailers measured a persons degree of satisfaction


with purchases form online retailers. The individual items were:

I am very satisfied with most of my purchases from online retailers.

I feel very comfortable with my recent online purchase decisions.

I am confident that I generally make the right decisions when shopping online.

Satisfaction with online textbooks measured a persons degree of satisfaction


with purchases form online textbooks. The individual items were:

I am very satisfied with most of my purchases from online textbook retailers.

I feel very comfortable with my recent online textbook purchase.

I am confident that I generally make the right decisions when shopping for
textbooks online.

Perceived convenience of online shopping measured the extent to which a


person thought that Internet stores were easier to shop at and saved more time compared
to shopping at traditional retail. The individual items were:

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Based on total shopping time, I prefer shopping online over shopping in


stores.

I prefer shopping online over shopping in stores, because it is more


convenient.

Based on ease of browsing, I prefer shopping online over shopping in stores.

Information seeker measured a persons interest in talking about textbooks as


well as seeking information from friends and a persons interest in talking about
textbooks as well as seeking information from professors. Our team tested the influences
of friends and professors, respectively. The individual items were:

I often seek out the advice of my friends regarding where to buy textbooks.

I spend time talking with my friends about where they buy their textbooks.

My friends usually give me good advice on the best places to buy textbooks.

I often seek out the advice of professors regarding where to buy textbooks.

I spend time talking with my professors about where to buy textbooks.

My professors usually give me good advice on the best places to buy


textbooks.

Utilitarian orientation of consumer measured a persons beliefs regarding the


quality of service provided by a retailer. The individual items were:

A high level of overall service is important to me when choosing where to


shop.

Convenience is important to me when choosing where to shop.

Reliability is important to me when choosing where to shop.

Helpful assistance is important to me when choosing where to shop.

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Perceived benefits of online shopping measured the degree to which a


consumer believed that a good or service was better at some function than other products.
The individual items were:

Online shopping improves the shopping experience.

Overall, I believe online shopping is advantageous.

I believe online shopping, in general, is the best way to find something I need.

Internet comfort measured the degree to which the process involved in using
Internet was viewed by a person as understandable and easy. The individual items were:

The Internet is clear and understandable.

Using the Internet requires a lot of mental effort. (Reverse-coded measure)

The Internet is easy to use.

Time pressure measured the degree to which a consumer had a limited amount
of time to use to buy textbooks. The individual items were:

I have limited time available to me for buying textbooks.

I am not usually rushed for time on buying textbooks: Reverse-coded measure

I feel I am given more than enough time to purchase my textbooks: Reversecoded measure

I am not given enough time to purchase my textbooks.

Importance of ease of navigation on website measured the extent to which a


person viewed Internet [retailer]s navigation function, getting around and moving
through some environment, to be flexible in its usability (Childers, Terry, Christopher,
Carr, Joann and Stephen, 2001). The individual items were:

Online shopping allows flexibility in tracking down information.

Textbook Buying Preferences

Online shopping offers an environment I can easily navigate.

Online shopping allows me to move more fluidly through the shopping

27

environment than in store.


Perceived transaction costs measured the extent to which a consumer agreed
regarding search cost, monitoring cost and adapting cost. The individual items were:

I spend a lot of time looking for information before buying online.

I spend a lot of time monitoring whether products I ordered are processed as


promised.

It is time-consuming to make changes to orders that have been sent to online


stores.

Students attitudes towards online shopping measured the degree to which


students had a positive opinion of online shopping and was likely to recommend it to
others. The individual items were:

I like online shopping more so than shopping in stores.

I have a strong preference for online shopping.

I give prior consideration to online shopping when I have a need.

I would recommend online shopping to others.

Peers online textbook purchasing behavior measured the proportion of


textbooks a students peers purchase online. This construct was tested by single item mea
sure. Our team offered five items and asked the respondents to check the one that describ
ed them the most. The items were:

My friends purchase all of their textbooks online.

My friends purchase most of their textbooks online.

Textbook Buying Preferences

My friends purchase about half of their textbooks online.

My friends purchase a small number of their textbooks online.

My friends do not purchase any of their textbooks online.

28

Attitude toward The Act measured the subjects overall evaluation of open book
movements, and free online access to textbooks. The semantic differential scale was used
for testing this construct. We had 5 pairs of evaluative words to describe free access to
textbooks, and respondents were required to check the number between two antonyms
regarding how they felt about free access to textbooks. The points were ranging from one
to five. The antonyms used were bad/good, foolish/wise, harmful/beneficial,
unpleasant/pleasant, unsafe/safe. After collecting and analyzing the data, this
measure was removed due to subject confusion.
Service convenience measured how much a consumer believed that it was easy
to resolve problems after the purchase, particularly returns and exchanges, at a particular
retail store. We looked at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Chegg. The individual items
were:

When renting and/or purchasing textbooks at [retailer], it is easy to take care


of returns and exchanges.

[Retailer] takes care of textbook exchanges and returns promptly.

When renting and/or purchasing textbooks at [retailer], any after-purchase


problems I experience are resolved quickly.

Purchase intention measured the likelihood that a consumer would choose a


particular service provider the next time service is needed; this was our dependent
variable. It had 5 single-item measures, including Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble online,

Textbook Buying Preferences

29

Barnes and Noble in store, Chegg.com, and At an in-store retailer other than Barnes and
Noble. We tested respondents purchase intention by providing them with these five book
providers and five points including Not likely at all, Not likely, Neutral, Likely,
Very likely. The respondents were asked to check the box corresponding with their
choice if they were buying their textbooks tomorrow.
Students online textbook purchasing behavior measured the proportion of
textbooks a student purchased online. It was a behavior single-item measure, and the
respondents were asked to fill in the blanks with a number. The measure was, This
semester, I bought ______ textbooks out of _____ (number of textbooks required).
The research also included three demographic measures. They were academic
level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or graduate), age, and gender (male or
female).

Textbook Buying Preferences

30

VI. Instrument
Student Opinion Survey
We are conducting this study to learn about students opinions concerning a variety of current topics.
Thank you for taking the time to complete our survey. Your responses are anonymous.
1.

Our first questions are about shopping. For each of the following statements, please tell us how well it
describes you by checking the box corresponding with your choice (check only one).
Does not
Doesnt
Cant
Sometimes
Definitely
describe
really
really tell
describes
describes
me at all
describe
me
me
me
A high level of overall service is important to
me when choosing where to shop.
Convenience is important to me when
choosing where to shop.
Helpful assistance is important to me when
choosing where to shop.
I compare prices of at least a few brands before
I choose one.
I find myself checking the prices even for
small items.
It is important to get the best price for the
products I buy.
Reliability is important to me when choosing
where to shop.

2.

The next questions are about the Internet. For each of the following statements, please tell us how well it
describes you by checking the box corresponding with your choice (check only one).
Does not
Doesnt
Cant
Sometimes
Definitely
describe
really
really tell
describes
describes
me at all
describe
me
me
me
Using the Internet requires a lot of mental
effort.
I dislike the fact that marketers are able to find
out personal information of on-line shoppers.
The Internet is easy to use.
I wish I had more control over unwanted
message sent by business on the web.
The Internet is clear and understandable.
I detest the fact that the web is becoming a
haven for electronic junk mail.

Textbook Buying Preferences


3.

31

Now wed like you to think about shopping online. Thinking about your experiences shopping
online, please tell us how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements by
checking the box corresponding with your choice (check only one).
Strongly
Disagree

I like online shopping more so than shopping in


stores.
I have a strong preference for online shopping.
I give prior consideration to online shopping
when I have a need.
I would recommend online shopping to others.
I spend a lot of time looking for information
before buying online.
I spend a lot of time monitoring whether
products I ordered are processed as promised.
I spend a lot of effort contacting the online store
to check whether products I ordered are
processed as promised.
It is time-consuming to make changes to orders
that have been sent to online stores.
It is time-consuming to arrange another time to
receive products I bought if they are not
physically delivered on time as promised.
It is time-consuming to deal with any
unexpected changes (e.g. loss of check mailed
to online stores) when buying online.
I am very satisfied with most of my purchases
from online retailers.
I feel very comfortable with my recent online
purchase decisions.
I am confident that I generally make the right
decisions when shopping online.
Online shopping improves the shopping
experience.
Overall, I believe online shopping is
advantageous.
I believe online shopping, in general, is the best
way to find something I need.
Online shopping allows flexibility in tracking
down information.
Online shopping offers an environment I can
easily navigate.
Online shopping allows me to move fluidly
through the shopping environment.

