eWOM credibility: a comprehensive framework and literature review

Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on social networking sites (SNS): Roles of information credibility in shaping online purchase intention

Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on social networking sites (SNS) has become crucial in shaping online consumers' purchase intentions, reflecting the growing reliance on rich nature of user-generated content and recommendations shared on these platforms. This study aims to investigate the intricate relationships among different factors of eWOM information, including information credibility, information usefulness, information adoption, attitude towards information, and their impacts on online purchase intention. This study draws upon the Information Adoption Model (IAM) and the Information Acceptance Model (IACM) foundation theory which reveal the steps individuals take in adopting new information, and focuses on how perceptions and attitudes towards information shape acceptance. The study used a quantitative approach, utilizing a structured questionnaire to collect data from 337 Vietnamese individuals actively engaged in eWOM activities on various SNS platforms. Statistical analysis was conducted using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings show that information credibility significantly influences both information usefulness and adoption. Interestingly, while information usefulness shapes user attitudes, it does not directly impact online purchase intention. Similarly, a positive attitude toward eWOM does not necessarily lead to information adoption. This suggests that consumers may hold favorable views of eWOM content without actively adopting it. Information adoption emerges as a critical determinant of online purchase intention, emphasizing the importance of promoting user engagement and trust in eWOM information. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of online consumer behavior and provide valuable guidance for stakeholders seeking to leverage eWOM effectively in digital marketing.

Purchasing in the digital age: A meta-analytical perspective on trust, risk, security, and e-WOM in e-commerce

This comprehensive meta-analysis investigates the significant factors influencing consumer decision-making in e-commerce. Predominantly focusing on the parameters of trust, perceived risk, perceived security, and electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM), this study provides insightful revelations on their integral roles in shaping e-commerce purchasing decisions. The findings demonstrate that trust, perceived risk, perceived security, and e-WOM significantly influence consumers' e-commerce purchasing decisions. Perceived Risk plays a substantial moderating role in the relationship between Trust and e-commerce purchasing decisions, amplifying the importance of managing and minimizing risk in online transactions to cultivate consumer trust. Contrastingly, the roles of Perceived Security and e-WOM do not hold the same moderating effect on the trust-purchasing decision nexus, underscoring the direct yet unmoderated influence these factors have on e-commerce purchasing behaviors. Furthermore, The research reveals no significant size effect difference among respondents from high-income and low-income countries or between general internet users and online shoppers concerning the impact of trust on e-commerce purchasing decisions. This intriguing finding suggests the universal importance of trust in the digital purchasing landscape, irrespective of socio-economic status or the degree of e-commerce engagement. This study thus sheds new light on the complexities of e-commerce decision-making processes. It offers valuable insights for businesses aiming to enhance consumer trust and engagement in the expanding digital marketplace.

What is the impact of eWOM in social network sites on travel decision-making during the COVID-19 outbreak? A two-stage methodology

Social media users share a variety of information and experiences and create Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) in the form of positive or negative opinions to communicate with others. In the context of the COVID-19 outbreak, eWOM has been an effective tool for knowledge sharing and decision making. This research aims to reveal what factors of eWOM can influence travelers’ trust in their decision-making to travel during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, we aim to find the relationships between trust in eWOM and perceived risk, and perceived risk and the decision to travel. These relationships are investigated based on online customers’ reviews in TripAdvisor’s COVID-19 forums. We use a two-stage data analysis which includes cluster analysis and structural equation modeling. In the first stage, a questionnaire survey was designed and the data was collected from 1546 respondents by referring to the COVID-19 forums on TripAdvisor. Specifically, we use k-means to segment the users’ data into different groups. In the second stage, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed to inspect the relations between the variables in the hypothesized research model using a subsample of 679 respondents. The results of the first stage of the analysis showed that three segments could be discovered from the collected data for trust based on eWOM source and eWOM message attributes. These segments clearly showed that there are significant relationships between trust and perceived risk, and between perceived risk and the decision to travel. The results in all segments showed that users with a low level of trust have a high level of perceived risk and a low level of intention to travel during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, it was found that users with a high level of e-trust have a low level of perceived risk and a high level of intention to travel. These results were confirmed in all segments and these relationships were confirmed by SEM. The results of SEM revealed that visual and external information moderated the relationship between eWOM length and trust, and experience moderated the relationship between trust and perceived risk. For the moderating role of gender, it was found that the perceived risk has a higher impact on the decision to travel in the female sample.

Factors correlated with the perceived usefulness of online reviews for consumers: a meta-analysis of the moderating effects of product type

Purpose

The conclusions of studies on the factors correlated with the perceived usefulness of online reviews are inconsistent due to differences in research perspectives, research objects, research methods and data types. This study conducted a meta-analysis to verify a proposed model of perceived usefulness to obtain general conclusions.

Design/methodology/approach

A meta-analysis was conducted to study the factors correlated with the perceived usefulness of online reviews based on 51 studies.

Findings

The results indicate that, with the exception of negative reviews, the order of relevance for the perceived usefulness of online reviews is as follows: the trust tendency of review readers, review replies, review depth, review pictures, reviewer trustworthiness, positive reviews, reviewer expertise, review time and reviewer information disclosure. Perceived usefulness was significantly positively correlated with purchase intention. Review time, positive reviews and negative reviews were also more significantly correlated with perceived usefulness for search products than for experiential products. Review depth, reviewer trustworthiness, reviewer expertise and purchase intention had greater positive correlations with perceived usefulness for experiential products than for search products.

Originality/value

This study proposes an extended information adoption model based on argument quality and source credibility. The model includes personal factors such as the trust tendency of review readers, constructs a theoretical model of the factors correlated with the perceived usefulness of online reviews and considers the moderating effects of product type.