Mediating Role of Social Media in the Relationship between Reliability, Perceived Usefulness on Online Shopping Behaviour: Building a Conceptual Framework

Over the decades, due to the spread of the internet and the accessibility of digital devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones, online shopping has grown steadily and become accessible among consumers. In today's world, online shopping is relaxation for individuals engaged in a busy life. Recently, there are changes in the way clients shop from traditional to virtual. While customers prefer to purchase goods from a retail store, internet shoppers feel safer buying online. People who are too involved with their everyday operations are unlikely to spend a lot of time shopping in a physical store. A right choice is to indulge in online shopping. It saves vital time and resources. Social media helps increase awareness about Nigeria's online films and spread the word about online shopping services. Online shopping is getting momentum globally, but the penetration rate in Nigeria is low. Thus, this research tries to propose a conceptual framework of social media's mediating effect on the relationship between Reliability, Perceived Usefulness on Online Shopping Behaviour.


Introduction
Nowadays, the internet is a networking media (Jothi, Neelamalar, & Prasad, 2011). Still, it is used as a means of transaction between consumer and retailers globally (Li et al., 2021). Internet usage has increased in recent times, and it is useful for distributing and disseminating information about goods and services. With the assistance of information and digital networking technology, customers can buy online using several social media networks and various websites (Bala & Verma, 2018). This shopping mode can come under different names, such as online shopping, online shopping and online shopping. According to Murray (2018), Internet shopping is a modern trading pattern that has evolved due to the sheer utility of the internet as a medium or forum for distributing information. The spread of Internet practice and advanced Information Technology has changed business transaction from physical to virtual; thus, an increasing number of online buyers (Gachenge, 2020). Online shopping can be recognized by convenient access, comparatively less corporate set-up costs, wide-coverage, freedom of time and interactivity as a modern marketing medium (De Mooij, 2019). The advances in Internet technologies cause shopping opportunities to be protracted beyond conventional approaches that could require more time. Difficulties of collecting data physically with offline retail strategies are alleviated, and consumers can effectively spend their resources (Al-Fuqaha et al., 2015). For example, as an alternative to physically visiting different stores to compare prices or rely on circular pamphlets in the media, consumers can search and regain information they need via the internet. Online shopping is becoming omnipresent in Nigeria (Jenyo Gabriel & Soyoye Kolapo, 2015), because of its relative convenience and in some cases, low prices (Olasanmi, 2019). In light of this, many firms in Nigeria have also started plunging into using these platforms. Notwithstanding, these inspiring online purchasing growth rates in the previous decade, convincing evidence indicates that many consumers, searching different online retail sites, abandon their purchases, making the online stores still small in Nigeria. It's against this background; this research aimed to offer a conceptual framework of social media's mediating effect in the relationship between Reliability, Perceived Usefulness and Online Shopping Behaviour with Nigerian context.

Literature Review Reliability
Reliability is the degree to which the customer believes in their offerings and online transactions (Shi & Liao, 2017). This includes distributing the right goods and service after payment status (Xin et al., 2015). The specifics reliability has truth in billing, keeping correct accounts and delivering service at the designated period (Maiyaki & Mokhtar, 2011). Reliability is almost risk-related, and it is an indicator of customer expectations of whether or not internet businesses should be relied on to deliver on their commitments (Chen et al., 2015;Sadgrove, 2016) According to Scott (2015), online shoppers need to collect the same product quality and quantity of their purchase within the online firms' time frame. Consequently, to be recognized as reliable online firms, the online shop must deliver and fulfil their promise within the time frame. Equally, Reliability is almost risk-related since it is an indicator of customer expectations of what internet businesses can be relied on to meet their commitments or not (Kumar & Asawa, 2016;Natarajan et al., 2017;Nili et al., 2019) Perceived Usefulness Perceived usefulness refers to consumers' expectations that modern information technology will boost work efficiency (Kumar & Asawa, 2016;Singh & Sinha, 2020). In other words, perceived usefulness is a level to which a person believes that using a system will increase his job routine or performance (Moslehpour et al., 2018;Mou et al., 2017). The perceived usefulness is a significant reason for motivating consumers to embrace online stores. According to Abd Malik and Annuar (2021), Perceived usefulness refers to the magnitude to which consumers think the online retail firms could enhance value and effectiveness when patronizing product online. The procedures or process in deciding on online shopping communicates to the values and pleasure they observe while shopping (Kuo & Wu, 2012). Perceived advantages of online shopping are potted as perceived usefulness. The low price and low online browsing charge of exploration will add to perceived benefit (Bölen, 2020;Ijaz & Rhee, 2018;Natarajan et al., 2017).

Relationship between Reliability and Online Shopping Behaviour
Some studies established the relationship between reliability, and online shopping behaviour, reliability in some cases stand as the level of truth that consumers have over online firms. Lee and Lin (2005) conducted a study on buyer awareness of e-service quality in online shopping. The results demonstrate that online shopping's reliability dimension is a significant indicator of the overall efficiency of e-service, consumer loyalty and purchasing intentions. Alam and Yasin (2010), examine the features influencing customer satisfaction via online shopping. They identified four critical magnitudes of online shopping. The elements are website design, reliability, product variety and delivery performance. The result revealed that there are significant relationships between reliability and online shopping satisfaction. Kim et al. (2010), investigate the mediating and moderating effect of product involvement and trust towards the website. The study results found that customers with low confidence levels in websites appeared to be more likely to regard interpreted knowledge as mitigating environmental uncertainty. Thus, this study hypothesized that: H1: Reliability positively related to online shopping behaviour.