Disagree

Feel
Neutral

Agree

Strongly
Agree

Textbook Buying Preferences


4.

32

Thinking about your experiences shopping online and in store, please tell us how much you agree
or disagree with each of the following statements by checking the box corresponding with your
choice (check only one).

Strongly
Disagree

Disagree

Feel
Neutral

Agree

Strongly
Agree

Based on total shopping time, I prefer


shopping online over shopping in stores.
I prefer shopping online over shopping in stores,
because it is more convenient.
Based on ease of browsing, I prefer shopping online
over shopping in stores.
5.

Thinking about your experiences textbook shopping, please tell us how much you agree or
disagree with each of the following statements by checking the box corresponding with your choice
(check only one).
Strongly
Disagree
Feel
Agree
Disagree
Neutral
I am confident that I generally make the right
decisions when shopping for textbooks online.
I am not given enough time to purchase my
textbooks.
When planning to buy textbooks, I look for
electronic textbooks.
I am very satisfied with most of my purchases
from online textbook retailers.
I feel I am given more than enough time to
purchase my textbooks.
I feel very comfortable with my recent online
textbook purchases.
I have limited time available to me for buying
textbooks.
I prefer electronic Textbooks.
If a friend were looking for textbooks, I would
advise him or her to purchase electronic
Textbooks.
I am not rushed for time on buying textbooks.
6.
Thinking about your experiences textbook shopping, For each of the following statements, please
tell us how well it describes you by checking the box corresponding with your choice (check only
one).
Does not
Doesnt
Cant
Sometimes
describe
really
really tell
describes
me at all
describe
me
me
I often seek out the advice of my friends
regarding where to buy textbooks.
I often seek out the advice of professors
regarding where to buy textbooks.
I spend time talking with my friends about
where they buy their textbooks.

Strongly
Agree

Definitely
describes
me

Textbook Buying Preferences

33

I spend time talking with my professors about


where to buy textbooks.
My friends usually give me good advice on the
best places to buy textbooks.
My professors usually give me good advice on
the best places to buy textbooks.
7.

Please fill in the blanks with a number. This semester, I bought ______ textbooks out of _____
(number of textbooks required).

8.

To my knowledge, in the past year,


_____ My friends purchase all of their textbooks online.
_____ My friends purchase most of their textbooks online.
_____ My friends purchase about half of their textbooks online.
_____ My friends purchase a small number of their textbooks online._____ My friends
do not purchase any of their textbooks online.

9.

I think free online access to textbooks is _______________.

Bad
Foolish
Harmful
Unpleasant
Unsafe
10.

Good
Wise
Beneficial
Pleasant
Safe

Thinking of your experiences textbook shopping, please tell us how much you agree or disagree
with each of the following statements by checking the box corresponding with your choice. If you
have not heard of a retailer, please select Not applicable. (Check only one).
Strongly
Disagree

When renting and/or purchasing textbooks at


Amazon, it is easy to take care of returns and
exchanges.
Amazon takes care of textbook exchanges
and returns promptly.
When renting and/or purchasing textbooks at
Amazon, any after-purchase problems I
experience are resolved quickly.
When renting and/or purchasing textbooks at
Barnes and Noble, it is easy to take care of
returns and exchanges.
Barnes and Noble takes care of textbook
exchanges and returns promptly.
When renting and/or purchasing textbooks at
Barnes and Noble, any after-purchase
problems I experience are resolved quickly.

Disagree

Feel
Neutral

Agree

Strongly
Agree

Not
Applicable

Textbook Buying Preferences

34

When renting and/or purchasing textbooks at


Chegg.com, it is easy to take care of returns
and exchanges.
Chegg.com takes care of textbook exchanges
and returns promptly.
When renting and/or purchasing textbooks at
Chegg.com, any after-purchase problems I
experience are resolved quickly.
The overall textbook prices at Barnes and
Noble are most likely very low.
Relative to other retailers, the textbook prices
at Barnes and Noble are most likely lower
than average.
The overall textbook prices at Amazon are
most likely very low.
Relative to other textbooks retailers, the
prices on Amazon are most likely lower than
average.
The overall textbook prices at Chegg are
most likely very low.
Relative to other textbooks retailers, the
prices on Chegg are most likely lower than
average.
11.

If you were buying your textbooks tomorrow, how likely are you to shop for textbooks at the
following stores.
Not Likely
at all

Not likely

Neutral

Likely

Amazon.com
Barnes and Noble online
Barnes and Noble in store
Chegg.com
At an in-store retailer other than Barnes and
Noble
12. Which of the following describes your current academic level:
Freshman Sophomore

Junior

Senior

13. How old are you? ____________


14. Are you male or female?

Male

Female

Masters

Very
Likely

Textbook Buying Preferences

35

VII. Methodology
Using background research on the client, the competition, and the industry, we
compiled a list of constructs to test. Using measures adapted from the Marketing Scales
Handbook (1996, 2001, 2005, 2009), we defined our own constructs and created items to
study how each measure influences college students decision about where to buy their
textbooks.
Due to the limit of resources, instead of conducting the survey at a variety of
colleges, we only administered our self-report survey to a random sample of Boston
University students during different times and days. We understand the fact that the
student population of Boston University cannot wholly reflect general college students.
To ensure randomness, we administered the surveys in three different times. We
did our first set of survey on November 2nd, 2014 from 2:00pm to 3:30pm. Then the
second set was administered on November 3rd, 2014 from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm. The third
set of the survey was conducted on November 4th, 2014 from 5:00 pm to 6:30 p.m. All of
the surveys were handed out to a random sample of students in George Sherman Union
where many students at Boston University gathered together for meals and group
meeting. Candy and chocolates were offered to incent students to take the survey.
One-hundred students in GSU participated in our survey. They were all students at
Boston University between the ages of 18 and 44. Seventy-four of them were female and
26 were male. There were 100 valid responses for the predictor Academic Level. Thirtytwo percent of respondents were juniors, 14% were freshmen, 19% were sophomores,
19% were seniors, and 16 % were graduate students.

Textbook Buying Preferences

36

After collecting all of the data we needed, our research team began coding data in
our study. We summarized the information and entered it into SPSS. We corrected our
reverse-coded measures: I would rather wait for others to try new products before trying
them myself, I cannot find enough information to compare products sold online and
When shopping online, I am concerned that someone else will use my credit card
number without my permission.
We cleaned the data and tested the reliability of measures on SPSS using
Cronbach Alpha Reliability test. Reliable measures were =0.55 and greater. Two items
were removed. At first, the reliability of Privacy concern was =0.63. After removing the
measure I dislike the fact that marketers are able to find out personal information of online shoppers, the reliability of this construct increased to =0.71. Moreover, the
reliability of Perceived transaction costs was =0.62, but after we removed the measure
It is time-consuming to make changes to orders that have been sent to online stores, the
reliability became =0.70. The reliability of Perceived benefits of online shopping
construct was =0.20, so we deleted the whole construct. We also removed the construct
of Attitude toward The Act due to subject confusion. The majority of respondents did not
respond to the items.
Among the reliability of 20 multi-item predictors, we found that six of them were
greater than or equal to =0.90, which means the reliability of these scales were
excellent. Seven of them were 0.80 0.90, which were good. Four of them were 0.70
0.80, which were respectable. One was between 0.65 0.70, which was
minimally acceptable. Two of the construct were relatively low: the reliability of
Utilitarian orientation of consumer was =0.55 and the Internet comfort was = 0.56.

