Investigating the impact of fear of missing out on inaction inertia in live streaming purchase intention

Purpose The main purpose of the study is to investigate the influence of live streaming participation on purchase intention, specifically focusing on how fear of missing out (FOMO) impacts live streaming purchase intention and its subsequent effect on inaction inertia. Additionally, the study aims to ex-amine the indirect influence of FOMO on the relationship between live streaming participation and purchase intention. Design/methodology/approach The research employs SEM to assess the properties of measures. The investigation consists of four main constructs: live streaming shopping participation, fear of missing out, live streaming purchase intention, and inaction inertia. Live streaming shopping participation is further divided into two dimensions: live streaming immersion and live streaming social presence, with the latter encompassing social presence and telepresence. Findings The study reveals the significant role of FOMO in livestream shopping. Viewers' fear of missing out on information and products presented in livestreams results in heightened attention to these streams and an elevated willingness to purchase. This finding emphasizes the impact of FOMO emotions in driving consumer action and purchasing intent, particularly in situations of product scarcity. Originality/value The study uniquely explores FOMO as a factor disrupting consumer inertia, influencing decisive purchasing. It shows that FOMO enhances perceived value of products, altering consumer behavior in live streaming and e-commerce, thus providing a novel perspective on FOMO’s extended impact.