Consumer perceptions of online review deceptions: an empirical study in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 269-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Peng ◽  
Geng Cui ◽  
Mengzhou Zhuang ◽  
Chunyu Li
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Deception Detection ◽  
Consumer Perceptions ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Purchase Behavior ◽  
Online Review ◽  
Product Reviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Product Reviews ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose To influence consumer perceptions, firms often manipulate online product reviews on their own websites or third-party forums by anonymously adding positive reviews, deleting unfavorable reviews or offering rewards to encourage favorable reviews. This study aims to investigate consumer perceptions of online review deceptions and how these perceptions influence their subsequent purchase behavior. In particular, consumers’ awareness, suspicion and detection are studied and specific manipulation tactics are evaluated. Design/methodology/approach Both qualitative and quantitative studies are relied upon to understand consumer perceptions of online review deceptions. In-depth interviews with 16 experienced online shoppers were conducted to collect the illustrative accounts concerning consumer awareness of online review deceptions, their suspicion, detection and evaluation of different manipulation tactics. A survey of 199 consumers was then followed to validate and corroborate the findings from the qualitative study and generalize the interview results onto the general public. Findings The results from in-depth interviews suggest that consumers take a negative view toward online review deceptions, but the degree of negativity varies across different manipulation tactics. Moreover, different types of manipulations vary in terms of perceived deceptiveness, ease of detection and unethicality, as well as their effect on consumer purchase intention and perceived helpfulness of online product reviews. The findings from the survey further confirmed the qualitative findings. Practical implications The findings have a number of meaningful managerial implications for industry associations and policymakers on whether and how to regulate online review deceptions. Originality/value This study applies and extends information manipulation theory and deception detection literature to an online context to increase the richness of the relevant theories. It is among the first to empirically investigate online review deceptions from a consumer’s perspective, as opposed to a firm’s perspective as previous studies have done.

Understanding the luxury purchase intentions of young consumers: a qualitative analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Purva Sharma ◽  
Sudeepta Pradhan ◽  
Ankur Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Emerging Market ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Purchase Behavior ◽  
Luxury Brands ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
Young Consumers ◽  
Indian Consumer ◽  
Depth Interviews

PurposeThe study intends to investigate the key purchase drivers of luxury brands in India. Given that a major segment of this target audience is the young consumers, the study focuses on determining these antecedents of luxury purchase from a young Indian consumer lens.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses an interpretive research position, employing qualitative techniques in the form of in-depth interviews. In total, 62 respondents were interviewed, and later the transcribed interviews were analyzed using content analysis.FindingsThe study identifies the three main value dimensions that contribute to the final purchase decision: functional, social and emotional. The study also highlights the importance of Internet and web for luxury brands and how young Indian consumer consumes luxury online.Originality/valueResearch on luxury brands is still at a nascent stage. Though variables such as economic value, brand origin, social identity, prestige, self-congruity and so on have been examined in the context of luxury brands in prior studies. However, these studies are restricted because either they were product-specific or actual users of luxury brands were not approached as the sample. Most importantly none of these studies reflect the purchase behavior of young consumers in an emerging market, especially India. Given the growth of luxury brands in India, it would be worthwhile to investigate the factors influencing the customer purchase intention of luxury brands in emerging markets.

Electronic word-of-mouth and information overload in an experiential service industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 788-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Paul Furner ◽  
Robert Zinko ◽  
Zhen Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Information Processing ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Information Overload ◽  
Product Reviews ◽  
Information Load ◽  
Electronic Word Of Mouth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Product Reviews