Textbook Buying Preferences

37

With the reliable measures, we calculated the frequency distributions and measures of
central tendency if called for.
After looking at the variation within the sample, we examined the relationships
between variables in our sample. We tested the correlation between dependent variables
and independent variables with Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient (rxy) to
measure the degree to which quantitative variables were linearly related in our sample.
We calculated the confidence intervals to see if they were within the 95 percentile.
VIII. Results
Analysis of Measures
After collecting, cleaning and reverse-coding all data, our research team tested the
reliability of each construct. Students perception of electronic textbooks construct cons
ists of three five-point Likert type questions. Cronbachs alpha reliability for these items i
s =0.90, indicating an excellent internal consistency. The next construct, Importance of
the ability to compare prices and selection construct consists of three five-point Likert ty
pe questions. Cronbachs alpha reliability for these items is also an excellent internal cons
istency, =0.83. The third measure is Privacy concern. This construct consists of three f
ive-point Likert type questions. After removing the item I dislike the fact that marketers
are able to find out personal information of on-line shoppers, Cronbachs alpha reliabilit
y for these items has a very good internal consistency, =0.71.
The proceeding construct, Satisfaction with online retailers consists of three fiv
e-point Likert type questions. Cronbachs alpha reliability for these items has an excellent
internal consistency, =0.88. The next construct, Satisfaction with online textbooks
consists of three five-point Likert type questions. It has a very good internal consistency,

Textbook Buying Preferences

38

=0.77. Perceived convenience of online shopping consists of three five-point Likert ty


pe questions. Cronbachs alpha reliability for these items has an excellent internal consist
ency, =0.88.
The next construct, Information seeker is a little different. It was split into two
concepts: Information Seeker from friends and Information Seeker from Professors.
Our team tested the influences of friends and professors, respectively. The Cronbachs alp
ha reliability for Information Seeking from Friends has an excellent internal consistenc
y, =0.83. The Cronbachs alpha reliability for Information Seeking from Professors
was also an excellent internal consistency, =0.80.
The proceeding construct, Utilitarian orientation of consumer consists of four
five-point Likert type questions. It has a mediocre internal consistency, =0.55. While
this contrast isnt as reliable as the previous measures, it is acceptable. Perceived
benefits of online shopping consists of three five-point Likert type questions. Cronbach
s alpha reliability for these items is an unacceptable internal consistency, so we removed t
his construct, =0.20.
Internet comfort consists of three five-point Likert type questions. Cronbachs a
lpha reliability for these items is mediocre, = 0.58. Time pressure consists of four fiv
e-point Likert type questions. It has a good internal consistency, =0.69. Importance of
ease of navigation on website consists of three five-point Likert type questions. Cronbac
hs alpha reliability for these items is an excellent consistency, =0.91. The next one is
Perceived transaction costs. It consists of three five-point Likert type questions. Cronba
chs alpha reliability represents a very good consistency, =0.70. Students attitudes

Textbook Buying Preferences

39

towards online shopping consists of four five-point Likert type questions. It has an
excellent internal consistency, =0.87.
Service convenience measures how much a consumer believed that it is easy to
resolve problems after the purchase, particularly returns and exchanges, at a particular
retail store. It consists of nine five-point Likert type questionans and Not Applicable.
Cronbachs alpha reliability of Service Convenience at Amazon is excellent, =0.87.
Service Convenience at Barnes and Noble has a high reliability, =0.91 and Service
Convenience at Chegg.com is also excellent, =0.96.
Perception of Prices consists of six five-point Likert type questions and Not A
pplicable. Cronbachs alpha reliability of Perception of Barnes and Noble Prices is
excellent, =0.96. Reliability of Perception of Amazon Prices, = 0.87, and
Perception of Chegg Prices is excellent, =0.92.
Analysis of Variation of Measures
Frequency Distribution and Sampling Error
There were 99 valid responses for the predictor Students perception of
electronic textbooks. We used a 5-point Likert scale. The mean score is 2.66, the median
score is 3.0, and the mode score is 2, which represents Moderately Low. 18.2% of
perceptions of e-textbooks were negative, 30.3% of respondents were moderately
negative, 21.2% of respondents were neutral about e-textbooks, 28.3% of respondents
perceptions were moderately positive, and only 2% of respondents had positive
perceptions about e-textbooks. In other words, there were 48.5% of respondents had
negative views of e-textbooks, and 30.3% of respondents had positive perceptions of etextbooks. For positive responses (30.3% of the valid sample), standard error (95%

Textbook Buying Preferences

40

confident interval) was 9.053%, which infers a range of 21%-39% in population. The
result demonstrates that students perception of e-textbooks is low.
There were 99 valid responses for the predictor Importance of the ability to
compare prices and selection. We used a 5-point Likert scale. The mean score is 3.92,
the median score is 4.0, and the mode score is 5, which stands for Very High. 2.0% of
people scored Very Low, 8.1% of respondents were Low, 23.2% of respondents scored
Neutral, 29.3% of respondents scored High, and 37.4% respondents scored Very High. In
other words, there were 10.1% of respondents rated the importance of ability to compare
price and selection as lower, and 66.7% of respondents for this the ability to compare
important. For positive scores of 4 and 5(66.7% of the valid sample), standard error (95%
confident interval) was 9.284%, which infers a range of 58%-76% in population. The
result indicates that students value the ability to comparing prices before they purchase.

Privacy Concern

Very low
Low
Moderate
High
Very high

There were 100 valid responses for the


predictor Privacy Concern. We used a 5-point Likert scale. The mean score is 4.22, the
median score is 4.0, and the mode score is 5, which stands for very high concern. 2.0% of
respondents reported very low concern, 1% of respondents reported low concern, 14.0%
of respondents noted moderate concern, 39% of respondents reported high concern, and
44% of respondents reported high concern. In other words, 3% of respondents had very

Textbook Buying Preferences

41

low or low concern for privacy, and 83% of respondents had high or very high concern
for privacy. For scores of 4 and 5 (83% of the valid sample), standard error (95%
confident interval) was 7.362%, which infers a range of 76%-90% in population. The
result indicates that students pay high attention to their personal privacy when they use
the Internet.
There were 99 valid responses for the predictor Satisfaction with Online
Retailers. We used a 5-point Likert scale. The mean score is 3.677, the median score is
4.0, and the mode score is 4, which stands for high satisfaction. 1% of people noted very
low satisfaction, 10.1% of respondents reported low satisfaction, 24.2% of respondents
felt neutral, 49.5% of respondents noted high satisfaction, and 15.2% of respondents
reported very high satisfaction. In other words, there were 11.1% of respondents with
lower satisfaction with online retailers, and 64.7% of respondents were highly satisfied
with online retailers. For positive scores of 4 and 5(64.7% of the valid sample), standard
error (95% confident interval) was 9.414%, which infers a range of 55%-74% in
population. The result indicates that students are basically satisfied with online retailers.
There were 100 valid responses for the predictor Satisfaction with Online
Textbooks. We used a 5-point Likert scale. The mean score is 3.75, the median score is
4.0, and the mode score is 4, which stands for high satisfaction. 2% of people noted very
low satisfaction, 5% of respondents reported low satisfaction, 25% of respondents felt
neutral, 52% of respondents noted high satisfaction, and 16% of respondents reported
very high satisfaction. In other words, there were 7% of respondents with lower
satisfaction with online textbooks, and 68% of respondents were highly satisfied with
online textbooks. For positive scores of 4 and 5(68% of the valid sample), standard error

Textbook Buying Preferences

42

(95% confident interval) was 9.143%, which infers a range of 59%-77% in population.
The result indicates that students are overall satisfied with online Textbooks.
There were 99 valid responses for the predictor Perceived convenience of online
shopping. We used a 5-point Likert scale. The mean score is 3.12, the median score is
3.0, and the mode score is 3, which stands for perception of moderate convenience. 8.1%
of people perceived very low convenience, 19.2% of respondents had perceptions low
convenience of online shopping, 34.3% respondents scored neutral, 29.3% respondents
reported high perceived convenience, and 9.1% of respondents had reported perceptions
of very high convenience. In other words, there were 27.3% respondents leaned
perceived online shopping as low convenience, and 38.4% of respondents perceived
online shopping as highly convenient. For positive scores of 4 and 5 (38.4% of the valid
sample), standard error (95% confident interval) was 9.581%, which infers a range of
29%-48% in population. The result indicates that students do not usually think shopping
online is more convenient than shopping at traditional store.
There were 100 valid responses for the predictor Information Seeker-Friends.
We used a 5-point Likert scale of likelihood to seek information from friends. The mean
score is 2.91, the median score is 3.0, and the mode score is 4, which stands for likely to
seek information. 9% people scored not very likely to seek information from friends,
31% respondents reported not likely, 23% of respondents scored neutral, 34% of
respondents scored likely, and 3% respondents reported high likelihood. In other words,
there were 40% of respondents had low likelihood of seeking information from friends,
and 37% of respondents reported high likelihood. For positive responses of 4 and 5 (37%
of the valid sample), standard error (95% confident interval) was 9.462%, which infers a

