Herd behavior in global online shopping carnival

We have witnessed the magnificent power of herd behavior exhibited by the frantic crowd during the Alibaba's global online shopping carnival (OSC) which has made 9 Ginness world's records within 24 hours. This study explores the cognitive herding process and the critical factors facilitating herd behavior in OSC. Meanwhile, applying the theory of carnival, this study identifies three OSC behaviors which spread through the OSC herd. Using 473 samples from OSC participants, the hypotheses are supported by the empirical results. Information incentive (e.g. promotion motivation and review information) and social influence (e.g. peer mimicry and endorsement influence) are two crucial preconditions for herd behavior; participation, interaction and playfulness capture the essence of OSC behavior. The results provide insights to: (1). the cognitive process of herd behavior; (2). the critical factors facilitating herd behavior in OSC; (3) the important OSC behavior imitated during the herding process.