An empirical study of the impact of consumer emotional engagement and affective commitment in firm-hosted virtual communities

ABSTRACT

Emergent perspectives in marketing highlight new opportunities for leveraging social media as a means to build customer–firm relationships through consumer engagement. Drawing from cognitive appraisal theory and aspects of the service dominant logic, this study delineates and empirically tests hypotheses regarding the effects of key components of consumer engagement (cognitive appraisal, affective states, participation) on consumers’ affective commitment, in the context of two service companies where the firms used social media to host virtual communities. The research examines how consumers’ cognitive appraisal of the engagement experience aligned with their online interaction propensity and participation in value-creating activities drive engagement outcomes. The results confirm the need to contextualise, personalise and respond to the consumer’s engagement experience to develop this engagement.

KEYWORDS:

• Social media
• consumer engagement
• firm-hosted virtual communities
• emotions
• affective commitment

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Ethel Claffey

Ethel Claffey is a lecturer in marketing at Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland. She lectures at undergraduate and postgraduate level, and supervises a number of post-graduate students. Her PhD was awarded by Trinity College Dublin. Her research interests include consumer engagement, contemporary consumer behaviour, virtual communities, technology acceptance and digital marketing. Her work has been published in a variety of conference proceedings and refereed journal articles such as Psychology & Marketing and the Journal of Consumer Behaviour. She has won a number of best paper commendations and awards at multiple conferences. She acts as an external examiner in many institutions and a reviewer for top-tiered journals.

Mairead Brady

Mairead Brady is an Assistant Professor at the Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin. She lectures at undergraduate and postgraduate level, supervises PhD students and engages with practice through executive education and active industry links. Her management roles include the directorship of the BA in Computer Science and Business. Her research and teaching focuses on the role and impact of digital technologies in intra-extra organisational relationships and in management education. Her current research projects focus on data analytics, organisational metrics and social media challenges. She is also conducting research on the role of simulations and gaming in third level and has a funded project on Technology Enhanced Assessment – the staff perspective. She is co-author on the European edition of the well-known Philip Kotler et al. Marketing Management textbook. She has co developed an educational simulation with Pearson Publishing which is used widely in European Universities. She chaired the Irish Game Based Learning Conference (2016) and the Irish Academy of Management (2004). She has over 100 journal articles, book chapters, conference proceedings and other work. She is also a reviewer for many academic journals. She provides consultancy to national and multinational firms in Ireland and aboard.