International marketers are trying to encourage positive electronic word-of-mouth (eWoM) about their products and services. The question of whether consumers in different cultures respond differently to eWoM is critical if marketers are to leverage the potentially global power of eWoM. The central objective of this study is to critically evaluate whether espoused national cultural values at the individual level influence the effect of eWoM on consumers’ purchase intention.
Prior cross-cultural eWoM research mostly studied culture at the country level. This paper draws on perspectives in cultural psychology and cross-cultural research that argue that individuals espouse national cultural values to different degrees. Therefore, predicting the influence of culture on individuals’ behaviour necessitates to assess cultural values by personality tests at the individual level of analysis.
Yet, no research can sufficiently answer the question of how individual level culture may influence the effect of eWoM on purchase intention. The present research addresses this gap by measuring espoused national cultural values of power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism/collectivism, and masculinity/ femininity at the individual level of analysis and investigating their influence on the effect of eWoM on purchase intention.
An experiment, using a repeated measures design, was conducted with 100 subjects from 18 countries. The results reveal that, as expected, consumers’ purchase intentions are significantly higher after reading eWoM than after reading factual information on a company website. Further, the results show that, contrary to expectations, this effect is not significantly influenced by the national cultural values an individual espouses. This implies that traditional market segmentations based on culture are of limited relevance in the online market place. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Research Objective and Questions
1.2 Dissertation Structure
Chapter 2: Theoretical Background
2.1 Definition of Culture
2.2 Justification of Adopted Conceptualisation
Chapter 3: Literature Review
3.1 From WoM to eWoM
3.2 Purchase Intention
3.3 Culture
3.3.1 Cultural Convergence
3.3.2 Espoused National Cultural Values
3.3.3 Power Distance (PD)
3.3.4 Uncertainty Avoidance (UA)
3.3.5 Individualism/Collectivism (IND/COL)
3.3.6 Masculinity/Femininity (MAS/FEM)
Chapter 4: Research Methodology
4.1 Research Philosophy
4.2 Approach to Theory Development
4.3 Research Design and Purpose
4.4 Research Strategy
4.5 Experimental Parameters
4.6 Pretest
4.7 Measurement
4.7.1 Measurement of Culture
4.7.2 Measurement of Purchase Intention
4.8 Sampling
4.8.1 Volunteer Sampling
4.8.2 Convenience Sampling
4.8.3 Sample Size and Response Rate
4.9 Research Instrument
4.10 Pilot Test
4.11 Experimental Procedure
4.12 Ethical Principles
4.13 Methodological Limitations
Chapter 5: Research Analysis and Findings
5.1 Demographic Profile of the Sample
5.2 Scale Reliability
5.3 Descriptive Statistics
5.4 Paired Samples T-Test
5.4.1 Justification
5.4.2 Check for Outliers
5.4.3 Assumption Checks
5.4.4 Results
5.5 Multiple Regression Analysis
5.5.1 Justification
5.5.2 Check for Outliers
5.5.3 Assumption Checks
5.5.4 Results
Chapter 6: Discussion
6.1 Findings on the Effect of eWoM on Purchase Intention (RQ1)
6.2 Findings on the Influence of Espoused National Cultural Values on the Effect of eWoM on Purchase Intention (RQ 2 - 5)
Chapter 7: Conclusions
7.1 Theoretical Contributions
7.2 Managerial Recommendations
7.2.1 Standardised e-Marketing Program
7.2.2 Incorporate Social Media Plug-in on the Website
7.2.3 e-Marketing Program to Fertilise eWoM
7.2.4 Internationalisation through e-Commerce
7.3 Limitations and Future Research
7.4 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this study is to critically evaluate whether espoused national cultural values at the individual level influence the effect of electronic word-of-mouth (eWoM) on consumers' purchase intention, thereby addressing a gap in existing cross-cultural research.
