Why recommend? Unlocking the factors and configurations influencing word-of-mouth intentions in continuing care retirement communities

Abstract

In the context of continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs), the synergistic effect of perceived value on older adults’ word-of-mouth intentions remains unclear. This article presents two studies designed to identify and assess the key factors and combinatorial configurations driving older adults’ CCRC recommendations from a perceived value perspective. Study 1 uncovered multiple dimensions (e.g., economic value, contextual value, functional value, emotional value, and social value) of older adults’ perceived value of CCRCs using a grounded theory approach. Structural equation modeling and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis were integrated in Study 2 to validate the impacts of perceived value subdimensions on word-of-mouth intention. Four common combinations, namely “economic–emotional–social,” “contextual–emotional,” “economic–functional–emotional,” and “economic–functional–social,” were found to promote this intention. This study provides a nuanced understanding of enhancing CCRC-related word-of-mouth communication by analyzing the synergistic effects of perceived value, thereby extending the application of perceived value theory to the CCRC field.