Purpose Trust and purchase intent are established, dependent variables in electronic commerce research. Recent studies have highlighted the importance of online product reviews in the development of purchase intention, which has led to the development of a substantial research effort in the realm of electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM). The purpose of this paper is to incorporate e-WOM, information processing and decision-making theories to propose a model of the development of trust and purchase intention based on online product reviews, and incorporate information overload as a moderating factor. Design/methodology/approach This study tests the hypotheses using a scenario-based experiment. In total, 157 working adults were asked to read three hotel reviews of different information load. Upon completion, they were then asked to respond to Likert-based questions regarding their trust in the review and purchase intention. Findings An inverted U-shaped relationship exists between information load and both trust and purchase intention, where low-information load is ineffective at fostering trust and purchase intention, moderate information load is effective at fostering trust and purchase intention, and high-information load is less effective than moderate information load at fostering trust and purchase intention. Research limitations/implications Although the authors supported the inverted U-shaped relationship between information load and two outcomes, the authors only tested three different review lengths, resulting in limited precision, it is not clear where the inflection point is (i.e. exactly how many words results in information overload). Future studies might both seek more precision, and also consider more consumer characteristics, such as risk propensity. Practical implications Review platform operators with a stake in encouraging a sale should prioritize and highlight reviews of moderate length (which can be assessed automatically via word count), and consider restricting new reviews of products to minimum and maximum word counts. Originality/value This study enhances the relevant and growing body of online review research by: bringing uncertainty reduction theory to bear on the consumer’s information search efforts; using information overload, an important construct from classic information processing and decision-making literature to explain consumer behavior; and identifying a review characteristics (information load) which influences consumer attitudes about a review (trust) and the product (purchase intention). Finally, this study enhances research understanding of a specific experiential service: hospitality.

scholarly journals The impact of experiential augmented reality applications on fashion purchase intention

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (5) ◽  
pp. 433-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Watson ◽  
Bethan Alexander ◽  
Leyla Salavati
Keyword(s):  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Affective Response ◽  
Purchase Behavior ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Shopping Motivation ◽  
Hedonic Shopping ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Utilizing the stimulus-organism-response model, the purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of augmented reality (AR) (specifically augmentation) on consumers’ affective and behavioral response and to assess whether consumers’ hedonic motivation for shopping moderates this relationship. Design/methodology/approach An experiment using the manipulation of AR and no AR was conducted with 162 participants aged between 18 and 35. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling and randomly assigned to the control or stimulus group. The hypothesized associations were analyzed using linear regression with bootstrapping. Findings The paper demonstrates the benefit of using an experiential AR retail application (app) to positively impact purchase intention. The results show that this effect is mediated by positive affective response. Furthermore, hedonic shopping motivation moderates the relationship between augmentation and the positive affective response. Research limitations/implications Because of the chosen research approach, the results may lack generalizability to other forms of augmentation. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed model using different types of AR stimuli. Furthermore, replication of the study with other populations would increase the generalizability of the findings. Practical implications Results of this study provide a valuable reference for retailers of the benefits of using AR when attempting to optimize experiential value in online environments. Originality/value The study contributes to experiential retail and consumer purchase behavior research by deepening the conceptualization of the impact of experiential technologies, more specifically AR apps, by considering the role of hedonic shopping motivations.

The Influence of Reviewer and Consumer Congruence in Online Word-of-Mouth Transactions

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Christopher P. Furner ◽  
Tom E. Yoon ◽  
Robert Zinko ◽  
Samuel H. Goh
Keyword(s):  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Uncertainty Avoidance ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Online Review ◽  
Product Reviews ◽  
Online Word Of Mouth ◽  
Simulation Based ◽  
New Type

Online review platforms compete to attract and retain consumers and facilitate purchases. They invest in sophisticated algorithms that prioritize the order in which product reviews are presented, seeking to provide consumers with easy access to useful information about the ability of a product to meet a need. These algorithms collect and use review and consumer characteristics to provide different consumers with different sets of reviews, seeking to increase purchase intention and reduce returns. This study proposes a new type of factor: the congruence between the consumer and the reviewer. The authors develop a simulation-based experiment in which 281 subjects are categorized based on their travel style and socioeconomic status, then read two reviews: one that appears to be written by someone similar to them and one that appears written by someone different from them. Findings demonstrate relationships between purchase intention and both of the congruence variables, as well as disposition to trust and an interaction between uncertainty avoidance and socioeconomic status.

