Evaluation of E-Commerce Systems: Comparative Study Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The increasing use of e-commerce, stimulated by the period of social isolation given the pandemic of COVID-19, requires accompanying measures, among them, the evaluation of the success of the Information System (IS). A stream of research has been dedicated for over 30 years to evolving / adapting IS evaluation models. This investigation empirically tests the theoretical model of DeLone & McLean (2004) in two distinct periods, before (model 1) and during (model 2) the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey was conducted with 329 consumers of business to consumer e-commerce in Brazil. This research is quantitative and used structural equation modeling to analyze the data. The results showed that, before the pandemic, e-commerce users did not perceive value in the quality of the system's information while, during the pandemic, perceived this aspect as important. That is, they also started to recognize more value in the quality of the system during the pandemic. This was the result of the increased use of the e-commerce system during the period of social detachment. This quantitative study has some limitations. First, the survey was conducted twice, before and during the Covid-19 pandemic specific on the Brazilian e-commerce consumption context. Second, the sample size is limited. The study contributes academically by applying the model quantitatively in a Western context. Furthermore, it has strategic potential, as positive experiences in the IS lead the consumer to reuse it, generating revenue.