The case for altruism in eWoM motivations

Abstract

The Internet has revolutionised how consumers interact by facilitating the free exchange of information and opinions between individuals across the globe. However it is still not clearly understood why individuals help strangers by volunteering information, sharing opinions and making recommendations online. Surprisingly, much of this activity appears to involve non-reciprocal sharing, raising the question why would an individual share information or offer advice online with those they are unlikely to encounter again? Individuals who are contributing online have no guarantee of receiving anything in return for their efforts whereas freeloaders can benefit without making any contribution. The purpose of this work is to explore altruism in the context of eWoM in order to further the understanding of consumers’ motivation to share information and opinions online. Altruism has been identified in the literature as a motive for eWoM although its’ significance has been consistently overlooked by researchers and marketers. Whilst much online activity may be motivated by self-interest some individuals do appear to act more altruistically by offering advice, knowledge and expertise with the intention of helping others. Moreover, altruistic consumers share information and opinions without any expectation of reward. This makes them a reliable source of unbiased information for consumers seeking recommendations and an important spokesperson for marketers communicating their brands.