Positive Word Of Mouth Research Articles

The Influence of Social Media Marketing, Brand Image, and Word of Mouth on Purchasing Decisions of Arak Bali Beverages in Bali Province

As a regional staple that is of considerable cultural and economic significance in the Bali region, Arak Bali is the subject of this study, which aims to investigate the influence that social media marketing, brand image, and word of mouth have on the decisions that customers make about the purchase of Arak Bali. In a preliminary study with 10 participants, it was discovered that twenty percent of respondents were more interested in purchasing Arak Bali, while eighty percent preferred alcoholic beverages that were imported from other countries. This was the finding of the survey. For the purpose of this investigation, a quantitative methodology is applied, with a specific emphasis placed on the positivist paradigm. In addition to that, a survey that is comprised of questionnaires and random sampling is utilized. This study is centered on individuals who are wine drinkers and who reside in the province of Bali. These individuals are the focus of the investigation. For the purpose of this experiment, the sampling was carried out using the method of random sampling, and samples were gathered from as many as one hundred different individuals. Subsequent to the implementation of a double linear regression analysis strategy, the data is processed with the help of SPSS software version 29, which is the method that is utilized for the purpose of data analysis. The conclusions of this study indicate that the significance value of social media marketing is 0.001 less than 0.05, the significance value of brand image is 0.007 less than 0.05, and the meaning value of word of mouth is 0.001 less than 0.05. As a result, it is possible to draw the conclusion, on the basis of the analysis of the data, that social media marketing, brand image, and word of mouth have a substantial positive influence on the decision to purchase Bali Beverages in the province of Bali. Based on the data, it can be concluded that good marketing through social media, the building of a powerful brand image, and positive word of mouth all have a significant impact on the decisions that consumers make regarding their purchases. These findings provide essential information that can be utilized by Arak Bali in the development of its marketing strategy in highly competitive sectors.

From Play to Pay: Exploring Imaginal and Emotional Virtual Item Retail Experiences in Online Game Environment

In online gaming, selling virtual game items is a growing phenomenon designed to engage players. Despite growing adoption, little remains known regarding the gamer’s perceived virtual item retail experiences, particularly in the online game retail context. Based on the hedonic consumption perspectives, we examined the role of escapism, role projection, fantasy, enjoyment, emotional involvement, and arousal in developing positive attitudes toward in-game virtual items, which eventually enhanced behavioral outcomes such as game store loyalty, willingness to pay (WTP) and word-of-mouth (WOM). We collected survey data from 281 online gamers and analyzed the data using partial least squares (PLS)-based structural equation modeling. The results indicate that fantasy, escapism, enjoyment, and arousal significantly enhance gamers’ favorable attitudes toward virtual item experiences. Moreover, the findings indicate the positive influence of attitude on players’ WTP, loyalty to retailers, and positive WOM. This study is the first to explore imaginal and emotional experiences as antecedents that derive gamers’ favorable attitudes toward in-game item retail experiences and their subsequent influence on gamers’ consumption behavior. Online game retailers may benefit from focusing on virtual item experiences to elevate premium gamers’ retail attitudes and their ensuing consumption behaviors.

The influence religiosity as a moderating patient satisfaction and positive word of mouth in Indonesian hospitals

The aim of this study was to fill a gap that is critical to developing strategies to increase positive word of mouth in health settings. Understanding the mediating role of patient satisfaction can provide insight into the areas of hospital service quality that most directly influence patient perception and subsequent recommendations. By forming clearer connections between these variables, healthcare providers can tailor their services to improve patient satisfaction and in turn stimulate positive word of mouth. The moderate role of religiosity can provide insight into whether and how religious beliefs influence patients' likelihood of spreading positive information by word of mouth based on their satisfaction with the healthcare experience. The research method used Causal Explanatory Research with a sample of 297 respondents in hospitals with religious ideology in Indonesia. Data management is done using SEM. Religiosity as a moderator of the relationship between patient satisfaction and positive women shows a C.R value of 6.075 and a significant probability (ρ) of 0.000 is obtained which is smaller than the required significance level of 0.05. Religiosity is able to significantly moderate the influence of Patient Satisfaction on Positive WOM.

