Personality traits and social media as drivers of word-of-mouth towards sustainable fashion

Abstract

PurposeThe main objective is to investigate the effects of antecedents of word-of-mouth (WOM) towards sustainable fashion, using the Personality Traits theory. More specifically, this study wants to examine the impact of the Big Five personality traits on social media activities, which could affect eco-friendly behaviour and environmental concerns for fashion production. This impact is influenced by the use of WOM on sustainability in the fashion industry.Design/methodology/approachThe partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS SEM) technique is used to evaluate the internal and external measurement model with a sample size of 272.FindingsThe three most active personality traits on social media are extraversion, openness to experience and agreeableness. Additionally, the active use of social media has a positive impact on the optimisation of users' eco-friendly behaviour and an increase in users' concerns for fashion production. Eco-friendly behaviour and environmental concerns for fashion production are important factors that lead to the spread of WOM.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the existing literature by evaluating the effects of the Big Five personality traits on using social networking and how will this improve the creation of WOM towards sustainability. This study is among the several scientific studies which combine the theory of Big Five personality traits with social networking, green behaviour and the WOM in a sustainability context.

Effects of Big Five personality traits and market mavenship on consumers' intention to spread word-of-mouth in the art context

“…On the one hand, some scholars have recognized differences in how general dimensions of individuals' personalitythose basic personality characteristics that should not change depending on the context (Baumgartner, 2002) relate to consumers' intention to engage in WOM activities (e.g. Adamopoulos et al, 2018;Salem and Alanadoly, 2020). In this sense, the so-called Big Five (Digman, 1990) captures some basic characteristics of human personalityi.e.…”

4W of user-generated content: why who we are and where we post influence what we post

“…Conscientious individuals are more cautious online (Seidman, 2013) and often see spending time in social network sites and other social platforms as meaningless and unproductive activities (Mendonca, 2020). In the context of OBCs, individuals with high levels of conscientiousness prefer utilizing OBCs for skill development and self-enhancement rather than building relationships with other members (Salem and Alanadoly, 2020). When they engage with OBCs, conscientious members tend to emphasize more cognitive and rational aims, such as searching brand-related information, rather than emotional ones (Hollebeek et al , 2019).…”

“…Agreeable individuals consider pleasant and satisfying relationships with others very important (Fuller et al , 2008). While less agreeable individuals tend to be more antagonistic and unsympathetic (Hollebeek et al , 2019), more agreeable individuals are more compatible with working as a team (Salem and Alanadoly, 2020). In the context of OBCs, individuals with high agreeableness scores develop strong relations with other members to get acceptance when they engage with OBCs (Islam et al , 2017).…”

“…In the context of OBCs, individuals with high agreeableness scores develop strong relations with other members to get acceptance when they engage with OBCs (Islam et al , 2017). Agreeable members avoid conflicts (Mendonca, 2020), and they are more likely to engage in liking and sharing the content of other people to build familiarity (Salem and Alanadoly, 2020). Agreeable members are more inclined to do positive brand-related thinking (Hollebeek et al , 2019).…”

“…First, extroverts prefer cooperation over competition and value interpersonal relationships (Fuller et al, 2008), which makes them appreciate being in a chatty and social atmosphere (Islam et al, 2017). Second, extroverted members are likely to reflect their outgoing personalities by creating more connections in the community (Salem and Alanadoly, 2020). Therefore, to become the focus of the community, they are likely to generate socializing posts that will attract other members.…”