How collectivistic values affect online word-of-mouth

Abstract

This research uncovers a social factor that helps to explain how a consumer’s cultural orientation affects the extent to which they engage in online word-of-mouth (eWOM). The first study aggregates archival data from 52 countries and finds a positive relationship between collectivism and the extent that consumers share product-related information on social networking sites; however, collectivism is not found to relate to the extent that consumers rate and review products online. A second study examines why collectivism is positively associated with sharing product-related information on social networking sites. Collectivism is measured at the individual level among consumers in two culturally distinct countries—India and the United States. The results demonstrate that a collectivistic orientation is positively associated with similarity among members of one’s online social network (i.e., homophily) and that homophily is positively associated with sharing product-related information on social networking sites. In an increasingly global online marketplace, these findings provide needed guidance on how culture affects eWOM.

Digital Consumer Engagement: National Cultural Differences and Cultural Tightness

“…Consumer engagement literature defines engagement as consisting of multiple behaviors such as WOM, providing customer ratings, clicking, and sharing (e.g., Brodie et al 2013; Hennig-Thurau et al 2004; Pezzuti and Leonhardt 2020 Van Doorn et al 2010; Wang and Sun 2010). Each type of engagement exhibits various dimensions such as form and modality, scope, and customer purpose.…”

“…Thus, clicking represents an individual’s inwardly focused activity, whereas sharing is an outwardly oriented behavior that focuses on the replication of company-produced information through a consumer’s direct action, as opposed to eWOM, which is an online communication created by a communicator (consumer) endorsing (or not) a particular brand, product, or service. Because eWOM engagement has been the focus of much of the past digital engagement research (e.g., Chu and Choi 2011; Lam, Lee and Mizerski 2009; Lee and Choi 2019; Pezzuti and Leonhardt 2020; Tang 2017), in this article we focus exclusively on sharing and clicking consumer engagement behaviors.…”

“…Chan and Li 2010), and leads to higher firm performance (Kumar et al 2010). Recent research indicates that, internationally, digital consumer engagement activities are influenced by between-country differences in cultural attributes (Chu and Choi 2011; Lam, Lee, and Mizerski 2009; Lee and Choi 2019; Pezzuti and Leonhardt 2020; Tang 2017; Wang and Sun 2010). This is especially evident for online word-of-mouth (eWOM) engagement activities (Chu and Choi 2011; Lam, Lee, and Mizerski 2009; Lee and Choi 2019; Pezzuti and Leonhardt 2020; Tang 2017).…”

“…Recent research indicates that, internationally, digital consumer engagement activities are influenced by between-country differences in cultural attributes (Chu and Choi 2011; Lam, Lee, and Mizerski 2009; Lee and Choi 2019; Pezzuti and Leonhardt 2020; Tang 2017; Wang and Sun 2010). This is especially evident for online word-of-mouth (eWOM) engagement activities (Chu and Choi 2011; Lam, Lee, and Mizerski 2009; Lee and Choi 2019; Pezzuti and Leonhardt 2020; Tang 2017). Yet we know far less about other digital engagement behaviors (e.g., clicking, sharing) or how within-country variations in cultural values (tightness/looseness) impact these digital engagement activities.…”

“…Digital consumer engagement differs from more traditional engagement because the digital economy offers new and different ways (e.g., clicking and sharing behavior) for consumers to engage with marketing materials (Brodie et al 2013). Previous research tends to focus on online consumer engagement in a single country (Teixeira, Wedel, and Pieters 2012) or explore how between-country differences in cultural values impacts eWOM engagement activities in multiple countries (e.g., Chu and Choi 2011; Lam, Lee, and Mizerski 2009; Lee and Choi 2019; Pezzuti and Leonhardt 2020; Tang 2017). Building on this work, we contribute to this literature by developing new theory that posits that between-country differences in national cultural values have a significant impact on consumer digital clicking and sharing engagement behaviors.…”