PERCEIVED SOURCE CHARACTERISTICS OF e-WOM SENDERS EFFECTS ON PURCHASE INTENTIONS AND BEHAVIOURS: AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN THE UAE

The popularity and power of Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM) have raised the attention of academia and businesses in the past decade. A plethora of relevant literature investigated the motives of the sender to engage in e-WOM, besides the actual content of the message, leaving unanswerable questions concerning the receiver’s perception of the message and the interpersonal similarities with the sender. This study aimed at filling this gap by assessing the potential impact of e-WOM cues on the receiver experimentally by consulting i) social comparison theory, and ii) social judgment theory. Two experiments were designed and conducted incorporating mixed-method research to address gender and cultural similarities between the sender and receiver within the concept of eateries in the UAE. The generated results unveiled that the sender credibility of e-WOM is influenced by the relationship between the sender and the receiver. The research implications for the researchers in the domain added theoretically further knowledge of e-WOM that influences from a receiver perspective. Professionally, it could enhance managerial knowledge of cross-cultural effects on consumer choices and purchase intentions to direct future marketing strategies. This research also adds to the welfare of both senders and receivers of e- WOM regarding understanding motives for sending and receiving e-WOM