- Impact of electronic word-of-mouth (eWoM) on purchase intention
- Operationalization of culture through individual espoused national cultural values
- Application of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions (Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism/Collectivism, Masculinity/Femininity) at the individual level
- Analysis of cross-cultural behavioral differences in an online environment
- Evaluation of standardisation vs. adaptation in international e-marketing strategies
Excerpt from the Book
3.1 From WoM to eWoM
Interpersonal influence has always exerted a significant impact on consumer behaviour (e.g., Asch, 1952; Bearden and Etzel, 1982). For hundreds of years, consumers are sharing opinions and experiences regarding products and services through informal conversations with their family, friends, and acquaintances "over the clothesline" and "across backyard fences” (Burton and Khammash, 2010; Whyte, 1954). This phenomenon is known as word-of-mouth (hereafter WoM). After WoM has been discovered as a powerful “interpersonal consumer network” which significantly affects consumers’ purchase decisions (Ryan and Gross, 1943), interest into the phenomenon from scholars and practitioners took off.
Fast forward to 2016: the digital revolution has changed everyone’s life and has become the most significant influence on consumer behaviour (Solomon et al., 2013). Today, the Internet is the backbone of the society (ibid). Wide spread adoption of computers, smartphones, tablets, social media, and web cams are enabling practically every consumer in virtually any place of the world to create and share content with an infinite numbers of consumers by one click on a keypad (ibid). The Internet has become the primary channel for information search and it has become part of consumers’ pre-purchase routine to seek advice from others online (Chaffey et al., 2009). As illustrated in figure 2, this development has transformed WoM into an even more forceful, digital form of eWoM. Hennig-Thurau et al. (2004, p.39) proposed one of the first and most widely cited definition of eWoM:
“any positive or negative statement made by potential, actual, or former customers about a product or company, which is made available to a multitude of people and institutions via the Internet.”
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Introduction: Provides an overview of the rise of social networking sites and eWoM, identifies the research gap concerning individual cultural values, and states the objectives of the study.
Chapter 2: Theoretical Background: Defines culture and justifies the adoption of Hofstede’s framework to measure espoused national cultural values at the individual level.
Chapter 3: Literature Review: Reviews existing literature on WoM, eWoM, purchase intention, and cultural theories, establishing the conceptual basis for the study.
Chapter 4: Research Methodology: Details the experimental research strategy, data collection via web questionnaires, and the measurement of key variables.
Chapter 5: Research Analysis and Findings: Presents the statistical analysis of the experiment, including t-tests and multiple regression analysis, and reports the findings.
Chapter 6: Discussion: Interprets the findings in relation to previous research, noting the universal influence of eWoM on purchase intention across cultures.
Chapter 7: Conclusions: Summarizes the theoretical contributions and provides managerial recommendations for international marketing in an online context.
Key Words
electronic word-of-mouth, eWoM, culture, espoused culture, espoused cultural values, purchase intention, Hofstede, social networking sites, consumer behaviour, quantitative research, cross-cultural study, online marketing, personal characteristics, individual level analysis, digital consumer
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research examines whether individuals' espoused national cultural values influence how they respond to positive electronic word-of-mouth (eWoM) on social networking sites regarding their purchase intentions.
What are the primary themes covered in the study?
The study covers the transition from traditional word-of-mouth to eWoM, the role of purchase intention in consumer behavior, cultural dimensions at the individual level, and the effectiveness of standardized e-marketing strategies.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The central objective is to critically evaluate whether espoused national cultural values (Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Individualism/Collectivism, and Masculinity/Femininity) moderate the impact of eWoM on consumer purchase intention.
Which scientific methodology was employed?
The research uses a quantitative experimental approach with a repeated measures design, collecting data through an online web questionnaire distributed to international students.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main part includes a literature review on cultural and eWoM theories, a detailed methodology chapter, the statistical analysis and findings of the experiment, and a discussion regarding the universal impact of eWoM.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include electronic word-of-mouth (eWoM), espoused cultural values, purchase intention, social networking sites, and cultural convergence.
How does this study differ from previous cross-cultural research?
Unlike previous studies that analyzed culture at the aggregated country level, this research assesses culture as an individual difference variable through personality-test-style measurements.
What is a key conclusion regarding managerial implications?
The study suggests that in an online environment, international marketers may not need to segment consumers culturally, as eWoM appears to influence purchase intentions universally regardless of the consumer's cultural background.
- Citation du texte
- Nicklas Westphal (Auteur), 2016, Cross-Cultural Differences in Electronic Word-of-Mouth Influence on Purchase Intention, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/354876