Investigating how consumption values and place identity shape long-haul truck drivers’ intention to visit roadside rest areas

Transportation business organisations, policymakers, and government entities attempt to enhance the welfare of long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs) by promoting safe driving practices. LHTDs spend long hours on goods delivery journeys, and that causes various health and in-route safety issues for drivers. For improved LHTD health and safety, many developed nations introduced the concept of roadside rest areas (RRAs) for regulated, safe, and enhanced driving experience for LHTDs, whereas developing nations’ research on RRAs development is nascent. The RRAs offer a chance to reduce negative truck driving impacts and promote wellbeing among LHTDs, but why drivers will visit RRAs during their tracking journey is a question for policymakers. Hence, the present study tries to comprehend the significance of drivers’ visit consumption values in terms of functional, social, emotional, epistemic, conditional value, and place identity concerning visit intentions towards RRAs. In addition, the present work examines the influence of consumption values on word of mouth (WoM) for RRAs by LHTDs. The research problem is examined via the lens of the theory of consumption values. The study utilised 247 valid responses for model analysis, using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. The findings establish that consumption value is a formative construct that further positively influences place identity, intentions to visit RRAs, and WoM for RRAs by LHTDs. This implies that the intentions of LHTDs to visit relaxation sites are mostly influenced by the values they perceive from such places. This perception of consumption values also helps LHTDs develop place identity with RRAs and influences them to spread positive WoM about it. However, the results of the present study did not find the mediation role of place identity. This implies that Indian LHTDs will develop the intention to visit RRAs because of the consumption values rather than any attachment to the place. The findings of this paper will help transport policymakers develop adequate measures for developing rest areas on major transport routes to improve road safety and drivers’ wellbeing.

How and when internal marketing orientation affects frontline employees’ positive word of mouth: insights from a hotel in China

PurposeDrawing on the theoretical underpinnings of job crafting, this study aims to investigate how and when internal marketing orientation (IMO) promotes employees’ positive word of mouth (PWOM).Design/methodology/approachThe two-wave, multisource data came from frontline employees and their supervisors in a hotel located in Eastern China. The hypothesized relationships were tested with Mplus with multilevel path analysis.FindingsThe results reveal that IMO encourages frontline employees to change the task, cognitive and relational boundaries of their jobs. Nevertheless, it is through relational crafting that IMO ultimately affects employees’ PWOM, especially when they work with supervisors high in felt responsibility for constructive change (FRCC).Research limitations/implicationsTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first studies to investigate how organizations and supervisors can work together to encourage frontline employees’ PWOM.Practical implicationsThe findings carry important implications for practitioners on how to encourage frontline employees’ PWOM in the service sector.Originality/valueFirst, this research adds to the limited knowledge of how organizations and supervisors can work together to promote frontline employees’ PWOM in the service sector. Second, by proposing job crafting as a key intermediary mechanism underlying IMO’s impact on employee PWOM, this research not only offers a new theoretical perspective to understand how to promote frontline employees’ PWOM but also sheds new light on the underlying mechanisms through which IMO exerts its influence on frontline employees. Third, supervisors’ FRCC as a boundary condition of IMO can help service organizations more effectively capitalize on IMO to motivate frontline employees’ engagement in job crafting and subsequent PWOM.

Tax privacy concerns hamper digitization of the nanostore channel

AbstractVarious entities, such as startups, suppliers, and governments, face substantial difficulties in convincing nanostore shopkeepers to adopt digital technologies. Given the informal status of nanostores, we posit that shopkeepers experience Tax Privacy Concerns from their operational records potentially becoming transparent to the tax authorities, which hampers their inclination to digitize. Through the application of a survey and vignette experiments in the field with hundreds of shopkeepers across three cities in Latin America, we find consistent evidence for the negative role of Tax Privacy Concerns, above and beyond shopkeepers' Willingness to Share Data with various entities, Trust in the government and other entities, and general Privacy Concerns. Further, we show that having entities that shopkeepers trust and are willing to share data with offer technological solutions does not mitigate shopkeepers' Tax Privacy Concerns and boosts digitization. In contrast, positive word of mouth that data are unlikely to be shared with the tax authorities does mitigate Tax Privacy Concerns. Overall, our findings provide novel evidence for the existence and influence of privacy concerns for operational data among microentrepreneurs, which answers calls in the extant literature to explore privacy concerns beyond the consumer context.

