Exploring the Impact of Ability and Benevolence on the Online Buying Decisions among Generation Z University Students

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-715-6_15How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Ability; Benevolence; Online buying decision; Gen Z

Abstract

Technological advancements, particularly the proliferation of the Internet, have significantly transformed global market dynamics by enabling seamless connectivity between businesses and consumers. As a result, online shopping has become increasingly preferred over traditional retail, driven by fast-paced lifestyles and the demand for convenience. Within this digital landscape, ability and benevolence are widely recognized as critical determinants of influencing online buying decisions. This study examines the relationship between these two trust dimensions and their impact on online buying decisions among Generation Z university students in Malaysia. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behaviour, the study position’s ability and benevolence as independent variables, with online buying decisions as the dependent variable. Data were collected through a structured survey administered to 197 Gen Z university students in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. The data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), employing descriptive statistics, correlation, and multiple regression analyses. The results indicate a significant positive relationship between ability and online buying decisions, whereas benevolence was not found to have a statistically significant effect. Limitations of the study include the relatively small and geographically confined sample, as well as its generational focus, excluding other prominent consumer groups such as Millennials and Generation Y. Despite these constraints, the findings provide valuable insights for academics, e-commerce practitioners, and policymakers seeking to understand the trust- based factors that shape online buying decisions among digital-native consumers.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Ahmad Fauzi Ahmad Zaini
AU  - Mohd Hadli Shah Mohamad Yunus
AU  - Azahari Jamaludin
AU  - Noor Aziah Abu Bakar
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/06/20
TI  - Exploring the Impact of Ability and Benevolence on the Online Buying Decisions among Generation Z University Students
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Cross- Disciplinary Academic Research 2025 - Track 2 Advances in Business & Economics, Social Science, Communications & Media (ICAR-T2 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 199
EP  - 212
SN  - 2352-5428
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-715-6_15
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-715-6_15
ID  - Zaini2026
ER  -