Understanding the effect of smart retail brand - consumer communications via mobile instant messaging (MIM) - an empirical study in the Chinese context

Faced with competitive forces, retailers are innovating by adopting ‘smart’ technologies such as contactless, omni-channel, ubiquitous computing, social networking and mobile apps. This paper examines consumer behavior responses during the use of a mobile instant messaging (MIM) application channel adopted by a Chinese pure-play retailer. MIM is text-based, real-time, mobile computer-mediated communication technology accomplishing real-time interaction with other users regardless of location. WeChat, a full service MIM application, contains functional and social features including SMS, MMS, LBS, photo sharing, voice message, video calls and “Moments” sharing, which is its social propagating feature. There is a paucity of literature on the role of MIM in building relationships and especially, the relevance of emotion and WOM for consumers engaging in MIM human-computer interactions. The model tested was derived from prior research on trust and also Stimuli-Organism-Response (SOR) that depicts the effects of environmental/informational stimuli on consumers’ responses. Specific research objectives included investigating the prediction that environmental stimuli comprising socialness perception, media richness, and involvement induce a positive emotional state, which results in positive WOM. The study employed a quantitative approach using a questionnaire posted on a WeChat (MIM) channel. The sample comprised Chinese WeChat users, typically young consumers (n=486). SEM was used to analyze the data. Prior research has indicated that building relationships with consumers is more difficult when the relationships are consumer-computer as compared to consumer-person (face-to-face). The findings of this study suggest that such a negative effect can be alleviated by the use of MIM, which is associated with socialness perception, media richness, consumer involvement, emotional connections and positive WOM. To the authors’ knowledge, this study is original in integrating socialness perception, media richness and WOM into the SOR framework. The implications for practitioners are discussed, relating in particular to retailers’ need to be aware of the extent to which consumers are willing to engage with MIM applications

Barriers and paradoxical recommendation behaviour in online to offline (O2O) services. A convergent mixed-method study

Mobile apps offering online to offline (O2O) services act as aggregators providing interface for delivery of required products and services at a preferred location. Despite offering multiple affordances, many O2O services have not diffused as anticipated, indicating the existence of consumer resistance towards them. One such example is that of food delivery apps (FDAs), which are experiencing resistance at both the pre-adoption and post-adoption stage. However, there are scarce empirical findings explicating the pre-and post-adoption barriers perceived to be associated with FDAs. The present study addresses this gap by utilising the Innovation Resistance Theory (IRT) and a convergent mixed-method study design to examine the barriers that existing FDA users face and how these impinge on their trust and valence of recommendation behaviour (positive and negative word of mouth). The study not only extends the classic IRT barriers to the FDA-context by identifying three key barriers (economic, efficiency, and experience) but also offers empirical evidence to support the negative association of barriers with trust and paradoxical recommendation behaviour by analysing data collected from 303 FDA users through Prolific. The findings also support the mediation effect of trust and the moderation effect of advertisement overload on the identified associations, making interesting theoretical and practical contributions.publishedVersio

The influence of culture on the use of anonymous electronic word-of-mouth : Examining online consumers' credibility perceptions

