Buying the Forthcoming: The Effect of Value Congruence on Consumer Pre-Order Decisions

This study identifies the psychological factors that influence consumers’ pre-order decisions and the underlying mechanism. Building on the literature on value congruence in consumer behavior and cognitive consistency theory, we examine how value congruence affects information-seeking engagement and pre-order intentions in the context of information technology (IT) products. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), we find that when consumers perceive value congruence with IT products, they are more likely to seek additional product information, which in turn increases their pre-order intentions. Contrary to prior research that has primarily focused on the operational factors or consumers’ individual aspects in pre-order decisions, our study highlights the importance of value alignment between consumers and products in affecting pre-order decisions. Given the increasing prevalence of IT product pre-order phenomenon in e-commerce, this study contributes to the literature on pre-ordering behavior and consumer judgment and decision-making. It also provides valuable insights for effectively promoting and developing pre-order strategies when launching new products.