Peer-to-peer word-of-mouth: word-of-mouth extended to group online exchange

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how peer-to-peer word-of-mouth (PPWOM) conversations evolve over time because of the dynamic social nature of the community in which they take place. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzed PPWOM conversations in an online community website for new and expectant mothers. Two data collection phases were undertaken during a four-year period. In phase I, messages were collected for a one-month period from five different bulletin boards (i.e. cross-sectional data) and at two points in time (i.e. semi-longitudinal). In phase II, a full longitudinal study was conducted, and the complete text of all messages of a newly formed bulletin board was captured for a nine-month period. The corpus of messages was examined in line with the basic tools of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis. Findings This research developed a typology of PPWOM genres and showed that these genres change over the community lifespan. The findings confirmed that the levels of social cohesiveness and the interaction communicative motives are the main factors that distinguish different PPWOM genres. Research limitations/implications This research has offered a new perspective into the study of PPWOM, and hopefully it will serve as a starting point for a broader dialogue regarding the social context in which PPWOM is exchanged. Originality/value In contrast to traditional word-of-mouth research, this study demonstrated that PPWOM conversations go much beyond the exchange of functional information, and instead serve numerous social and emotional goals.

The synergetic effect of after sales service, customer satisfaction, loyalty and repurchase intention on word of mouth

“…Similarly, Liao et al (2016) observed that CS does have a significant influence on RI for a range of services. Importantly, one cannot deny the fact that CS is indeed an essential element to any service, being a strong predictor of RI and WOM (Saleem et al, 2017;Toder-Alon and Brunel, 2018). Thus, we hypothesize:…”

What makes a helpful online review? Empirical evidence on the effects of review and reviewer characteristics

“…Reviews can also be seen as a type of contribution to UGC; hence, we use image motivation theory to explain why social image can stimulate contribution efforts, and why increasing reviewer follower can enhance image motivation. Social functions are believed to have an impact on users' attitudes and engagement toward the platform (Gvili and Levy, 2018; Toder-Alon and Brunel, 2018). Chu and Kim (2011) pointed out that sharing useful information will also affect users' online social relationships, and this effect is positively correlated with users' eWOM behaviors.…”

Making a higher education institution choice: differences in the susceptibility to online information on students’ advice-seeking behavior

“…Prospective students search information from various information sources about institution choice factors such as academic reputation, location proximity, financial assistance and learning assistance (Wong et al , 2016; Ng and Galbraith, 2016). As well as searching for information, students also seek advice from social networks such as friends, peers (Toder-Alon and Brunel, 2018), teachers and parents (Chalupová and Borůvková, 2012), providing a new social context. It is crucial that information and advice are adequately available in order to facilitate students’ decision-making process concerning institution choice.…”