Dimple R. Thadani

The impact of electronic word-of-mouth communication: A literature analysis and integrative model

The notion of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication has received considerable attention in both business and academic communities. Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the effectiveness of eWOM communication. The scope of published studies on the impact of eWOM communication is large and fragmented and little effort has been made to integrate the findings of prior studies and evaluate the status of the research in this area. In this study, we conducted a systematic review of eWOM research. Building upon our literature analysis, we used the social communication framework to summarize and classify prior eWOM studies. We further identified key factors related to the major elements of the social communication literature and built an integrative framework explaining the impact of eWOM communication on consumer behavior. We believe that the framework will provide an important foundation for future eWOM research work.

Online Social Network Dependency: Theoretical Development and Testing of Competing Models

The proliferation of new social media technologies has changed the behavioral patterns of online users. This study aims at investigating the structure and dimensionality of the Online Social Network Dependency (OSN Dependency). We tested the competing models built upon the cognitive-behavioral model and the biopsychogical framework of addiction. Our findings suggested that OSN Dependency can be explained by a higher-order factor model with seven first-order factors (i.e. mood alternation, social benefit, negative outcomes, compulsivity, excessive time, withdrawal, and interpersonal control) and two correlated second-order factors (i.e. social components and intrapersonal components). The model provides a good-fit to the data, reflecting logical consistency. Implications of the current investigation for practice and research are provided.

Consumer Purchase Decision in Instagram Stores:The Role of Consumer Trust

Instagram, a prominent social networking site, has become a popular online shopping platform among young people. In this study, we have attempted to understand what drives people to purchase in virtual stores on Instagram. Specifically, we built upon the integrative framework of trust and identified three groups of factors explaining consumer trust in Instagram stores: trustworthiness of Instagram stores (i.e., perceived benevolence, perceived integrity, and perceived competence), propensity to trust, and external environment (i.e., Key Opinion Leader (KOL) endorsement and peer customer endorsement). These factors are expected to influence consumer trust in Instagram stores, and trust in turn determines consumer intention to purchase. The model was empirically tested with 157 Instagram users. Perceived benevolence, perceived integrity, and KOL endorsement were found to be significant factors affecting consumer trust in Instagram stores, and trust was found to have a strong relationship with consumer purchase intention. The results of this study are expected to advance the trust literature in the context of social commerce and to offer practical guidelines to Instagram storeowners.

The Role of Deficient Self-regulation in Facebook Habit Formation

With the proliferation of new social media technologies (e.g. Facebook), there has been a rising concern over the problem of technology dependency. Recognizing that deficiency in self-regulation is a necessary condition for the dependency to take place, this study aims to examine the role of deficient self-regulation in habit formation in the context of online social networking sites (SNSs). The findings of an empirical study of 406 Facebook users indicate that deficient self-regulation plays a role in augmenting SNS users’ perceptions, which indirectly influences habit. Our theoretical model of habit formation explains 43.7% of the variance. Implications of the findings are discussed.