Textbook Buying Preferences

43

range of 28%-46% in population. The result indicates that information from friends is not
very important for students to they purchase textbooks.
There were 100 valid responses for the predictor Information Seeker-Professors.
We used a 5-point Likert scale. The mean score is 2.59, the median score is 2.0, and the
mode score is 2, which stands for low likelihood. 13% of people scored very unlikely,
38% of respondents scored unlikely, 28% of respondents scored moderate likelihood,
19% respondents scored high likelihood, and 2% of respondents reported a very high
likelihood. In other words, there were 51% of respondents with low likelihood, and 21%
of respondents had high likelihood of seeking information from professors. For positive
responses of 4 and 5(21% of the valid sample), standard error (95% confident interval)
was 7.983%, which infers a range of 13%-29% in population. The result indicates that
students usually do not seek information about textbooks from their professors.

Internet Comfort

Very low
Low
Moderate
High
Very high

There were 100 valid responses for the


predictor Utilitarian Orientation of Consumers. The mean score is 4.03, the median
score is 4.0, and the mode score is 4, which stands for very high utilitarian orientation.
21% of respondents were moderately utilitarian, 55% of respondents were utilitarian, and
24%) respondents identified as very utilitarian. In other words, there were 79%
respondents that reported a utilitarian orientation. For positive scores of 4 and 5 (79% of

Textbook Buying Preferences

44

the valid sample), standard error (95% confident interval) was 7.983%, which infers a
range of 71%-87% in population. The result indicates that students think utility is
important, and they highly value the quality of services and products provided by a
company.
There were 99 valid responses for the predictor Internet Comfort. The mean
score is 4.31, the median score is 4.0, and the mode score is 5, which stands for very
comfortable with the internet. 1% had very low comfort levels, 2% of respondents had
low comfort levels, 8.1% of respondents were moderately comfortable, 42.4% of
respondents had high levels of internet comfort, and 46.5% of respondents were very,
highly comfortable with the internet. In other words, 88.9% of respondents reported high
levels of internet comfort. For positive scores of 4 and 5 (88.9% of the valid sample),
standard error (95% confident interval) was 6.188%, which infers a range of 83%-95%
in population. The result indicates that most of students are comfortable with using the
Internet and think using Internet is easy.
There were 99 valid responses for the predictor Time Pressure. The mean score
is 3.02, the median score is 3.0, and the mode score is 3, which stands for moderate
pressure. 3% of respondents felt little to no pressure, 15.2% of respondents felt low
pressure, 59.6% of respondents felt moderate pressure, 21.2% of respondents felt high
pressure, and 1% of respondents felt there is very high amount of time pressure. In other
words, 22.2% of respondents felt there was a time pressure for buying textbooks. For
positive scores of 4 and 5 (22.2% of the valid sample), standard error (95% confident
interval) was 8.187%, which infers a range of 14%-30% in population. The result
indicates that many students do not feel a strong time pressure when they purchase

Textbook Buying Preferences

45

textbooks. In other words, they often feel that the time for them to buy textbooks is
enough.
There were 100 valid responses for the predictor Important of Ease of
Navigation on Website. The mean score of this predictor was 3.66. The median was
4.00. And the mode was 4 for high importance. This predictor showed a high importance
levels; only 4% of respondents reported very low importance and 4% reposted low
importance, as indicated by scores of 1 and 2. Thirty percent of the respondents reported
moderate importance. The majority of respondents answered high importance (46%), and
16% noted very high importance. For the positive scores of 4 and 5 (62% of the valid
sample), standard error (95% confidence interval) was 9.5%, inferring a range of 52%72% in the population. According to the results, college students think the ease of
navigation on website is of high importance.
The predictor Perceived Transaction Costs had 100 valid responses; this
predictor refers to how much time consumers use to locate information, monitoring
orders, and making changes on purchases. The median was 4 and the mode was 4 for
high time cost. This predictor showed higher scores; only 3% of the respondents reported
very low time costs and 8% reported low time costs. Twenty-eight percent reported
moderate time costs. The majority of respondents reported high time costs (43%), and
18% reported very high time costs. For the positive scores of 4 and 5 (61% of the valid
sample), standard error (95% confidence interval) was 9.6%, inferring a range of 51%71% in the population. According to the results, college students perceive spending a lot
of time on searching, monitoring, and adapting online orders.

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46

Students Attitudes towards Online Shopping had 100 valid respondents. The
mean score for this predictor was 3.30. The median was 3.00, and the mode was 3. 3% of
respondents had low scores, meaning negative opinions of online shopping. 15
respondents (15%) scored 2. Thirty-eight respondents (38%) scored 3. 37% of the
respondents had positive opinions regarding online shopping and 7% reported very
postivie opinions. Students who scored moderate, 3, comprised of 38% of the valid
sample, had a standard error (95% confidence interval) of 9.5%, inferring a range of
2848% in the population. The higher scores, 4 and 5, were 44% of the valid sample,
standard error (95% confidence interval) was 9.7%, inferring a range of 3454% in the
population. As indicated in these results, the majority of college students dont have
negative attitudes towards online shopping; some students have neutral attitudes online
shopping.
The predictor Peers Online Textbook Purchasing Behavior had 89 valid
respondents. The five possible responses were My friends purchase all of their textbooks
online (scored by 1), My friends purchase most of their textbooks online (scored by
2), My friends purchase about half of their textbooks online (scored by 3), My friends
purchase a small number of their textbooks online (scored by 4), and My friends do not
purchase any of their textbooks online (scored by 5). The mean score of this predictor
was 2.43. The median was 2.00. And the mode was 2 for My friends purchase most of
their textbooks online. This predictor showed that a students peers have a strong
preference for Online Textbook Purchasing: 17 (19.1%) of respondents chose My
friends purchase all of their textbooks online and 35 (39.3%) chose My friends
purchase most of their textbooks online. Twenty-two (24.7%) of the respondents

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47

selected My friends purchase about half of their textbooks online. Only 12(13.5%)
respondents answered My friends purchase a small number of their textbooks online
and 3 (3.4%) chose My friends do not purchase any of their textbooks online. Purchase
All and Purchase Most totaled 52 respondents. For the responses of 1 and 2 (58.4% of the
valid sample), standard error (95% confidence interval) was 10.2%, inferring a range of
48%-69% in the population. According to the results, the proportion of textbooks a
students peers purchase online is high.
The predictor Service Convenience (Post-Purchase) at Amazon had 99 valid
responses. If respondents chose Not Applicable, it was marked as 6 but labeled as
Missing Value in SPSS for analysis. The mean score of this predictor was 3.86. The
median was 4 and the mode was 4. This predictor showed a strong perception of high
convenience; only 2% of the respondents reported very little convenience and 2% noted
low convenience. Twenty-four (24.2%) noted moderate convenience. The majority of
respondents reported high convenience (37.4%) and 24.2% scored very high
convenience. 10.1% of respondents answered Not Applicable. For the positive scores of 4
and 5 (61.6% of the valid sample), standard error (95% confidence interval) was 9.6%,
inferring a range of 52%-71% in the population. According to the results, college students
strongly believe that it is easy to resolve problems after the purchase, particularly returns
and exchanges, at Amazon.
The predictor Service Convenience (Post-Purchase) at Barnes & Noble had
100 valid responses. If respondents chose Not Applicable, it was marked as 6 but labeled
as Missing Value in SPSS for analysis. The mean score of this predictor was 3.58. The
median was 3.67 and the mode was 4. This predictor showed a perception of high

