Magdalena Jażdżewska-Gutta

Counterfeit product consumption remains a growing concern for online retailers. Grounded in Expectation–Confirmation Theory (ECT), this study examines how dissonance experienced during the delivery lead time is associated with post‐purchase dissonance (PPD) and repurchase intention among consumers who knowingly purchased counterfeit goods and those who subsequently doubted product authenticity. Data from an online survey of 468 adults in five English‐speaking countries were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. The results show that lead‐time product and emotional dissonance carry over into their corresponding post‐purchase forms. In turn, post‐purchase emotional dissonance is negatively associated with repurchase intention, whereas post‐purchase product dissonance has no significant direct effect. The evidence concerning attitudes towards counterfeits is more limited: favourable attitudes are associated with lower levels of some forms of dissonance, but these effects are partial and vary between aware and unaware buyers. By tracing dissonance from the waiting period to the post‐delivery stage, the study clarifies its temporal dynamics in online counterfeit purchases. It also highlights the importance of transparent product information, authenticity controls, and communication during delivery.

Theoretical background: Counterfeiting poses a significant global challenge, negatively impacting businesses and consumers. This issue has been exacerbated by the rapid growth of online shopping, which has increased the availability and accessibility of counterfeit products. Despite the growing prevalence of counterfeit goods in the online marketplace, there remains a substantial research gap in understanding the dynamics of online counterfeit consumption. Previous studies have primarily focused on offline counterfeit markets, leaving a void in the literature regarding the unique factors that influence consumer behaviour and intentions in the digital environment. Purpose of the article: The aim of the article is to examine the factors influencing consumer behaviour and intentions in the context of purchasing counterfeits online. The conducted systematic review aims to fill the existing research gap by identifying new and overlooked themes and suggesting directions for future research in this area. Research methods: The article integrates empirical studies on online counterfeit purchases conducted between 2008 and 2024. The analysed articles were classified based on the year of publication, research methodologies, and characteristics of the study population. Main findings: The review identifies four thematic categories: person-centric, social and cultural, market-related, and risk-related themes. The insights provide valuable guidelines for researchers, highlighting areas for further investigation, and offer practical recommendations for policymakers and marketers to combat counterfeiting and protect consumer interests online.

The supply chains form a complicated interlinked system where any disruption, at any possible level, can affect the network itself but also its surrounding, including the society. This feature is confirmed by a well-known and often repeated statement that the chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This manuscript provides a comprehensive research-based rationale for this statement to shed new light on how the phenomenon could be identified and what are theoretical grounds for its management. The scoping review allowed for exploring the existing literature on the weakest links in supply chains to clarify this complex concept and explain its heterogeneous nature. To structure our research, we have adopted two theoretical perspectives, present in existing studies, that is network interdependency and weakest link public good. The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by summarising literature in the field, identifying gaps, and setting the agenda for future research. It concentrates on two areas derived from literature, that is the ways of identification of weakest links and the determination and provision of the optimal level of security. The analysis reveals that there is no consensus even regarding the weakest link definition. The majority of studies are theoretical and general with little research devoted to the practical implications. While equilibriums for optimal resource allocation are well recognised specific measures oriented at the elimination of the weakest link are lacking. As a result, we identify gaps in the existing body of knowledge regarding threat-weakest link occurrence, countermeasures, and policy options offered.