Abstract
The main objective of this research is to examine the impact of perceived electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on purchase intention; by taking the corporate image as mediating variable. This research adopted the customers' views; secondary schools students who are familiar and have an active account on one or more of these social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, and Instagram). The conceptual framework of this study was tested using data gathered from the questionnaires directed to a total sample of 1000 students located in Amman. The statistical results of the multiple regression test indicated that eWOM quality, eWOM credibility, and eWOM quantity respectively; are significantly and positively impact purchase intention. In terms of the mediating role of corporate image the results indicated that corporate image mediate the relationship between the independent and dependent variables. Accordingly, Research conclusion, recommendations and future research are also discussed.
Highlights
The fast growth of the Internet with its improved communication capabilities has considerably amplified the scale and scope of word-of-mouth word of mouth (WOM) communication; which presented a fertile base for electronic word-of-mouth communication
The questionnaire consisted of two parts as follows: Part one: this part consists of five main questions: (1) Which is the social networking site that you use frequently? (2) How often do you visit this social networking site on an average day? (3) What is the most activity do you usually do on this social networking site? (4) Roughly, how many university students do you know between your contacts on this social networking site? (5) Respondents gender
Prior researches have studied the impact of traditional word of mouth on customer behavior; by means of the extensive development in electronic word of mouth, marketer’s needs to better recognize and analyze how eWOM might influence customer’s intention to purchase certain product
Summary
The fast growth of the Internet with its improved communication capabilities has considerably amplified the scale and scope of word-of-mouth WOM communication; which presented a fertile base for electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication. The escalating use of companies’ social networking sites (SNSs) presents customers with high opportunities to start searching for more trusted information about products, and simultaneously; permit customers to provide their own experience with the products. According to emarketer (2014) report; respondents still read more online reviews before putting trust in a local business. In order to exchange product information; customers started increasingly use various types of Web 2.0 tools e.g., customer review sites, weblogs, social network sites, online discussion forums etc., (Lee, Park, & Han, 2008). The influence of eWOM communication has been classified into two levels: (1) Market-level analysis and (2) Individual-level analysis (Lee & Lee, 2009). According to the (2013) Survey provided by Pew Global Attitudes; the survey demonstrated that Lebanon take the lead in Internet usage rate www.ccsenet.org/ijms
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