Negative Product Reviews in Social Media: Linking Interpersonal and Socialpsychological Factors to eWOM Intentions

Abstract

Research suggests that word-of-mouth (WOM), particularly negative WOM, has the potential to influence consumers’ behavior related to specific brands and products. In the last decade, product reviews have surged in online environments such as social media. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to pose a model for understanding WOM behaviors in electronic environments (eWOM), and to apply that model to an empirical examination of intentions to share negative product reviews via social media. This research builds on Lau and Ng’s (2001) WOM model, which posits three personality constructs as influential in people’s intentions to share information via WOM: self-confidence, sociability and social responsibility. In addition to these constructs, we draw on several more constructs from the research on computer mediated communication –including group interaction and attraction, group member expertise and community satisfaction – to pose a novel model that is specific to eWOM. We also will explore the concept of judgmental confidence as it relates to potential information sharers. To test our model, data are currently being collected at a large Southwestern university using an online survey method to explore eWOM behaviors among college students. We anticipate that the results will reveal that social media users with higher levels of social responsibility, sociability, self-confidence, as well as higher judgmental confidence (in the context of sharing product reviews) and perceived familiarity and satisfaction with a particular social media site, will have stronger intentions to share negative product reviews (eWOM) on that site.