Driving Word of Mouth in E-commerce: The Impact of Service Quality, Customer Experience, and Repurchase Intention on TikTok Shop

The rapid growth of e-commerce and social commerce platforms demands a thorough understanding of customer behavior, which is vital for business success. This study examines the impact of e-service quality, customer satisfaction, customer trust, and repurchase intention on word of mouth among TikTok Shop customers. A quantitative approach was employed, with data collected through online questionnaires distributed to 220 respondents via Google Forms, using non-probability convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the PLS program. The findings reveal that e-service quality positively and significantly influences customer trust, customer satisfaction, repurchase intention, and word of mouth. Furthermore, customer trust has a positive and significant effect on repurchase intention and word of mouth (β = 0.724, P = .001). Additionally, customer satisfaction significantly enhances customer trust, repurchase intention, and word of mouth. Finally, repurchase intention has a positive and significant impact on word of mouth. These results highlight the importance of e-service quality in driving customer satisfaction and positive word of mouth in social commerce platforms. The study focuses solely on TikTok Shop, which may limit generalizability to other e-commerce platforms.

Relationship of positive valence WOM and customer loyalty in social media: trust, value co-creation, and brand image as mediators

<p>In the midst of increasingly tight business competition, with numerous imitations of business ideas and solutions, competitive advantage alone is not sufficient to maintain customer loyalty. Considering the importance of maintaining customer loyalty, this study aims to analyze the relationship between positive valence WOM (PVWOM) and customer loyalty, with mediating factors such as trust, value co-creation, and brand image. This research is expected to contribute to theoretical understanding of the variables under study and provide managerial implications to organizations in various industry sectors. It is also hoped to strengthen our understanding of PVWOM in social media, assist marketers in gaining insights into the factors influencing the relationship between PVWOM and customers on social media, and aid them in designing digital marketing strategies. This research involves 4 schools in Kabupaten Bekasi with a total of 210 respondents over three months. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Model (SEM) AMOS. The results show a positive relationship between PVWOM and customer loyalty, with trust, value co-creation, and brand image partially mediating this relationship. Additionally, the research findings support a serial mediation model where PVWOM influences loyalty through trust and value co-creation sequentially. Managerial implications applicable to the education sector include the notion that a good level of positive valence WOM will enhance proactive attitudes in teaching and learning activities, as well as foster collaborative knowledge creation. Current conditions urge educational institutions to innovate information and communication technology in every teaching and learning activity. Positive valence WOM can be enhanced through social networks interacting to obtain innovative ideas and insights from their customers. If educational institution customers can actively participate in decision-making, then positive valence WOM can be leveraged to impact management within educational institutions.</p><p> </p>

Driving customer inspiration to foster loyalty: a study on showroomers

Purpose This paper aims at understanding the role of customer inspiration in driving loyal (versus competitive) showrooming behaviour and positive word of mouth towards a retailer. Design/methodology/approach This paper designed a model of customer inspiration in the showrooming context and tested it with data from more than 600 showroomers. Findings Showroomers are inspired in-store by salesperson quality and offline-to-online integration services. Inspired-by is positively related to inspired-to, which in turn drives loyal showrooming behaviour and positive word of mouth. Originality/value This paper develops the construct of customer inspiration in an omnichannel context and uncovers novel antecedents and consequences. The outcome provides useful implications for retailers in dealing with showroomers, with the aim of increasing their loyalty.

