The impact of mixed eWOM sequence on brand attitude change: cross-cultural differences

Abstract

Purpose Despite the importance of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in e-commerce transactions on the global market, there is still limited understanding about the effect of eWOM sequence and its psychological mechanism in cross-cultural settings. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the differences in brand attitude changes according to the eWOM sequence, as well as cross-culturally, based on thinking styles. Furthermore, the authors examine the moderated mediation effect of perceived cognition congruency across cultures to explain its underlying mechanism. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a 2 (eWOM sequence: positive/negative, negative/positive) × 2(culture: East (South Korea), West (USA)) factorial design. Perceived cognition congruency is measured as a within-group variable. Findings First, brand attitude changes in the West (USA) for the negative/positive presentation order are significantly larger than for the positive/negative presentation order, while, in the East (South Korea), no significant differences exist. Second, in the Westerner group (analytical thinking style), the perceived cognition congruency shows a significant difference according to the eWOM sequence, whereas in the Easterner group (holistic thinking style), the perceived cognition congruency does not show a significant difference according to the eWOM sequence. Practical implications As such, a strategic interpretation of the mixed eWOM presentation order across cultures is needed. In the West, interest and attention are necessary for the eWOM sequence. However, in the East, a different strategic approach, except for the presentation order of mixed eWOM, is required. The other elements of the mixed eWOM, such as attribute type or intensity of negative information, need to be considered for mixed eWOM management. Originality/value This study expands the existing body of knowledge on the sequence effect of mixed eWOM. Furthermore, it provides strategic direction and practical implications for mixed eWOM-driven information management, focusing on sequence in cross-cultural settings.

Understanding the importance of eWOM on Higher Education Institutions’ brand equity

“…This might happen because of the unique character of HEIs (Alam & Saeed, 2016), where the individual's choice represents a long-term personal investment with consequences in the professional future (Mourad et al, 2011;Mourad et al, 2019). Another important finding is that firm-generated eWOM has similar or even more credibility than user-generated eWOM in the context of HEIs, which is not in consonance with the available literature stating that user-generated eWOM is more trustworthy and credible (Chakraborty & Bhat, 2018;Kudeshia & Kumar, 2017;Park & Jeon, 2018), having a stronger effect on consumers' brand equity (Schivinski & Dabrowski, 2016). The usergenerated eWOM appearing as less relevant in this context is confirmed by the fact that most interviewees did not search for user-generated eWOM in order to choose the university.…”

“…In contrast, low involvement products represent marginal financial risk, being therefore less affected by negative eWOM (Beneke et al, 2016). Indeed, most consumers search for product information to minimize the risks before purchasing (Park & Jeon, 2018). The available research on eWOM has been focused on products, although it has been recognized that the eWOM effect may be superior for experience goods than for search goods (Park & Lee, 2009).…”

“…The source credibility has a significantly positive effect on the credibility evaluation of eWOM (Chakraborty & Bhat, 2018;Schivinski & Dabrowski, 2015), being a key influencer of brand equity among consumers (Kudeshia & Kumar, 2017). An important distinction made in the literature on eWOM is between firm-generated eWOM, controlled and administered by companies, and user-generated eWOM, identified by prospective consumers as more trustworthy and credible (Chakraborty & Bhat, 2018;Kudeshia & Kumar, 2017;Park & Jeon, 2018). User-generated eWOM also has a stronger effect on consumers' brand equity (Schivinski & Dabrowski, 2016), affecting directly and positively some of the main dimensions of brand equity: brand awareness/associations, brand loyalty and perceived quality (Schivinski & Dabrowski, 2015).…”

“…Although most interviewees had other institutions into consideration, most of them did not search for other people's opinions before making their final decisions: Since most interviewees admitted reading reviews online and search for opinions before buying products, they were asked why they did not search for online reviews during the process of university choice. Aspects related to the reputation and rankings (Mourad et al, 2011;Mourad et al, 2019) and to the unique character of HEIs (Alam & Saeed, 2016) Furthermore, while the available literature, essentially focused on products, points out user-generated eWOM as more trustworthy and credible (Chakraborty & Bhat, 2018;Kudeshia & Kumar, 2017;Park & Jeon, 2018), having thus a stronger effect on brand equity (Schivinski & Dabrowski, 2016), in the context of HEIs, the so-called firm-generated eWOM seems to have equivalent or even more credibility than the user-generated eWOM:…”

User Generated Information on Mobile Channels With More Concise Reviews and More Extreme Ratings

“…Online word of mouth is defined as the positive or negative statement addressed by former consumers about a product or service, which is accessible by a large group of people and institutions on the internet [9]. Online word of mouth is believed to have impact on brand image [10], brand attitude [11], price perception [12], purchase intentions [13], repurchase intention [14], willingness to pay [15], decision-making process [16], and sales volume [17]. Therefore, researchers have been extremely interested to understand what makes online word of mouth more helpful and more persuasive, such that the reviewers, the online community, the readers, and the product/service providers can all benefit from increased browsing and purchasing.…”