Electronic Word-of-Mouth in Travel Social Networking Sites and Young Consumers’ Purchase Intentions: An Extended Information Adoption Model

Abstract

Purpose
Young consumers are increasing using electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in travel social networking sites to make purchase decisions. This paper aims to test the extended Information Adoption Model (IAM) that places perceived usefulness and information adoption as consequences of argument quality, source credibility, information quantity and emotive word comprehension, and as an antecedent of purchase intentions.

Design/methodology/approach
Data are collected through survey questionnaire from 405 hotel young customers in Malaysia, who had experienced travel social networking sites. The hypothesized relationships were analysed using structural equation modelling.

Findings
The results show that argument quality, source credibility, information quantity and emotive word comprehension have positive effect on the perceived usefulness of eWOM. Perceived usefulness has positive influence on the information adoption of eWOM, which in turn predicts the young consumers’ purchase intentions.

Research limitations/implications
The present study strengthens and advances the existing literature on tourism, social media and marketing by offering an extension to the IAM. The proposed extended model of IAM is verified and applied effectively in the context of eWOM for travel social networking sites.

Practical implications
Practitioners and marketers of travel social networking sites can improve the usability and effectiveness of eWOM to attract more young consumers.

Originality/value
The study contributes to the extension of IAM by adding information quantity and emotive word comprehension. This research validated the significant roles of eWOM argument quality and source credibility in predicting the information usefulness of eWOM.