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48

convenience; only 4% of the respondents reported very little convenience and 4% noted
low convenience. Twenty-five percent noted moderate convenience. The majority of
respondents reported high convenience (35%) and 18% scored very high convenience.
Fourteen (14%) respondents answered Not Applicable. For the positive scores of 4 and 5
(53% of the valid sample), standard error (95% confidence interval) was 9.8%,
inferring a range of 43%-63% in the population. According to the results, college students
strongly believe that it is easy to resolve problems after the purchase, particularly returns
and exchanges, at Barnes & Noble
The predictor Service Convenience (Post-Purchase) at Chegg had 100 valid
responses. If respondents chose Not Applicable, it was marked as 6 but labeled as
Missing Value in SPSS for analysis. The mean score of this predictor was 3.46. The
median was 3.33 and the mode was 3. 1% of the respondents reported very little
convenience and 2% noted low convenience. Twenty-one percent noted moderate
convenience. The majority of respondents reported high convenience (11%) and 10%
scored very high convenience. 45% of respondents answered Not Applicable. For a score
of 3 (31% of the valid sample), standard error (95% confidence interval) was 9.1%,
inferring a range of 22%-40% in the population. For the response of Not Applicable
( 45% of the valid sample), standard error (95% confidence interval) was 9.8%,
inferring a range of 35%-55% in the population. According to the results, majority of
college students dont use Chegg, and students who used this service dont have strong
attitudes (either positive or negative) towards the service.
The predictor Price Perception of Amazon had 97 valid responses. If
respondents chose Not Applicable, it was marked as 6 but labeled as Missing Value in

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49

SPSS for analysis. The mean score of this predictor was 3.86. The median was 4 and the
mode was 4. This predictor showed positive perception; only 3.1% of the respondents
reported very negative perceptions and 1% had negative perceptions. Eighteen (18.6%)
reported neutral. The majority of respondents scored 4, positive perceptions (48.5%), and
27.8% reported very positive perceptions. Only 1% of respondents answered Not
Applicable. For the positive scores of 4 and 5 (76.3% of the valid sample), standard error
(95% confidence interval) was 8.5%, inferring a range of 68%-85% in the population.
According to the results, college students strongly believe that the overall textbook prices
at Amazon are low.
The predictor Price Perception of Barnes & Noble had 92 valid responses. If
respondents chose Not Applicable, it was marked as 6 but labeled as Missing Value in
SPSS for analysis. The mean score of this predictor was 2.16. The median was 2 and the
mode was 1. This predictor showed negative perceptions; 32.3%% of the respondents
reported very negative perceptions and 33.4% had negative perceptions. Eighteen
(18.4%) responded with neutral perceptions. Only 7.5% had positive perceptions, and
7.5% reported very positive perceptions. For the scores of 1 and 2 (65.6% of the valid
sample), standard error (95% confidence interval) was 9.7%, inferring a range of 56%75% in the population. According to the results, college students dont believe that the
overall textbook prices at Amazon are low.
The predictor Price Perception of Chegg had 66 valid responses. If respondents
chose Not Applicable, it was marked as 6 but labeled as Missing Value in SPSS for
analysis The mean score of this predictor was 3.39. The median was 3, and the mode was
3. Only 1.5% of the respondents reported very negative perceptions and 3% had negative

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50

perceptions. Thirty-two (48.5%) reported neutral perceptions. Fourteen (21.2%)


respondents reported positive perceptions, and 8 (12.1%) had very positive perceptions.
Nine (13.6%) answered Not Applicable. The majority of respondents scored 3 (48.5%).
For these neutral responses, standard error (95% confidence interval) was 12.1%,
inferring a range of 36%-61% in the population. According to the results, college students
dont have particularly positive or negative perceptions of Cheggs prices.
For the demographic, age, 98 respondents gave a valid response. The mean age
was 20.94, while the median was 20.00 and the mode was 20. The ages ranged from 18 to
44. Nine respondents (9.2%) were 18 years of age. Twenty-two (21.4%) were 19 years
old; 26 respondents (26.5%) were 20 years old; 17 respondents (17.3%) were 21 years
old; and 11 respondents (11.2%) were 22 years old; 4 respondents (4.1%) were 23 years
old; 3 respondents (3.1%) were 24 years old; 2 respondents (2%) were 25 years old; 2
respondents (2%) were 26 years old; only one respondent (1%) was 29 years old; one
respondent (1%) was 33 years old and one respondent (1%) was 44 years old.
For gender, there were 100 valid responses. The majority (74%) were female;
26% of respondents were male.
100 valid responses were given for academic level. The choices given were
freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, and graduate. The majority were juniors (32%).
Fourteen respondents (14%) were freshmen; 19 respondents (19%) were sophomores; 19
respondents (19%) were seniors and 16 respondents were graduate students.

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51

TABLE 1. Confidence Intervals


VARIABLE

MOST
FREQUENT
RESPONSES

% OF MOST
FREQUENT
RESPONSES

95 CI SE

CONFIDENCE
INTERVALS

Students perception Does not describe


of electronic
me at all/ Doesnt
textbooks
really describe me

48.5%

99

9.845%

39%-58%

Importance of the
Sometimes
ability to compare
describe me/
prices and selection Definitely describe
me

66.7%

99

9.284%

58%-76%

Privacy concern

Sometimes
describe me/
Definitely describe
me

83%

100

7.362%

76%-90%

Satisfaction with
online retailers

Agree/ Strongly A
gree

64.7%

99

9.414%,

55%-74%

Satisfaction with
online textbook

Agree/ Strongly A
gree

68%

100

9.143%

59%-77%

Perceived
convenience of
online shopping

Agree/ Strongly A
gree

38.4%

99

9.581%

29%-48%

8.966%

20%-38%

29.3%
Neutral

Information Seeking
-Friends

Does not describe


me at all/ Doesnt
really describe me

40%

100

9.602%

30%-50%

Information Seeking
-Professors

Does not describe


me at all/ Doesnt
really describe me

51%

100

9.798%

41%-61%

Utilitarian
orientation of
consumer

Agree/ Strongly A
gree

79%

100

7.983%

71%-87%

Internet comfort

Agree/ Strongly A
gree

88.9%

99

6.188%

83%-95%

Time pressure

Neutral

59.6%

99

9.666%,

50%-69%

Textbook Buying Preferences

52

Agree and
Strongly Agree

22.2%

Importance of ease
of navigation on
website

Neutral
Agree/Strongly
Agree

30%

Perceived
transaction costs

Neutral
Agree/Strongly
Agree

28%

Neutral
Agree/Strongly
Agree

38%

Students attitudes
towards online
shopping

62%

Service Convenience
at Amazon

Neutral

24.2%

Agree and
Strongly Agree

61.6%

Neutral

25%

Agree and
Strongly Agree

53%

Neutral

31%

Not Applicable

45%

Service Convenience
at Chegg.com

Perception of Barnes
Strongly
and Noble Prices
Disagree/Disagree

100

44%
58.4%

14%-30%

8.982%

21%-39%

9.514%

52%-72%

8.8%

19%-37%

9.600%

51%-71%

9.514%

28%-48%

9.727%

34%-54%

10.24%

48%-69%

8.960%

16%-34%

8.437%

16%-33%

9.581%

52%-71%

8.487%

17%-33%

9.782%

43%-63%

9.065%

22%-40%

9.751%

35%-55%

100

61%

Peers online
Strongly
textbook purchasing Disagree/Disagree
behavior
Neutral

Service Convenience
at Barnes and Noble

100

8.187%,

89

24.7%
99

100

100

65.2%

92

8.244%

57%-73%

Perception of
Amazon Prices

Agree/Strongly
Agree

76.3%

97

8.463

68%-85%

Perception of Chegg
Prices

Neutral

48.5%

66

12.058

36%-61%

TABLE 4A Analysis of variation of multi-and single-item measures


PREDICTOR

FREQUENCY

Students
Perception of

99

18(18.2%)- Does not describe me at all


30(30.3%)- Doesnt really describe me

MEAN
2.66

MEDIAN MODE
3.0

Textbook Buying Preferences


E-Textbooks

53

21(21.2%)- Cant really tell


28(28.3%)-Sometimes describe me
2(2%)- Definitely describe me

Sometimes describe me and Definitely describe me combined: 30(30.3%)