Comparative Analysis of the Effects of Different Types of Word-of-Mouth Information on Consumer Purchase Intention

This study aims to explore the impact of different types of word-of-mouth (WOM) information and their dissemination channels on consumer purchase intentions. Through a questionnaire survey, 540 valid data samples were collected, covering consumers of various ages, consumption habits, technology usage habits, and geographic locations. Multiple regression analysis and cluster analysis methods were employed to thoroughly analyze the influence and dissemination effects of WOM information. The results indicate that positive WOM significantly enhances consumer purchase intention, while negative WOM has the opposite effect. Neutral WOM has no significant impact on purchase intention. Additionally, the dissemination channels of WOM information, such as social media, have a significant positive impact on consumer purchase intention. Based on these findings, specific market strategy recommendations are proposed to optimize brand management and enhance consumer engagement.

Resident perspectives unveiled: The role of a sustainable destination image in shaping pro-sustainable responses

This paper examines the effects of a sustainable destination image on residents' satisfaction and pro-sustainable behavior considered through positive word-of-mouth (WOM) and engagement in sustainable tourism practices. The paper also explains the moderating role of two demographic variables, i.e., gender and age, in the proposed research model. The findings show that a sustainable destination image affects residents' satisfaction, positive WOM, and engagement, while satisfaction is found to influence only positive WOM with an insignificant impact on engagement. Whereas gender moderates only the relationship between residents’ satisfaction and engagement, the moderating role of age is not confirmed.

Employee Engagement with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Ethical Judgments and the Path to Positive Word-of-Mouth

ABSTRACT The interplay between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employee commitment has been viewed positively. However, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted employees to question the value of their organizations’ CSR initiatives, especially when they are not the direct recipients. This study explores the influence of employees’ ethical judgment of their organizations’ CSR initiatives on employee engagement. Drawing on social exchange theory (SET), a theoretical model was constructed to examine CSR communication during the crisis. Survey data indicates that employees’ favorable ethical assessments of their organization’s CSR efforts during COVID-19 correlate with increased participation in CSR programs, heightened organizational commitment, and a greater propensity to engage in supportive WOM behaviors. The study also shows the mediating roles of employees’ CSR communication engagement and organizational commitment in the nexus between ethical judgment and positive WOM actions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, underscoring the critical role of ethical judgment in employee communication during unprecedented times.

Brand transgression in corporate social responsibility era: empirical evidence from hospitality industry

ABSTRACT Consumers rely on prior information and interactions with the brands to develop their expectations through the firm's corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, but some adverse incidents violate the customer-brand relationship. In such circumstances, it is inevitable for the brands to understand how consumers react and how they can be managed strategically. Therefore, this research aims to determine the impact of brand transgression on brand retaliation and the mediating role of negative emotions between brand transgression and brand retaliation. Using attribution theory, this study determines the extent to which the relationship between brand transgression and negative emotions is moderated by brand love and the association between negative emotion and brand retaliation is moderated by positive word-of-mouth (WOM). The data was collected using a survey questionnaire from 357 consumers and analyzed using process macros analysis techniques. The findings show a positive linkage between brand transgression and brand retaliation among consumers in the hospitality industry. Lastly, this study confirmed that brand love weakens the positive relationship between brand transgression and negative emotions, and positive WOM weakens the positive relationship between negative emotions and brand retaliation.

Enhancing Patient Revisit Intention and Positive Word of Mouth: An Empirical Study of Medical Tourism

The growth of medical tourism industry in various countries has fostered global competition. Hospitals need to improve healthcare quality, brand image, and perceived value to gain patient satisfaction so that there is an increase in positive word-of-mouth and patient revisit intention. Therefore, it is necessary to study the behavior of patients visiting abroad to get health services and the desire to recommend the goodness of the hospital. This study aims to analyze the impact of hospital brand image, service quality, and perceived value to increase patient satisfaction. It also examines the impact of patient satisfaction on positive word-of-mouth and revisits intention. This study uses a quantitative method with a survey approach to 130 patients overseas for health services. Therefore, the convenience sampling method was applied in this study. Variance-based Structural Equation Modeling technique was used to answer the research hypotheses. The results have proven that to increase patient revisit intention in hospitals and positive WoM, the hospital must pay attention to service quality, hospital brand image, and perceived value need to be considered as they impact patient satisfaction. Meanwhile, patient satisfaction was identified as a factor that drives positive word-of-mouth and patient revisit intention.

