This paper investigates the effect of network centrality and network density on the propensity to engage in positive and negative eWOM, using social networks usage as a moderating variable. The research method was Structural Equation Modeling, and the data were collected through a survey conducted on 436 respondents from Romania. Findings showed that centrality and density only affect negative eWOM intent, the relationship being stronger at higher levels of network usage. In consequence, influential network members are more readily inclined to produce unfavorable eWOM. Subsequently, companies should make continuous efforts to spot and turn around bad publicity online.
The purpose of this article is to define the level of significance of the different indicators that influence the benefits expected by the customers when deciding on a bank card. The most important indicators that affect the expectations when using the bank card were considered: The level of the credit limit, the existence of rewards programs, the costs associated with the card, the existence of associated services of type e-banking/m-banking, the image and the social status, the possibility to perform ATM cash operations, customer service, ease of use and volume of information on the card. The research was carried out on a sample of 148 bank cardholders in Romania from the Millennials and Generation Z. The values of the indicators for different categories of users of bank cards and different age categories can be determined based on the obtained results and the tests performed. The determined values of the indicators represent the basic elements for building a regression model that will help bank managers to optimize their personalized offers in relation to customer expectations.
1 December 2017 in Review of Economic and Business Studies
Nowadays, with the major role that social media is playing in our life, people have found an easy way to utter negative word-of-mouth (NWOM). A self-administrated questionnaire with a visual stimulus was used to collect data from 108 Romanian Facebook users, between the ages of 18 and 26 years. This research aimed to determine the impact of adverse messages on brand attitude and a series of others consumer reactions. The results indicate that negative messages may change brand perception and generate negative word-of-mouth, with significant impact on future purchase intentions. They also indicate that identity avoidance is a more relevant electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) antecedent than negative emotions, strongly and positively influencing brand hate. The findings show that negative events or actions can seriously affect consumer behavior, triggering brand rejection that eventually may translate into brand image deterioration and sales decline.
This study examines the mediating role of five variables in the relationship between eWOM credibility and purchase intention. Data were collected via an online survey of 359 Romanian participants and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The results show that perceived product quality, emotional response to eWOM and perceived buying risk fully mediate this relationship, while brand trust and brand engagement do not. These findings suggest that effective eWOM communication should enhance quality perceptions, evoke positive emotions, and boost customer confidence by reducing perceived purchasing risks.
This research investigates the antecedents of positive and negative electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) propensity, as well as the impact of eWOM propensity on the intention to repurchase the product. Two types of eWOM predictors were considered: product related variables and personal factors. The data were collected through an online survey conducted on a sample of 335 Romanian subjects, and the analysis method was Structural Equation Modeling. Our findings show that personal factors - social media usage behavior, marketing mavenism and need to evaluate - are the most important antecedents of the intention to write product reviews and comments online, either positive or negative. From the product related factors, only brand trust influences the propensity to provide eWOM. Furthermore, both positive and negative eWOM intentions are associated with the repurchase intention.