earticle

영어

Social distancing required the use of doorstep delivery for nearly all purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Foreign users in Korea are forced to participate in superfluous tasks, leading to an increase in their anxiety and fatigue while online shopping. This study examines how digital shadow work stemming from the language barrier can affect the emotions and behaviors of foreign shoppers that use Korean shopping sites. By interviewing 37 foreign users in Korea, this draft examined their experiences, behaviors, and emotional output, classifying them into 14 codes and seven categories. Using grounded theory, we found that online shoppers’ emotions, feelings, experiences, and decision making may be changed in the stages of the pre-use, use, and post-use activities. User responses regarding shadow work and related obstacles can be seen with the continue, discontinue, and optional (occasional use) of Korean online shopping sites. Pleasure and satisfaction come from high efficiency and privileges, whereas anger and disappointment come from poor self-confidence and pessimism. Furthermore, buyer behavior and product orientation are identified as intervening conditions, while the online vs. offline shopping experiences are identified as contextual conditions. In conclusion, language barriers and other factors make online shopping difficult for foreign shoppers, which negatively affects their psychological mechanisms and buying behaviors. The implications from the study findings and future research are also discussed.