The use of e-commerce applications in Latin America: individual and structural influences during COVID-19

Abstract This study examines the relationship between individual and structural market factors in e-commerce applications adoption and use within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin American countries. Grounded in the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), the study employs a quantitative approach based on secondary data from the Latinobarómetro Corporation for individual-level variables and the Market Potential Index for structural variables. The sample consists of 12,309 individuals with internet access from 18 Latin American countries. The dependent variable was use of e-commerce applications, and the independent variables included interpersonal trust, social media usage, market size and intensity, consumer capacity, and commercial infrastructure. A multilevel regression model with random intercepts and fixed slopes was employed to assess the simultaneous influence of individual and structural factors. The results indicate that interpersonal trust and social media usage have a positive and significant impact on e-commerce applications use. Among structural factors, market size, consumer capacity, and commercial infrastructure exhibited positive effects, although less pronounced. In contrast, market intensity did not demonstrate a statistically significant effect. The study concludes that the use of e-commerce applications in Latin America is the result of an interaction between individual and structural factors. Commercial infrastructure and economic capacity determine access to e-commerce applications, while interpersonal trust and social media engagement directly influence consumer adoption. In addition to contributing to the theoretical debate on technological acceptance and use, the study has managerial implications by providing subsidies for developing business strategies and public policies aimed at digitizing and boosting markets in Latin America.