An Investigation into Consumption Emotion in Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM): A Social Sharing of Emotion Perspective

Liu, Hongfei

Abstract

User-generated content (UGC) has revolutionised the way people share and consume information in the online environment. In marketing, electronic word of mouth (eWOM), as brand/product/service-related UGC, is becoming increasingly important to consumers, marketing academics and marketing practitioners, particularly in the service industry.
Between the two dimensions of eWOM communication – eWOM-giving and eWOM- seeking – the literature focuses on eWOM-seeking, which suggests that eWOM-giving is paid comparatively little attention as a research subject. Following a literature review of eWOM studies, a series of research gaps suggest the scarcity of understanding of the significance of consumption emotion in eWOM and its impact on eWOM-elicited interaction. Therefore, this research investigates the motivational and evaluative capacities of consumption emotion in eWOM-giving and subsequent interactions on different eWOM media (SNSs and review sites). This thesis employs social sharing of emotion theory as the primary theoretical foundation, in which consumption emotion is viewed as a dual-dimension concept that includes emotional valence and emotional intensity. Based on the multiple research gaps identified, this thesis includes four studies to tackle the research question. The rationale behind the linkages between individual concepts is generalised in the conceptual models of each study.
Four scenario-based online experiments are developed with specific reference to the hotel industry, with 599 respondents participating in the pre-tests of four experiments. Following successful manipulation and realism checks, a total of 1,036 respondents from an online panel contributed to the main data collection. To reflect the experimental nature of the research, ANOVA is utilised for the data analysis, while the relationships between the dependent variables are assessed using regression analysis.
The results suggest consumption emotion has a motivational impact on consumers’ eWOM-giving intention and media choice. In addition, emotional intensity changes during different post-purchase interactions on multiple media and influences evaluation, perception and behavioural patterns. This research has a number of important implications. Primarily, this research takes an innovative theoretical perspective to explain the role of consumption emotion in consumers’ eWOM communication through an experimental approach and pushes the boundaries of valence-oriented assertions in previous eWOM studies. The findings also suggest that marketing practitioners ought to pay close attention to consumers and interact with them in a way that raises their positive emotional intensity and supresses negative intensity. For eWOM media owners, maintaining the interactivity of the media is the key to its sustainability.

Citation

Liu, H. (2017). An Investigation into Consumption Emotion in Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM): A Social Sharing of Emotion Perspective. (Thesis). University of Hull. https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4965876

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Dec 19, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 20, 2027
• Keywords: Marketing
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4965876
• Additional Information: Marketing & Business Strategy; Business School; University of Hull
• Award Date: Sep 19, 2017