City Research Online

Abstract

Purpose
Homophily, a prominent phenomenon in social networking, profoundly shapes user behaviors on social media but has not been well studied in the livestream commerce context. This study aims to investigate its moderation role in leveraging the effects of key livestream commerce factors – perceived expertise of live streamers and perceived interaction during live streaming – on audience trust, a critical determinant of purchase intentions.

Design/methodology/approach
A survey was conducted among livestream shoppers on Taobao. A sample of 313 responses was analyzed. SPSS (version 29) was used for general statistical analysis. The partial least squares structural equation modeling approach with SmartPLS 4.1 software was used to assess the research model and hypotheses.

Findings
The results reveal noteworthy differential effects of homophily: it negatively moderates the expertise–trust association but positively moderates the interaction–trust relationship. When the audience perceives strong homophily with live streamers, their trust in these live streamers becomes increasingly contingent on the level of interaction, whereas the effect of perceived expertise diminishes.

Originality/value
The insights on the differential effects of homophily are novel to the literature. These findings extend theoretical understanding of the homophily effect and provide valuable guidance for live streamers, marketers and platforms seeking to reinforce audience trust and drive purchase intentions in livestream commerce.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Copyright © 2025, Emerald Publishing Limited. This AAM is provided for your own personal use only. It may not be used for resale, reprinting, systematic distribution, emailing, or for any other commercial purpose without the permission of the publisher.
Publisher Keywords:	Livestream commerce, Homophily, Trust, Perceived expertise, Perceived interaction
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor H Social Sciences > HG Finance H Social Sciences > HN Social history and conditions. Social problems. Social reform Q Science > QA Mathematics > QA75 Electronic computers. Computer science
Departments:	Bayes Business School Bayes Business School > Management
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

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