Too much of a good thing? High volumes of positive WOM can undermine adopters of new technology products

AbstractWe explore how first-time adopters of complex new technology products are influenced by the volume of positive WOM that they receive prior to adoption. Such positive WOM can flow through to alter adopter’s goals during initial product use, with consequences for their usage experiences and strategies. Two longitudinal surveys and an experiment reveal a potential downside of positive WOM. Specifically, receiving a greater volume of positive WOM about a new technology product can establish normative standards for adopter’s performance during product use. This leads adopters to feel pressure to meet those standards, prompting avoidance-oriented performance goals for initial use of their new product. Together, these processes undermine adopter’s experiences with their new product, as well as their strategies for using it. Our findings offer insights for marketers and researchers by identifying and explaining an ironic post-adoption effect of PWOM.Too much of a good thing? High volumes of positive WOM can undermine adopters of new technology products.

Addressing common method variance in country- and destination-image research: Two practical approaches

Self-administered surveys are a widespread data collection method in tourism research. However, survey-based data are prone to what is widely referred to as common method variance (CMV). Common method variance represents systematic error variance which can potentially have a substantial confounding influence on empirical findings, since it can lead to incorrect assessments of construct validity and reliability as well as biased parameter estimates. Surprisingly, addressing common method variance issues is still an exception in tourism research.This study advocates the use of two approaches and it demonstrates the practical implementation of these approaches by drawing on a seven-country online survey of tourists’ perceptions of and intentions to visit Italy conducted on a sample of 4550 respondents intercepted in Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Russia, South Africa, and Turkey.Findings clearly reveal that common method variance is not a trivial issue that can be safely ignored when estimating models aimed at assessing country and destination images and at explaining tourists’ intentions to visit and/or positive word of mouth. Therefore, the study provides concrete insights and directions to tourism researchers seeking to address this issue in their empirical endeavors.

Word-of-mouth among blood service employees who also donate blood: a qualitative investigation of advantages and challenges for dual-role donors

BackgroundDespite word-of-mouth (WOM) and electronic WOM (eWOM) influencing people’s willingness to donate blood, no research has explored this behavior among blood service employees who are also donors. This underexplored segment is highly important, as they are generally committed to both the organization and the cause and are likely more informed on the topic of blood donation than the average donor.MethodsThis study comprised six online focus groups with 26 Australian Red Cross Lifeblood employees who are also donors. Questions covered a range of blood donation and WOM topics, including when they became blood donors, if they had engaged in WOM about blood donation, what they had talked about and with whom, and what were audience reactions. Thematic analysis was then used to explore how responses related to the employees’ motivations, opportunities, and abilities to engage in WOM and eWOM about blood donation.ResultsWhile most employee-donors saw alignment in their employee and donor roles, advocating for blood donation was not considered a necessary part of either role. Educating others about blood donation was a common goal of employee-donor WOM and eWOM, and almost all employees engaged in reactive WOM, triggered by events (e.g., recent donations) or questions about their work. Employee-donors in donor-facing roles (e.g., communications and collections staff) felt more aware of the importance of encouraging others to donate blood and were also more likely to be proactive in their WOM activity. Along with these perceived advantages of having a dual role, employee-donors also identified some disadvantages, such as unrealistic expertise expectations and negative audience responses that can be difficult to navigate.ConclusionsBeing an employee-donor is a double-edged sword. For example, increased opportunities to talk about blood donation and access to more information can be offset by having to respond to more challenging questions/comments and expectations, while appropriately representing their employer. More research is needed among those in employee-donor roles within the healthcare and/or non-profit sectors, to determine whether these are issues faced more broadly, and how those in dual roles can be most effectively supported to engage in positive WOM and eWOM.

