Consumer engagement in sharing brand-related information on social commerce: the roles of culture and experience

ABSTRACT

Social commerce facilitates conversations among buyers across the world and enhances eWOM sharing. This paper investigates the key roles of online shoppers’ culture (collectivism vs. individualism) and past experience as drivers of engagement with brand-related information sharing. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and consumer culture theory (CCT), a conceptual framework was developed and tested empirically. Data collected from a representative sample of online shoppers (N = 559) was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Findings reveal that shoppers’ experience is indirectly related to brand-related information sharing, and mediated by three TPB beliefs (attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavior control). These relationships were moderated by customer culture. The impact of attitude on information sharing was greater for collectivist shoppers, whereas the influence of subjective norms was stronger for individualist shoppers. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• Social commerce
• eWOM
• engagement
• culture
• collectivism
• experience

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yaniv Gvili

Yaniv Gvili is a senior lecturer of marketing at the School of Business Administration of Ono Academic College, Israel. Yaniv received his Ph.D. from Temple University.  Prior to his academic career, he worked as an analyst and director of research in a global communications network. His work has been published in leading journals including Journal of Advertising Research, International Journal of Advertising, European Journal of marketing, and Psychology & Marketing. Yaniv’s research interests include eWOM, social media, and new media marketing. Yaniv can be contacted at:[email protected].

Shalom Levy

Shalom Levy is a senior lecturer of marketing at the Department of Economics and Business Administration, Ariel University, Israel. He holds a Ph.D. from Bar-Ilan University. Prior to this, he worked as a media manager and head of planning and research in advertising companies. His work has been published in journals as Marketing Letters and International Journal of Advertising. Shalom Levy can be contacted at: [email protected]