Importance of
the ability to
compare prices
and selection

99

2(2.0%)- Does not describe me at all


8(8.1%)- Doesnt really describe me
23(23.2%) - Cant really tell
29(29.3%)-Sometimes describe me
37(37.4%)-Definitely describe me

3.92

4.0

4.0

3.677

4.0

3.75

4.0

3.12

3.0

Sometimes describe me and Definitely describe me combined: 66(66.7%)


Privacy Concer 100 2(2.0%) Does not describe me at all
n
1 (1%)- Doesnt really describe me
14(14.0%) - Cant really tell
39(39%)-Sometimes describe me
44(44%)-Definitely describe me

4.22

Sometimes describe me and Definitely describe me combined: 83(83%)


Satisfaction wit 99
h Online Retail
ers

1(1%)- Strongly Disagree


10(10.1%)- Disagree
24(24.2%)- Feel Neutral
49(49.5%)- Agree
15(15.2%)- Strongly Agree

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 64(64.7%)


Satisfaction wit 100 2(2%)- Strongly Disagree
h Online Textbo
5(5%)- Disagree
oks
25(25%)- Feel Neutral
52(52%)- Agree
16(16%) - Strongly Agree
Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 68(68%)
Perceived
99
convenience of
online shopping

8(8.1%)- Strongly Disagree


19(19.2%)- Disagree
34(34.3%)- Feel Neutral
29(29.3%)- Agree
9(9.1%) - Strongly Agree

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 38(38.4%)

Textbook Buying Preferences

Information
Seeker-Friends

100 9(9%)- Does not describe me at all


31(31%)- Doesnt really describe me
23(23%) - Cant really tell
34(34%)-Sometimes describe me
3(3%)-Definitely describe me

54

2.91

3.0

2.0

4.03

4.0

4.31

4.0

3.02

3.0

Sometimes describe me and Definitely describe me combined: 37(37%)


Information
100 13(13%)- Does not describe me at all
Seeker-Professo
38(38%) - Doesnt really describe me
rs
28(28%) - Cant really tell
19(19%)-Sometimes describe me
2(2%)-Definitely describe me

2.59

Sometimes describe me and Definitely describe me combined: 21(21%)


Utilitarian
orientation of
consumer

100 21(21%)- Feel Neutral


55(55%)- Agree
24(24%)- Strongly Agree

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 79(79%)


Internet Comfo 99
rt

1(1%)- Strongly Disagree


2(2%)- Disagree
8(8.1%)- Feel Neutral
42(42.4%)- Agree
46(46.5%)- Strongly Agree

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 88(88.9%)


Time Pressure

99

3(3%)- Strongly Disagree


15(15.2%)- Disagree
59(59.6%)- Feel Neutral
21(21.2%)- Agree
1(1%) - Strongly Agree

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 22(22.2%)


Important of
ease of
navigation on
website

100 4(4%)- Strongly Disagree


4(4%)- Disagree
30(30%)- Feel Neutral
46(46%)- Agree
16(16%) - Strongly Agree

3.66

Textbook Buying Preferences

55

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 62(62%)


Perceived
transaction
costs

100 3(3%)- Strongly Disagree


8(8%)- Disagree
28(28%)- Feel Neutral
43(43%)- Agree
18(18%) - Strongly Agree

3.65

3.30

2.4270

4.1010

4.01

4.62

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 61(61%)


Students
attitudes
towards online
shopping

100 3(3%)- Strongly Disagree


15(15%)- Disagree
38(38%)- Feel Neutral
37(37%)- Agree
7(7%) - Strongly Agree

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 44(44%)


Peers online
textbook
purchasing
behavior

89

17(19.1%)- Strongly Disagree


35(39.3%)- Disagree
22(24.7%)- Feel Neutral
12(13.5%)- Agree
3(3.4%) - Strongly Agree

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 15(16.9%)


Strongly Disagree and Disagree combined: 52 (58.4%)
Service
99
Convenience
(Post-Purchase)
Amazon

2(2%)- Strongly Disagree


2(2%)- Disagree
24(24.2%)- Feel Neutral
37(37.4%)- Agree
24(24.2%) - Strongly Agree
10(10.1%) Not Applicable

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 61(61.6%)


Service
100 4(4%)- Strongly Disagree
Convenience
4(4%)- Disagree
(Post-Purchase)
25(25%)- Feel Neutral
Barnes & Noble
35(35%)- Agree
18(18%) - Strongly Agree
14(14%) Not Applicable
Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 53(53%)
Service
100 1(1%)- Strongly Disagree
Convenience
2(2%)- Disagree
(Post-Purchase)
31(31%)- Feel Neutral
Chegg
11(11%)- Agree
10(10%) - Strongly Agree

Textbook Buying Preferences

56

45(45%) Not Applicable


Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 21(21%)
Price
92
Perception
Barnes & Noble

29(31.5%)- Strongly Disagree


31(33.7%)- Disagree
18(19.6%)- Feel Neutral
7(7.6%)- Agree
7(7.6%) - Strongly Agree

2.2609

3.8030

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 14(15.2%)


Strongly Disagree and Disagree combined: 60 (65.2%)
Price
Perception
Amazon

97

3(3.1%)- Strongly Disagree


1(1%)- Disagree
18(18.6%)- Feel Neutral
47(48.5%)- Agree
27(27.8%) - Strongly Agree
1(1%) Not Applicable

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 74(76.3%)


Price
Perception
Chegg

66

1(1.5%)- Strongly Disagree


2(3%)- Disagree
32(48.5%)- Feel Neutral
14(21.2%)- Agree
8(12.1%) - Strongly Agree
9(13.6%) Not Applicable

Agree and Strongly Agree combined: 22(33.3%)

Textbook Buying Preferences

57

Predictors Ranked by High Positive Responses


From the frequency distribution, it could be concluded that some predictors were
more important than the others in the sample. The predictor Internet Comfort was the
most significant one. 88(88.9%) respondents agreed that using the Internet was easy and
comfortable for them. The following predictor was Privacy Concern, and 83(83%)
respondents thought their privacy might be invaded to some extent when using the
Internet. Utilitarian orientation of consumer (79% Strongly Agree/Agree) was ranked
third, and it showed that most of the respondents thought that the quality of the products
and services provided was important. The following predictor was Price Perception of
Amazon, which had 74(76.3%) respondents thought that the price of Amazon was lower
than average. The fifth and sixth predictor in rank were Satisfaction with Online
Textbooks 68(68% Strongly Agree/Agree) and Importance of the ability to compare
prices and selection 66(66.7% Strongly Agree/Agree) respectively, which indicated that
respondents basically agreed that they were satisfied with online textbooks and thought it
important to be able to compare prices and selection before they purchased. 64(64.7%)
respondents agreed that they were Satisfaction with Online Retailers. Important of
ease of navigation on website also received large percentage of Strongly Agree/Agree
(62%). The most of respondents (61.6%) answered Strongly Agree/Agree to the measures
in Service Convenience (Post-Purchase) of Amazon. It was followed by Perceived
transaction costs 61(61%) and Service Convenience (Post-Purchase) of Barnes &
Noble (61% and 53% respectively). There were no more than half (44%) respondents
preferred shopping online. The predictor Perceived convenience of online shopping got
38.4% respondents answered Strongly Agree/Agree. And the predictor Information

Textbook Buying Preferences

58

Seeker-Friends, which got 37% respondents answered Sometimes describe


me/Definitely describe me, indicating that respondents usually did not seek information
about textbooks from their friends. As to the predictor Price Perception of Chegg, only
33.3% respondents thought the prices of textbooks from Chegg were lower than the
average. The predictor Students Perception of E-Textbooks got 30.3% respondents
positive responses, and it meant that only a minor percentage of respondents preferred etextbooks to paper books. 22.2% respondents felt Time Pressure when they purchased
their textbooks. Information Seeker-Professors got 21% positive responses, indicating
that the majority of respondents did not seek information about textbook from their
professors when they made purchasements. And Service Convenience (Post-Purchase)
of Chegg also got positive comments from 21% respondents. 16.9% respondents thought
Peers online textbook purchasing behavior had influences on their decision when
purchasing textbooks. And as to Price Perception of Barnes & Noble, only 15.2%
respondents thought the textbooks from Barnes & Noble were cheaper than average.
Correlations
The team examined relationships by measuring the strength and direction of
correlations between two variables: a dependent and independent variable. To test
correlations, we looked at Pearsons correlation coefficient, rxy, of each independent
variable with our dependent variables. Our dependent variable was purchase intention at
five separate textbook retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble online, Barnes and Noble in
store, Chegg, and Other in-store retailers. The question read, If you were buying your
textbooks tomorrow, how likely are you to shop for textbooks at the following stores.
Please tell us how likely you are to shop at each retailer by checking the box