Unveiling the power of word-of-mouth in pre-recruitment employer branding strategy during COVID-19

PurposeThis study, based on signaling theory, examines the pre-recruitment employer branding strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic. It investigates the relationship between spontaneous word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations for companies and prospective candidates' job application intentions. Specifically, the study explores serial mechanisms mediating the characteristics of company online career pages, including the perceived informativeness of online job advertisements (ads), candidates' preferences for its web approach to them and the company’s reputation.Design/methodology/approachReflecting prospective candidates from students and young alumni of universities, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was employed on a sample of 737 individuals representing various fields of study from Greek universities.FindingsThe findings highlight the effectiveness of positive WOM recommendations during the initial stages of recruitment, particularly amidst COVID-19 challenges in the labor market, notably impacting young candidates. The study suggests that spontaneous WOM, originating from trustful sources, motivates job seekers to actively engage with the company’s web career channels, seeking information and favorable indications of the company’s approach toward its candidates. Positive WOM, combined with informative content and a friendly communication style, plays a critical role in shaping the company’s reputation. Consequently, this encouragement motivates individuals to start their job search efforts and consider applying for positions within the specific organization.Practical implicationsThis research provides valuable empirical evidence in the pre-recruitment field, particularly in unforeseen crisis circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It examines how spontaneous, positive WOM from sources, like peers and alumni, significantly influences young job seekers' perceptions and preferences regarding the company’s career web channels as sources of information and signals about working conditions. The combination of positive WOM with informative content and a friendly communication style in the web approach plays a crucial role in shaping a positive company reputation. Consequently, this encourages candidates to consider applying for positions within the company.Originality/valueThis research contributes to pre-recruitment studies, especially amidst crises like COVID-19. It examines how positive WOM from trusted sources like peers and alma mater alumni influences young job seekers' views on the company’s career web channels. By emphasizing the importance of combining positive WOM with informative web content and a friendly communication style, the study offers insights into effective recruitment strategies. It highlights the significance of positive and spontaneous WOM in attracting young talent and its impact on job seekers' decision-making, even in uncertain conditions. Overall, it advances recruitment practices for attracting candidates.

Consumer perceived green brand innovativeness and green word-of-mouth intention: the moderating role of green knowledge

Drawing on the Stimuli-Organism-Response (SOR) model, this research explores how consumers’ perceptions of green brand innovativeness promote their green word-of-mouth (WOM) intention. Also, this study investigates the impact of two mediating variables (green competence enhancement and green trust) as well as a moderating variable (green knowledge) on the process above. We conducted a moderated mediation analysis on a sample of 826 participants from China to test our proposed hypotheses. The findings indicate that consumers perceived innovativeness of green brands reinforces green WOM intention directly and indirectly through green competence enhancement and trust. The findings also suggest that the presence of green knowledge influences the direct and indirect association between green brand innovativeness and green WOM by means of enhancing green competence and fostering green trust. These findings address the process of eco-friendly innovation from the perspective of consumers and highlight the significance of identifying factors that moderate the mediated path between the perceived innovativeness of green brands and green WOM intentions. Hence, to enhance consumers’ intention to spread positive green WOM, organizations should devote resources to offering fresh and valuable solutions to meet their needs, boost their self-efficacy and trust in eco-friendly brands, and improve their knowledge.

Implementing Technical Acceptance Model and Its Impact on the Positive Word of Mouth of BCA Mobile Users in Bandar Lampung

The advancement of information technology, telecommunications, and the internet has resulted in the emergence of various internet-based business applications. Bank Central Asia (BCA) is one such institution that leverages internet technology to serve its customers through its mobile application, MBca Mobile. This research investigates whether the variables of satisfaction and usability influence customer loyalty and subsequently generate positive word of mouth among MBca users. This study aims to determine the effect of satisfaction and usability on loyalty and its impact on positive word of mouth among MBca users. A sample of 150 participants was analyzed using multiple linear regression. The results indicate that satisfaction significantly mediates the relationship between usability and loyalty, which in turn has a substantial positive impact on word of mouth. Consequently, all hypotheses in this study are accepted. It is suggested that BCA enhance the MBca service connection to prevent transaction failures by collaborating with telecommunications providers to ensure reliable internet connections. Additionally, improving operator capabilities through training can increase the speed and accuracy of the service.