Relationship between Perceived Usefulness and Online Shopping Behaviour
Perceived usefulness and online shopping behaviour have been documented and established the relationship between the two constructs. A research conducted by (Lim et al., 2014) investigates the perceived usefulness and trust as a factor that influences online shopping behaviour. The study's finding revealed that perceived usefulness is an essential factor contributing to positive online shopping behaviour. Lim et al. (2016), determine the relationship between perceived usefulness and online shopping behaviour. The finding of their study indicates that perceived usefulness is insignificantly influenced by online shopping behaviour. Inegbedion et al. (2016) explore the factors influencing online shopping in the Nigerian context. The researcher examines seven variables as the factors affecting online shopping in Nigeria. The study's findings exposed a substantial influence between perceived usefulness and consumer shopping behaviour in Nigeria. Other researchers like Nagy and Hajdú (2021), Groß and Sohn (2021) established the relationship. Based on the empirical evidence, this study hypothesized that: H2: Perceived usefulness positively related to online shopping behaviour.

Relationship between Reliability and Social Media
The authenticity of social media content is closely related to individuals or organisations who share it. There are some faith and reliability complications in social media simply because any person or company may offer social media details that could be disappointing or untrue. Chung and Austria (2010) researched the messages' effectiveness concerning online shopping value and attitudes towards social media marketing messages. The study's finding revealed that mentality towards social media messages is positively related to social media interaction and information. Lee et al (2011) examine how constructive words affect customers' choice to buy online on online platforms. The study's finding revealed the connection between belief and attitude towards online shopping and the relationship between attitude and intention to shop. Chung and Austria (2012) investigate consumers' motivation behind social media tradition and attitudes towards product message on social media platforms and how they affect consumer online shopping behaviour. Finding explain that interaction and information need affected attitudes towards product messages on social media. This study hypothesized that: H3: Reliability positively related to social media Wamba (2014), investigate the role of perceived usefulness in social media adoption and use within the workspace. Findings show that perceived usefulness has a significant impact on social media adoption and use in the global model. Yang and Brown (2015), investigate the perceived usefulness of social media among college students in the United States. The research tested a model of illuminating mechanisms connecting social skills to college change through students' understanding of the utility of Facebook and how the site was used. Findings revealed that based on how it was linked to opinions about the utility of various Facebook features, more generous social competence may encourage or hinder college adjustment Garcia and Silva (2017), explore the preference of social media platforms and institutional communication channels by confronting element that forms perceived usefulness and user satisfaction. The findings indicate that respondents perceived more value when using social media technologies to perform activities that information system provided by other medium because of the perceived usefulness. This means that social media skill is part of the routine of modern society in different ways. Potgieter and Naidoo (2017), investigate perceived usefulness and social media-based online brand community. The finding indicates that service quality and social influence explain a more significant part of the social media-based online brand community variance. The effect of perceived usefulness was not statistically significant. This study proposed that H4: Perceived usefulness positively related to social media

The Mediating role of Social Media
Social media is new media that integrate participation and interaction (Marlowe et al., 2017). Social media are internet-based instruments (Neelakandan, Annamalai, Rayen, & Arunajsmine, 2020) to disseminate and discuss ideas among individuals (Etter et al., 2019). Kuss and Griffiths (2017) opined that social media is a new technology that allows people to share their view, experience, and perceptions. (Chu, 2020) Social media is an end result or a factor that affects online shopping behaviour (Lim et al., 2017). Social media appeared to be a direct factor for enhancing online shopping behaviour (Hansen et al., 2018). Research that examines the mediating effect of social media in the relationship between reliability and perceived usefulness is scanty in the existing literature, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. Based on those mentioned earlier, this study proposed the framework to examine the relationship between reliability and perceived usefulness on Online Shopping Behaviour. Thus, this study proposed that: H5 Social media mediate the relationship between reliability, perceived usefulness and online shopping behaviour

Methodology
This paper thoroughly reviews previous relevant literature to propose a conceptual framework that determines online shopping behaviour (OSB) adoption among Nigerian populace. The variables under study are reliability, perceived usefulness, social media and online shopping behaviour.

Conceptual Framework
The literature established that there is significant relationship reliability, perceived usefulness and online shopping behaviour. While studies investigating social media's mediating role in the relationship between reliability, perceived usefulness is not well documented in the existing literature. Therefore, this paper proposed the following framework:

Conclusion
This research proposed a framework on the mediating effect of Social Media on the nexus between reliability, perceived usefulness on online shopping behaviour. Several studies have been conducted on the impact of online shopping habits; the integration of social media is expected to add value. However, future research could be undertaken to test the developed conceptual framework. A quantitative method could be used to collect data from online consumers of Nigerian online firms like Jumia. Jiji and the likes. The data would be analysed using SPSS for Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and SEM-AMOS to confirm the variables' relationships. The study made a theoretical contribution by proposing a model representing social media's integration of online shopping. The study will add weight to existing body of scientific knowledge by providing good understanding of antecedents of online shopping behaviour.