Textbook Buying Preferences

59

corresponding with your choice. The measure included a 5-point Likert scale of Not
Likely at All to Very Likely. We ran correlations between the answers of these items and
our independent variables.
The measure of purchase intention on Amazon.com correlated with price
perception on Amazon, a two-item measure. Purchase intention on Amazon had a positive
moderate relationship with price perception of Amazon, rxy= 0.38 (p<.001). This was the
only correlation found with the purchase intention on Amazon variable, showing that
price perception was the only driver of students to Amazon.
Similarly, the intention of shopping at Barnes and Noble online correlated to the
price perception of Barnes and Noble, rxy= 0.29 (p<.01). The relationship is also positive
and moderate. The price perception of Barnes and Noble did not, however, correlate to
purchase intention in-store at Barnes and Noble.
The convenience of online shopping did correlate to shopping in-store at Barnes
and Noble. The relationship is negative and moderate, rxy= -0.23 (p<.05). If students
believe in the convenience of online shopping, they are less likely to shop in-store at
Barnes and Noble. Students who seek information about textbooks from their professors
scored high in the information seeker construct we measured. Being an information
seeker correlated to shopping at Barnes and Noble in-store. The relationship was positive
and moderate, rxy= 0.21 (p<.05). Professors may recommend Barnes and Noble in-store,
particularly at Boston University, because the university bookstore is a Barnes and Noble
shop.
One unexpected relationship was the negative and moderate correlation between
purchase intention at Chegg and internet comfort, rxy= -0.24 (p<.05). We predicted that

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60

the correlation would be positive, because students who are comfortable online may be
drawn to buy their textbooks online. One explanation may be that students who are
comfortable online prefer multiple sites for online shopping or sites not tested as
dependent variables. Chegg may not have a user-friendly interface for students wellversed with internet use. The price perception of Chegg did correlate to purchase
intention at Chegg with a moderate, positive relationship, rxy= 0.33 (p<.05).
Intention to shop at an in-store retailer was our last dependent variable. The
perception of electronic textbooks correlated with a positive, moderate relationship, rxy=
0.30 (p<.01), which is unexpected. Researchers proposed that a positive perception of
electronic textbooks may lead students to shop online. However, many in-store retailers
offer e-textbooks. As expected purchase intention in-store correlated to time pressure
positively and moderate strength, rxy= 0.23 (p<.05). Some negative correlations with
intention to shop at in-store retailer were service convenience on Amazon, rxy= -0.29
(p<.01), and price perception of Amazon, rxy=- 0.24 (p<.05). If students find Amazon
more convenient and less expensive than other retailers, they would be less likely to shop
in-store. An interesting finding is the relationship between intention to shop in-store and
price perception of Barnes and Noble, rxy= 0.24 (p<.05). If students believe Barnes and
Noble stores have better prices, they may believe other in-store retailers to have good
deals on prices.

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61

TABLE 2. CORRELATIONS
If you were buying your textbooks tomorrow, how likely are you to shop for textbooks at
the following stores.
Dependent Variable
Predictor
Pearsons rxy (p<.05)
Amazon
Price perception of Amazon
0.38**
Barnes and Noble online
Price perception of Barnes and Noble
0.29
Barnes and Noble in store
Convenience of online shopping
-0.23
Barnes and Noble in store
Information seeking through professors
0.21
Chegg
Internet comfort
-0.24
Chegg
Price perception of Chegg
0.33
Other in-store retailer
Perception of electronic textbooks
0.30*
Other in-store retailer
Time pressure
0.23
Other in-store retailer
Service Convenience on Amazon
-0.29*
Other in-store retailer
Price perception of Amazon
-0.24
*p<.01
**p<.001
IX. Discussion
Chegg does not have a strong level of awareness amongst students, as shown by
the neutral price perceptions and not applicable responses. Students often choose to buy
textbooks at Amazon due to perceived convenience and price perceptions though many
still shop at Barnes and Noble despite negative price perceptions. Barnes and Noble has
the advantage of being the campus bookstore, connecting with professors, and having a
physical store to alleviate time pressure. At Boston University, students can order all their
textbooks in one step at Barnes and Noble based on their class schedule on a students
BU account.
Chegg has a large amount of competition and will need to focus on its strengths,
such as price, its time saving feature of an online textbook, and convenience. Students
responded that the ability to compare prices and selection is an important feature.
Amazons interface allows for this, but Cheggs does not. Students reposted high levels of
concern for their privacy when shopping online. A privacy policy as well as a safe,
reliable site might ease students minds.

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62

Respondents also report the high importance of ease of navigation on a website,


their perceived convenience of shopping online, high levels of utilitarian orientation, and
high levels of internet comfort. The target audience is comfortable using the internet and
shopping online. They look for an easily navigable website and some utility from that
site. Students report spending time comparing prices and tracking their orders. To be able
to view, adapt, and track orders is an important feature for Chegg to have.
Convenience of online shopping and price perceptions lead students to shop
online, while time pressure brings them to in-store retailers. To target students, Chegg
should note its timeliness and shipping options as well as the courtesy e-textbook feature,
convenience, and low prices. Word-of-mouth through both friends and professors is
always big, especially with social media. An active online presence can boost awareness
of Chegg.
X. Recommendations
The result of our research indicates that Cheggs influence among college students
is not as high as its competitors like Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Many students prefer
to buy textbooks in stores like Barnes and Noble. For those who are comfortable with
purchasing textbooks online, Amazon is the first choice for the majority of them. On the
basis of literature review and the analysis of the data we collected, our research team has
several recommendations for Chegg to improve its awareness and finally get more
customers.
Internet
According to Delafrooz, Paim, and Khatibi (2010), students utilitarian orientation
drives them to purchase things online, and they enjoy Internet when they find it is easy to

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63

search things on straightforward and easy-to-navigate websites. Our research result


shows that the majority of respondents are comfortable with using Internet. They have
high utilitarian orientation and are satisfied with online textbook retailors. However, the
correlation between respondents Internet comfort and their attitude toward Chegg is
negative, which means though they enjoying using the Internet and purchasing textbooks
online, they might not choose Chegg as their textbook retailor. In other words, Chegg has
strong online competitors. Compared with Chegg, respondents show more preference
toward Amazon as their purchase intention when asked to choose a retailor from where
they want to buy textbooks. The reason might be that Cheggs interface is not as userfriendly as Amazon, and its website is not straightforward and easy-to-navigate enough.
Our recommendation for Chegg is to improve its websites user experience by taking
actions like simplifying its interface, adding online assistance, and so on.
In addition, since most of the respondents are comfortable with the Internet,
having advertisements online could be the most effective way to promote Chegg.
Price Concern
Delafrooz, Paim, and Khatibi (2010), Maxwell (2003), Talaga and Tucci (2001),
and Vaidehi (2014) all found price to be an important influence on students choice of
textbook purchases. The result of our research also proves the importance of students
price concern. The correlation analysis shows that students purchase intentions are
influenced by their price perception of the retailer. Our research found price perception of
Amazon is better than price perception of Chegg. However, according to the background
research of Chegg and its main competitors, Chegg actually has the advantage of low
price. Respondents neutral perception of Cheggs prices may due to a lack of advertising.

