  The usage of recommendation agents (RAs) in the online marketplace can help
consumers to locate their desired products. RAs can help consumers effectively
obtain comprehensive product information and compare their candidate target
products. As a result, RAs have affected consumers shopping behaviour. In this
study, we investigate the usage and the influence of RAs in the online
marketplace. Based on the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, we propose
that the stimulus of using RAs (informativeness, product search effectiveness
and the lack of sociality stress) can affect consumers attitude (perceived
control and satisfaction), which further affects their behavioural outcomes
like impulsive purchase. We validate this research model with survey data from
157 users of RAs. The data largely support the proposed model and indicate that
the RAs can significantly contribute to impulsive purchase behaviour in online
marketplaces. Theoretical and practical contributions are discussed.
