I Share, Therefore I Trust: A moderated mediation model of the influence of eWOM engagement on social commerce

Abstract

Marketers increasingly integrate social commerce into their business activities and encourage users to share brand-related content. The present research investigates the role of consumer trust in shaping shoppers’ intentions to purchase products online in various social commerce contexts (i.e., collectivist vs. individualist cultural orientation, high vs. low social tie strength). Based on the Dual Systems Theory approach, consumer engagement with eWOM sharing is proposed to drive trust, which in turn enhances purchase intention. In three experimental studies (N = 153, 179, 298 respectively), this research demonstrates that trust in eWOM messages is an underlying mechanism of the effect of consumer engagement with electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on purchase intention (Studies 1–3) and proposes two boundary conditions that support a moderated mediation model of this effect: consumer orientation toward collectivism-individualism (Study 2) and social tie strength (Study 3). Theoretical contributions and managerial implications are discussed.