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Therefore, our recommendation is to raise Cheggs awareness and advertise its low price.
Information seeker
According to the previous study of Foucault and Scheufele (2002), the suggestion
from friends and professor is also a highly possible factor that affects students textbooks
purchases. From our data, we find that more than one third of respondents would seek
information from their friends when they buy textbooks, and about one fourth
respondents would listen to their professors suggestions before they buy textbooks. In
addition, we found one of the correlations of intention to shop at to Barnes and Noble,
which is one of Cheggs strong competitors, was information seeking from professors.
As a result, in order to raise Cheggs awareness and its sales, our recommendation
is to both promote Chegg on campuses and to establish connections with professors. For
example, Chegg can launch some on-campus promotion activities like handing out
coupons and fliers to students, displaying posters in high-traffic areas, and so on. Also,
Chegg can take advantage of social networks, which are popular among students, to
expand its influence. For example, Chegg can give discount codes through Twitter, thus
allowing students to share the codes with friends. Chegg can also hold promotional online
events, which require students to repost Cheggs post to get rewards.
As for professors, cooperative programs could be launched to have connections
with professors, so they can recommend Chegg to students as the first choice of textbook
retailors, and Chegg can provide some discounts in return.
Satisfaction with online textbooks
Spencer (2006) found that students preferred print copies of text materials. Even
students who had used e-books still showed the tendency to prefer print books (Woody,

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65

Daniel, and Baker, 2010). Our study found that satisfaction with online textbooks is
another important predictor in a students online textbook choice. In our research, 68
respondents agreed that they were satisfied with online textbooks. However, only 30.3%
respondents had positive perceptions of electronic textbooks, which meant that only a
minor percentage of respondents preferred e-textbooks to paper textbooks.
Therefore, we recommend that Chegg pay more attention to advertising paper
textbooks. Chegg can advertise print textbooks.
Time pressure
Time pressure is an important predictor in a students online textbook choice.
Thompson (2006) found time saving to be considered an advantage of online shopping.
In 2014, Vaidehi found that time saving was one of the reasons students shop online. In
our research, 22.2% respondents felt time pressure when they purchased their textbooks.
Chegg has a Courtesy e-textbook policy to solve the time pressure problem. Students
with who rent or purchase a textbook from Chegg have instant access to the eTextbook
(when available) before the paper copy arrives. As Cheggs competitor, now Amazon has
a Free Two-Day Shipping on college textbooks for the students who have joined Amazon
Student. Barnes & Noble offers free shipping on orders $25 or more. Based on our
research, Chegg should try their best to offer faster shipping and advertise its time-saving
feature.
Privacy concern
The influence of privacy concern on purchasing textbooks online rated highly in
our research: 83 respondents had high or very high concern for privacy. Jabbari (2012)
found that organizing information communication, information security, privacy policy,

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66

and facilitating selection and access to be influencers on online shopping behaviors,


which complied with our research (p. 654). Therefore, we recommend Chegg improve its
privacy protection for customers and identify its brand with its reliable and safe website.
TABLE 3. RECOMMENDATIONS
Major Influencers
Internet Comfort

Price Concern

Information Seeker

Satisfaction with online


textbooks
Time pressure

Privacy concern

Recommendations

Redesign Chegg.coms interface, make it more


user-friendly

Add online assistance

Advertise online

Take advantage of keyword search marketing

Advertise Cheggs low price

Emphasize the price on Cheggs website and list


competitors prices

Launch on-campus promotion activities

Have student campus reps

Interact with students through social network

Launch online promotional activities

Launch cooperative programs to have


connections with professors
Offer more choices of print textbooks
Advertise advantages of print textbooks
Offer faster and cheaper shipping services
Advertise Cheggs Courtesy e-textbook policy
and time-saving feature
Generate a calculator for customers saying how
much time and money you have saved on Chegg
Improve its privacy protection for customers,
including credit card information, name and
address information, and purchase records.
Spread its brand as a reliable and safe website
through PR social media campaign.

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67

Recommendations for further study


Early Textbook Marketing
Through our survey we found that 45 students chose Not applicable regarding
the questions about their perception of Cheggs services, and 9 students chose Not
applicable on Price Perception of Chegg, which indicted the necessity of raise awareness
among new college students. We found that Chegg had already paid attention to early
textbook marketing: users could choose Im in high school during sign up. However,
that is not enough for future college students and international undergraduate students to
know and choose Chegg when they want to buy textbooks. Conducting research and
special marketing events on those two groups of people are very important.
Cause-Related Marketing:
We did not survey students attitude toward online textbook retailers of their
social responsibilities. If Chegg can do some cause-related marketing events with some
non-profit organizations, such as donating textbooks to students who cannot afford them
and offering free tutoring services for high school students, college students are more
likely to have a positive attitude towards Chegg.
Brand reputation and image
Due to the limitations in time and resources, our research did not cover the
relationship between sponsorship and brand reputation, so we can conduct further
research about students attitude towards Cheggs sponsorship.
Customer Service
We studied college students opinion towards service convenience of Chegg,
Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and further research should go further on extra services,
such as free tutoring services.

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68

Our research team recommends that these predictors also be taken into
consideration for future studies. We believe these predictors might have also some
influences on students online textbook purchase decisions.
XI. Assessment
Measures
When doing the literature review, we found that there were very few articles
focusing on textbooks that can be used to our topic directly. The suitable measures were
also hard to find in the Marketing Scales Handbook. We adapted the measures in the
Marketing Scales Handbook to make them fit in our topic and used some measures that
appeared in scholarly journals. In order to reach a higher level of reliability, we removed
some items from several constructs. For example, the item that I dislike the fact that
marketers are able to find out personal information of on-line shoppers was removed
from the predictor Privacy Concern to increase the Cronbachs alpha to .713. For the
predictor Perceived Transaction Costs, the item that It is time-consuming to make
changes to orders that have been sent to online stores was deleted, so the Cronbachs
alpha equaled .704.
We also used to test the construct Students online textbook purchasing behavior:
the proportion of textbooks a student purchased online by asking the respondents to fill in
the blank of the sentence This semester, I bought ______ textbooks out of _____
(number of textbooks required). We also provided the respondents with five choices
(My friends purchase all of their textbooks online, My friends purchase most of their
textbooks online, My friends purchase about half of their textbooks online, My
friends purchase about half of their textbooks online, My friends purchase a small

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69

number of their textbooks online, and My friends do not purchase any of their
textbooks online.) But we found that due to misunderstanding, lots of respondents didnt
fill in the blank with numbers in the way we expected, thus the valid answers were really
limited. So in the end, we could not analyze these constructs.
To test Attitude toward the act, we also measured the overall evaluation of open
book movements and free access to textbooks by using the semantic differential scale.
However, it turned out that lots of respondents failed to check the evaluative choices
correctly, so that we removed the measure due to subject confusion.
In the end, almost all the measures analyzed had very good reliability, rxy >.70,
except one measure of Time Pressure, which had lower score of Cronbachs alpha,
rxy=.69. The overall reliability was still very good.
Instrument
The instrument we used was an 82-item self-report survey. Self-report surveys are
active rather than passive, and therefore some bias was expected in the answers. In
addition, the student sample was generally in a hurry, suggesting there may have been
some incorrect or imperfect answers to certain measures. The survey itself was separated
into sections so that response headings in the grid were easily viewed. In this way, it
would be difficult to mark an answer that was unintended except for the cases mentioned
above of time constraint. The separation of measures into groups and changes in format
of questions also made the instrument seem dynamic rather than stale.
The biggest obstacle we encountered was options for the independent variables,
Convenience Service and Price Perception. For these constructs, we provide six answers:
Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neutral, Agree, Strongly Agree and Not Applicable.

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70

Because many respondents have not used or heard of Chegg, they marked Not
Applicable. If we count Not Applicable as value 6 or any other number, it changes the
mean, the mode and the median.
Methodology
Due to the limited time and resources, there are some limitations in our research.
We only administered our self-report survey to a random sample of Boston University
students during different times and days. There were only 100 students in GSU
participated in our survey. We understand the fact that the student population of Boston
University cannot wholly reflect general college students.
Also, the gender and academic level disparity are limitations. Seventy-four
percent of the students were female and only 26% were male, which was not
representative of general students. As to the distribution of academic level, 32% of
students were junior, 14% were freshman, 19% were sophomore, 19% were senior and 16
16% were graduate students. This distribution is not representative of the overall
population.
Moreover, there were limitations in self-report studies. The result would be more
persuasive if we had a series of focus groups or a larger sample size. If we could conduct
the survey in a relatively longer time, the result could be more representative and
comprehensive.

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71
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