| Abstract: | This research (1) examines how specific consumer motives (i.e., goal‐directed: searching for information, experiential: browsing for recreation) influence the trusting belief–loyalty relationship at a Web site in a distinct manner and (2) investigates how the online flow experience in each of the motive states strengthens or weakens the trusting belief–loyalty relationship. The results suggest that for consumers with an experiential motive, benevolence‐ and integrity‐related beliefs are the key drivers of loyalty, while ability‐related beliefs do not drive loyalty. On the other hand, for consumers with a goal‐directed motive, the ability‐ and integrity‐related beliefs are the key drivers of loyalty, while benevolence‐related beliefs are not influential. Further, this research illustrates that when consumers with an experiential motive experience a high level of flow, the impact of trusting beliefs on loyalty weakens. However, for consumers with a goal‐directed motive, trusting beliefs continue to exert the same impact on loyalty across both high and low levels of flow. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. |
