Extending the Moderating Role of Perceived Effectiveness of E-Commerce Institutional Mechanisms to Cross-Border E-Commerce Context

In the high-uncertainty context of China–Korea cross-border e-commerce (CBEC), this study. examines. how consumer trust, perceived value, and the perceived effectiveness of e-commerce institutional mechanisms (PEEIM) jointly influence repurchase intention. Based on trust theory and transaction cost economics, the proposed model tests perceived value as a mediator and PEEIM as a moderator. Survey data from 403 Chinese CBEC users analysed via PLS-SEM confirm that trust affects repurchase intention both directly and indirectly through perceived value. Moreover, PEEIM strengthens the relationship between consumer trust and perceived value, as well as the relationship between perceived value and repurchase intention. This study contributes to the literature by extending the moderating role of PEEIM to the context of the CBEC. It also enriches value-based frameworks by integrating institutional safeguards into consumer decision-making in the context of CBEC. Practical implications and the limitations of the research are also discussed.