Exploring the synergy effect of trust with other beliefs in television shopping

2019 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 428-447
Author(s):  
Yung-Shen Yen
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Purchase Behavior ◽  
Media Richness ◽  
Synergy Effect ◽  
Price Fairness ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Host Interaction ◽  
Perceived Price ◽  
Perceived Price Fairness

Purpose Television (TV) shopping has notably changed human shopping behaviors. However, despite its significant advantages, TV shopping still faces many challenges in promoting customer purchase behavior. The purpose of this paper is to explore the synergy effect of trust with other beliefs on purchase intention in TV shopping. Other beliefs, including perceived media richness, perceived price fairness, perceived convenience and perceived host interaction, were tested as the synergy factors in the proposed model. Design/methodology/approach A hierarchical moderator regression analysis was conducted, and data on the TV shopping habits of 428 customers in Taiwan were examined. Findings The findings of the study revealed that trust synergizes perceived price fairness and perceived host interaction rather than perceived media richness and perceived convenience to enhance purchase intention in TV shopping. Research limitations/implications This study confirmed the assumption that trust synergizes the beliefs (i.e. perceived price fairness and perceived host interaction) to enlarge purchase intention in TV shopping. Practical implications This study suggests that service providers need to prioritize concerns to build trust with customers to encourage purchases during TV shopping. They should also actively promote fair prices and invite famous people to serve as hosts to motivate purchases in TV shopping. Originality/value This study advances the knowledge of the trust theory and the synergy model by examining the synergy effect of trust with other beliefs in TV shopping.

An Exploratory Study on Consumer Purchase Behavior From Live Webcasting E-Commerce

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Carol Yirong Lu ◽  
Michael W. Marek ◽  
Brendan T. Chen ◽  
I. Cheng Pai
Keyword(s):  
Hierarchical Structure ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Purchase Behavior ◽  
Product Attributes ◽  
Final Value ◽  
Value Perceptions ◽  
Hierarchical Value Map ◽  
Online Shoppers ◽  
Depth Interviews

Facebook Live has become an important resource for both marketers and online shoppers. It has provided communication opportunities for businesses and changed the habits of consumers. This study adopted the means-end chain (MEC) model and used the laddering method to conduct one-on-one in-depth interviews with 40 Facebook users who have used Facebook Live demonstrations to make buying decisions. The overall hierarchical structure of MEC allowed linking of product attributes, consumption consequences, and final value perceptions to draw a hierarchical value map (HVM). The research results show that affordable prices and fulfilling daily needs are the most important product attributes that customers consider. The live webcast demonstrations generated purchase intention and consumption. The ultimate values to which the participants in this study attached the highest importance were “perception of joy,” “perception of satisfaction,” and “perception of value.” Recommendations are provided for businesses using live webcasting as part of their e-commerce programs.

Studying green consumer behavior through multiple lenses in a developing country

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aradhana Vikas Gandhi
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Behavior ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Factor ◽  
Family Influence ◽  
Purchase Behavior ◽  
Social Concern ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Concurrent Study ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe study aims to explore the parameters that affect the purchase behavior of green consumers.Design/methodology/approachA mixed methodology concurrent study was adopted involving questionnaire-based empirical study along with a qualitative study to capture the lived experiences of the respondents. Inferences were drawn to understand green consumer behavior in a holistic way.FindingsWhile conducting in-depth interviews, many recurring themes emerged, such as environmentally friendly, health-conscious, price, government initiatives, youngsters' inclination, general awareness, family influence/traditions, quality, advertisement and social concern. A concurrent quantitative study was conducted, which established altruism, environmental awareness and social factor and influence as significant parameters, which had an impact on green consumer behavior.Practical implicationsWhile designing green products, this study will enable marketers to innovate their products and services based on the intricate insights that have come out of the study.Originality/valueThe study seeks to give deep insights into green consumer behavior that may help academics and marketers to understand the phenomenon better.

