An S–O–R model perspective on e-commerce: Personalization, hedonic motivation, and customer experience driving e-satisfaction and repurchase intention in a developing country

In the highly competitive e-commerce landscape, crafting a compelling customer experience strategy is crucial for business differentiation and sustained success. Drawing on the Stimulus – Organism – Response (S – O – R) framework, this study investigates how personalization, as an external stimulus, influences key psychological states, including hedonic motivation, cognitive and emotional experiences, and e-satisfaction, and how these, in turn, drive repurchase intention in a developing economy. Data from 366 Vietnamese online consumers were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that personalization exerts the strongest impact across the model, particularly on hedonic motivation, which subsequently enhances both cognitive and emotional experiences. Emotional experience emerged as the most influential factor shaping e-satisfaction, while e-satisfaction itself proved central in strengthening repurchase intention. Notably, both cognitive and emotional experiences also exert direct effects on repurchase intention, highlighting the dual pathways through which customer experience fosters loyalty. Mediation analysis confirmed that organismic states significantly mediate the link between personalization and repurchase intention. These insights extend theoretical understanding of the S – O – R framework and provide practical guidance for leveraging personalization and experiential strategies in emerging e-commerce markets.