Are information quality and source credibility really important for shared content on social media?

Abstract

Purpose This paper aims to first examine tourists’ perceptions of the source credibility and information quality of social media content to see whether they would have an impact on their perceptions of the importance of shared content on social media. The moderating role of gender in this relationship was then examined. Design/methodology/approach The research sample was composed of domestic and foreign tourists in Alanya, an important tourist destination in Turkey. The data in the current study were collected by the questionnaire method. The structural relationships in the research were examined using the partial least squares structural equation modeling, and the moderating effect of gender was examined via the partial least squares multiple group analysis. Findings According to the research findings, tourists’ perceptions of source credibility regarding social media content had a positive impact on the importance attached to non-participant shared content, whereas their perceptions of information quality had a positive impact on the importance attached to participant shared content. Furthermore, it was also observed that gender had a moderating effect on the relationship between information quality and source credibility perceptions and the importance of shared content on social media. Originality/value Two important predictive variables have been examined in the current research in term of customer-generated contents. It has been demonstrated that the effects of these predictive variables on different customer-generated types could be different. Furthermore, it has been determined that the effects of these influences differ according to the gender of the individuals following the content. Thus, the current study provides significant findings to understand the impacts of these variables on the basis of gender.

Effect of social media sharing on destination brand awareness and destination quality

“…The first part investigates the importance attached to social media sharing, destination brand awareness, COI image, and destination quality. Considering the study of Dedeoğlu (2016) and Dedeoglu (2019), the importance attached to social media sharing scale was examined under two dimensions, with importance attached to both participant and nonparticipant sharing. Following the study of Ferns and Walls (2012), five items were adapted for the destination brand awareness scale.…”

“…Although the structure of CGC is examined in general terms in the literature (Gretzel and Yoo, 2008; O’Connor, 2008), consumers primarily generate content in one of the following two ways: either through participant sharing or through nonparticipant sharing. Participant sharing stems from the term “customer participation” and is related to the content where tourism destinations are included, whereas nonparticipant sharing is related to content where tourism destination is excluded (Dedeoglu, 2019). In consumer behavior literature, participant behavior may cover such components as generating a common product and contributing to the development of new products (Ngo and O’Cass, 2013).…”

“…In consumer behavior literature, participant behavior may cover such components as generating a common product and contributing to the development of new products (Ngo and O’Cass, 2013). Therefore, participant sharing refers to the sharing generated in social media through using platforms related to the organization or with the purpose of achieving a specific purpose related to the organization (e.g., providing information or making an assessment) (Dedeoglu, 2019). For example, participant sharing is the content that an individual creates on the organization’s website or company-sponsored social media, and in response, the tourism destination might respond to a request to add a tourism product.…”

“…In these sharings, there is no interaction with the tourism destination (e.g., through the tourism destination’s own website, forum, Facebook account, or assessment websites) or seeking of any goal associated with the tourism destination. Because of this, nonparticipant sharing can be perceived as more sincere than participant sharing (Dedeoglu, 2019). Therefore, understanding the effect of the importance attached to both participant sharing and nonparticipant sharing on brand awareness can provide important clues for DMOs.…”

“…Specifically referencing tourist destinations, CGC can have an impact on brand awareness in two different ways (Dedeoglu, 2019). First, by generating and sharing content within processes where brands are included either directly or indirectly, such as the destination’s Facebook page (direct) or a Facebook page managed by a person who is not managed by the DMO (indirect).…”