Recently, as internet is rapidly spread and generalize, Online WOM(Word Of Mouth) is more active and it arouses many people's interest. WOM is turn to be more openly and collective, so it has a ripple effect on the whole community. But there are no re...
Recently, as internet is rapidly spread and generalize, Online WOM(Word Of Mouth) is more active and it arouses many people's interest. WOM is turn to be more openly and collective, so it has a ripple effect on the whole community. But there are no research about introducing a total model on WOM communication, and few research has been focused on the receiver of WOM.
This study broadly reviewed the existing researches about WOM communication and proposed a total model for WOM factors, WOM effects which have been researched individually so far. Therefore, this study investigated exploratively the factors which have been used in existing researches and targeted online WOM communication researches which have been researched actively.
First, this study identified antecedents with sender characteristic, receiver characteristic, information characteristic. Second, based on recent related-researches, this study identified credibility, referability as mediating variables. Finally, this study identified consequences with a change of attitude, purchasing intention, recommendation.
This study suggested a total model on WOM communication and verified empiriacally on various industries. So this study is to investigate what a total understand and application on WOM communication is.
This paper found the following:
It is found that sender characteristics will influence on credibility and referability parially. According to empirical result on three product and two service, the results of credibility and referability varied individually. Especially the case of products is more imfluenced than the case of services..
It is not supported that the hypothesis receiver characteristics will influence on WOM credibility. This result is very different from existing results, it is found that the influencing receiver characteristics varied on product and service. So companies, which would like to apply WOM communication, should consider importantly and need to analize continuosly why the result is different from a product and service.
It is found that information characteristics will influence on WOM communication referability. This result supported existing results, the information characteristics such as consensus, vividness, community interaction, accessibility will influence on referability. As Online WOM communication is more interested, a various mehtods to overcome that Online WOM communication is lower than Offline WOM in credibility.
Finally it is not supported that credibility and referability of WOM communication will be influence strangedly on WOM effects. This result is differed from product and service case in this study, the case of service is lower than the case of product in the probability of recommendation. And it is found that referability is more influence on WOM communication effects than credibility.
This study made empirical verification on various products and services to verify the WOM communication.total model. So it is expected that this study will suggest a marketing implication which they should understand costomer 's mechanism when companies apply WOM communications.