International buyers’ repurchase intentions in a Chinese cross-border e-commerce platform

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 403-437
Author(s):  
Jian Mou ◽  
Jason Cohen ◽  
Yongxiang Dou ◽  
Bo Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
International Markets ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Purchase Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Repurchase Intentions ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Repeat Purchase ◽  
Repeat Purchase Behavior

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a model of the uncertainties and benefits influencing the repurchase intentions of buyers in cross-border e-commerce (CBEC). Design/methodology/approach The authors draw on the valence framework to hypothesize effects of positive valences (utilitarian benefits) along with negative valences (pre- and post-contractual uncertainties) on buyers’ repeat purchase intentions. Data were collected using an online survey from 378 international B2C buyers on a CBEC platform in China. Findings Results explain 51.4 percent of the variance and reveal that overall value, as determined by monetary saving, convenience and product offerings as positive valences, exerts the strongest effect on repeat purchase intention. However, negative valences remain significant, and are particularly salient for female shoppers. Research limitations/implications The authors extend the valence theory into the study of repeat purchase behavior and contribute to much needed literature on why consumers return to repurchase from a CBEC platform. Practical implications Repeat purchase and loyalty of online consumers is essential for success of e-commerce providers. The results help online providers competing in international markets understand how buyers form repurchase intentions based on their evaluations of both value and uncertainty. Originality/value Buyer behavior in CBEC has received relatively less attention than domestic e-commerce. This paper is among the first to examine how both positive and negative valences combine to effect repurchase intention of international buyers in CBEC.

Ethics in social media marketing

2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-Chin Tsao ◽  
Tz-Chi Mau
Keyword(s):  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Online Community ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Online Marketing ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Product Reviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Using Data

Purpose Consumer-generated online product reviews (OPRs) have become a crucial source of information for consumers; however, OPRs are increasingly being incentivized. The purpose of this paper is to find a method of sponsorship and disclosure that could be considered ethically sound. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a quasi-experimental approach to clarifying how the method of sponsorship impacts reader perceptions of OPRs in terms of helpfulness, credibility and purchase intention. Two experiments were performed on an online platform using data from 480 participants. Hypotheses were tested using analysis of covariance. Findings Meaning under the premise that sponsorship information is disclosed and not withheld from the readers, Study 1 revealed that experiential sponsorship is the best sponsorship. Study 2 revealed that featuring reviewers with greater influence in the online community increases the positive influence of disclosing experiential sponsorship on OPR persuasiveness. Originality/value The findings in this study provide rational incentives for firms to disclose sponsorship information, i.e. demonstrate high ethical standards in marketing. This was shown to create a win-win-win situation for consumers, firms and reviewers. Managerial implications for online marketing managers are also discussed.

Effects of cause-related marketing campaigns on consumer purchase behavior among French millennials

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 923-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith Partouche ◽  
Saeedeh Vessal ◽  
Insaf Khelladi ◽  
Sylvaine Castellano ◽  
Georgia Sakka
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Regulatory Focus ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Product Type ◽  
Purchase Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cause Related Marketing ◽  
Behavior Study ◽  
Hedonic Products

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of cause-related marketing (CRM) campaigns on consumer purchase behavior among French millennials contrasted with their international counterparts. Based on the regulatory-focus theory, the influence of the types of arguments and products is tested on French millennials’ attitudes, intentions and behaviors in the context of CRM campaigns. Design/methodology/approach Three experimental studies among French millennials examine the effects of a CRM campaign vs non-CRM one on purchase behavior (study 1) through varying the formulation of the argument (promotion or prevention – study 2) and the nature of the advertised product (utilitarian or hedonic – study 3). Findings The results reveal French millennials’ favorable attitude and greater purchase intention for products carrying CRM messages, displaying similarities with American and Dutch millennials. When exposed to CRM advertising with promotion messages for hedonic products, French millennials, similarly to their South African and American counterparts, show greater purchase intentions, exhibiting cause sensitivity with hedonic products to reach aspirational goals. Research limitations/implications Inconsistent findings related to French millennials’ willingness to pay are linked to possible message formulation and product nature biases. The study contributes to the CRM literature by bridging regulatory focus and product type in a CRM campaign context, while contrasting millennials’ perceptions from diverse countries. Practical implications To improve CRM effectiveness toward millennials, firms must ensure the consistency between the causes, types of messages and products. Social implications CRM campaign efficiency is enhanced when promoted by brands, thereby increasing millennials’ engagement toward the causes. Originality/value This paper is the first to explore, in a single study, CRM campaign regulatory focus and product type among French millennials compared with their international counterparts.

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