The role of social motivations, ability, and opportunity in online know-how exchanges: evidence from the airline services industry

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to identify individual and social drivers of electronic consumer-to-consumer (eC2C) know-how exchanges and their impact on consumer purchase intentions and electronic word of mouth (eWOM). We integrate the influence of information processing, analyzed through motivation opportunity and ability, and social motivations toward interaction with other consumers in social networking sites. We analyze a sample of 507 Spanish e-shoppers of airline travel services that are active users of social networking travel sites. Findings show that social motivations—altruism, extroversion, and community identification—directly influence overall motivation to eC2C know-how exchange. Overall motivation and ability exert a positive influence on eC2C know-how exchanges and, indirectly, on purchase intentions and eWOM. Finally, eC2C know-how exchanges improve consumer purchase intentions and eWOM.