Across the world, the importance of e-commerce is constantly growing. Online shopping has become a part of consumers’ daily life, as buying from the virtual marketplace is considered vastly convenient. Consumers are now able to read the opinions of other consumers, as well as write their own experiences on various websites. Today this information exchange, called electronic word-of-mouth, is one of the most important factors affecting consumers’ purchase decisions. However, as Internet allows eWOM to spread anonymously, it raises concerns in terms of credibility. As national culture has been shown to impact on individuals’ tendency to trust and be influenced by others, it is essential to take these cultural differences into consideration when studying anonymous eWOM. The objective of this thesis was to find out how national culture might influence online consumers’ perceptions and usage of anonymous eWOM. More closely, the study aimed to analyze differences in consumers’ credibility perceptions, to understand which type of eWOM they prefer to utilize when shopping online. The selected research approach was qualitative, and the data was collected by theme interviews. In addition, stimulus techniques were used through different assignments, by showing the interviewees real eWOM-messages. All the interviewees were university students, representing various nationalities. Based on their cultural background, they were divided into different groups with the help of national culture dimensions. The findings of the research recognized that all consumers, regardless of their national culture, do utilize anonymous eWOM. The use of name may increase the effectiveness of the message, but whether the message is perceived as credible, is determined by the content. Individualistic consumers mainly evaluate messages based on the argument strength and language, while collectivistic consumers aim to find cues of the source’s credibility. Additionally, collectivistic consumers seem to perceive completely positive, anonymous messages as the most unreliable type of eWOM. Nevertheless, all consumers prefer to read eWOM on shopping websites or independent review sites. Chinese and Taiwanese consumers even consider eWOM in social media as unreliable and utilize mobile review apps instead. These findings indicate that the social relationship with the source, or the use of identity cues, may not be as important in terms of credibility as was expected. All in all, national culture seems to explain differences in consumers’ eWOM use and perceptions only limitedly.Verkkokaupan merkitys kasvaa jatkuvasti. Nettishoppailusta onkin tullut osa kuluttajien arkea kaikkialla maailmassa, erityisesti sen helppokäyttöisyyden ansiosta. Kuluttajat voivat lukea toisten kuluttajien mielipiteitä sekä kirjoittaa omia kokemuksiaan useille eri sivustoille. Tätä ilmiötä kutsutaan termillä eWOM, joka tarkoittaa sähköistä suusanallista viestintää. Siitä on tullut yksi tärkeimmistä kuluttajien ostopäätöksiin vaikuttavista tekijöistä. Viestintä Internetissä on kuitenkin usein nimetöntä, mikä saattaa vähentää tiedon uskottavuutta. Kulttuuritausta vaikuttaa siihen, miten yksilöt luottavat viestintään ja kuinka alttiita he ovat toisten vaikutukselle. Tutkittaessa nimetöntä sähköistä suusanallista viestintää onkin olennaista ottaa kulttuurierot huomioon. Tämän tutkielman tarkoituksena oli selvittää kansallisen kulttuurin vaikutusta kuluttajien nimettömän suusanallisen viestinnän käyttöön ja kokemukseen verkossa. Erityisen mielenkiinnonkohteena olivat erot kuluttajien kokemuksista viestinnän uskottavuudessa – nämä selvittämällä olisi mahdollista ymmärtää paremmin, millaista viestintää he mieluiten hyödyntävät ostopäätöstensä tukena. Tutkielma oli luonteeltaan laadullinen ja aineisto kerättiin teemahaastatteluin. Haastatteluiden apuna käytettiin myös stimulointitekniikoita erilaisten tehtävien kautta, esittämällä haastateltaville todellisia eWOM-viestejä. Kaikki haastateltavat olivat yliopisto-opiskelijoita ja he edustivat useita eri kansallisuuksia. Heidät jaettiin kulttuuritaustan mukaan eri ryhmiin kulttuuridimensioiden avulla. Kaikki tutkimukseen osallistuneet kuluttajat hyödynsivät nimetöntä sähköistä suusanallista viestintää asioidessaan verkossa. Tulosten perusteella nimen käyttö saattaa silti lisätä viestin vaikuttavuutta. Se kuinka uskottavaksi viesti koetaan, määräytyy kuitenkin täysin sisällön perusteella. Individualistiset kuluttajat arvioivat pääasiassa argumenttien vahvuutta ja kirjoitustyyliä, kun taas kollektivistiset kuluttajat pyrkivät löytämään vihjeitä kirjoittajan uskottavuudesta. Tulosten perusteella kollektivistiset kuluttajat lisäksi kokevat täysin positiiviset, anonyymit viestit kaikkein epäluotettavammaksi eWOMin muodoksi. Eroista huolimatta kaikki kuluttajat lukevat eWOMia mieluiten shoppailusivustoilla tai itsenäisillä arviointisivustoilla. Kuluttajat Kiinasta ja Taiwanista jopa kokevat sosiaalisessa mediassa ilmenevän eWOMin olevan epäuskottavaa ja hyödyntävät useimmiten mobiiliarviointisovelluksia. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittavat, että eWOMin kirjoittajan ja lukijan välinen suhde, tai identiteettivihjeet, eivät ole yhtä tärkeitä elementtejä uskottavuuden kannalta kuin olisi voitu olettaa. Yleisesti voidaan todeta, että kulttuurierot selittävät vain osittain sähköisen suusanallisen viestinnän käyttöä ja kokemusta