Do we always adopt Facebook friends’ eWOM postings? The role of social identity and threat

ABSTRACT

In this research, we explore the role of social identity and threats to social identity on consumers’ judgment and behavioural intention about electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on Facebook. Study 1 shows that sharing social identity with a Facebook friend increases perceptions of usefulness and behavioural intention to adopt eWOM. However, when a threat to social identity is posed, these positive effects are eliminated. Study 2 reveals an opposite condition wherein a threat to social identity results in associative responses to eWOM. When the social identity is perceived as impermeable (vs. permeable), threats that are posed toward the social identity increase perceived eWOM usefulness and adoption intention. eWOM source identification is revealed as an underlying mechanism explaining this relationship. Theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• eWOM usefulness
• eWOM adoption
• social identity theory
• identity threat
• identification
• social network services (SNSs)

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was financially supported with a grant from the Institute of Management Research, Seoul National University.

Notes on contributors

Yaeri Kim

Yaeri Kim (MS, Seoul National University) is a PhD candidate in the Marketing Department at Seoul National University. Her research interests include identity-related issues in consumer behaviour context (e.g. brand identity, identity threat, and moral identity), and she recently extends her interest to the neuro-marketing.

Yookyung Park

Yookyung Park (MS, Seoul National University) is a PhD candidate in the Marketing Department at Seoul National University. Her research interests include consumer psychology, promotion management, and online consumer behaviour.

Youseok Lee

Youseok Lee (MS, Seoul National University) is a PhD candidate in the Marketing Department at Seoul National University. His research interests include social influence (e.g. WOM behaviour, herd behaviour), marketing strategy, and entertainment marketing.

Kiwan Park

Kiwan Park is Professor of Marketing at Seoul National University Business School. His current research addresses important theoretical topics in consumer behaviour, such as prosocial behaviour, subjective well-being, branding, and persuasion. He published more than 20 articles in top academic journals, including Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes.