Modelling the influence of eWOM on loyalty behaviour in social network sites

Abstract

Social network sites (SNS) have become part of the daily reality of Internet users in recent years. Firms have recognised the importance of electronic recommendation (eWOM: electronic word-of-mouth) and its influence on consumer decisions. They use SNS as a two-way communication with their current and potential customers. In this context, this chapter means to establish a modelling of causal relations analysing the effect of eWOM communication on the affective commitment developed by SNS users and its effect on the behaviour of loyalty. In this model proposed, the online reputation, the consumer's satisfaction and the user's social involvement in SNS are considered as antecedents. The model's central variable proposed is eWOM communication. This is an efficient means of capturing and retaining customers, as it presents a high level of credibility to developing long-term value relationships as relational marketing suggests. The model proposed, the justification of the relationships and the measurement scales aim to understand, explain and predict how eWOM communication influences loyalty behaviour in users' SNS.