Search Results (59)

Internet platforms and self-media have become vital online communities for promoting positive reputations for hotels. Previous studies have primarily focused on enhancing positive electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) through improvements in hotel infrastructure and staff services. As hotels deepen their digital transformation, the application of various artificial intelligence technologies in hotel service encounters significantly impacts the service experience. This study explores the effects of voice assistant (VA) attributes on the online reputation of hotels. Specifically, it examines how the attributes of VAs (anytime connectivity, information association, and interactivity) influence positive customer evaluations in hotels. Utilizing a questionnaire survey method, we collected 529 valid questionnaires offline and employed structural equation modeling along with the PROCESS plugin in SPSS to conduct path analysis, as well as mediation and moderation effect analyses. The results indicate that perceived value and the existence of human–AI rapport mediate the impact of VA attributes on positive eWOM, although the direct effect of some attributes (information association) was not supported. Furthermore, anytime connectivity enhances the influence on human–AI rapport through social presence, while privacy concerns negatively affect the relationship between perceived value and intentions to engage in eWOM. These insights are critical for hotels seeking to maximize the benefits of digital transformation. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector encountered multiple challenges. Numerous governments chose to lock down their cities and countries. Despite this, many companies found their online businesses making the greatest leaps in their portfolios, and social media platforms became one of the most valuable sources of information for purchase decisions. There have been numerous studies on the effects of social media reviews—a form of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM)—on consumer behavior. Few were found to be related to their impact on group package tours (GPTs) while considering mixed eWOM, that is, both the positive and negative forms present in word-of-mouth communication. As the tourism sector gradually revives, the need to further explore how tourism and hospitality service providers can adapt to changes in post-pandemic consumer behavior has become imperative. The influence of social media reviews on consumers’ value perceptions of a GPT to Japan, allowing for the influence of the marketing mix element of advertised price, was examined through online experiments in this study. Positive, negative, and mixed eWOM were examined. It was found that eWOM was more influential on consumers’ value perceptions than the advertised price for all price acceptability levels. Mixed eWOM was found to negatively affect consumers’ final price perceptions which override the impact of quality perceptions in value formations. The value perceptions of the GPT became less acceptable when eWOM was mixed compared to when eWOM was absent or was positive. Mixed eWOM had a negative effect on value perceptions but not as great as when negative eWOM was present, and this was consistently found to apply for all price acceptability levels of the GPT. This study’s contribution to eWOM research and implications for the post-pandemic recovery of tourism and hospitality service providers are made, together with suggested strategies using innovative technologies and communications to enhance their adaptive resilience in the new normal. Full article

Customers’ intentions to avoid a product or service tend to be dynamic. Thus, this study aims to explore the influence of trajectory changes in customers’ avoidance after service recovery on relationship strength, negative word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions, and revisit intentions. Using a longitudinal approach with three-month lag intervals, we implement a latent growth model analysis to test our proposed hypotheses. Our findings demonstrate that customers’ desire to engage in avoidance after a service failure evolves, but its impact wanes. As avoidance decreases, negative WOM intentions likewise decline, and intentions to revisit a firm (which, in this study, is a travel agency) increase, thereby attenuating an avoidance-becomes-defection effect over time. Meanwhile, relationship strength initially grows but then weakens after service recovery. In contrast, negative WOM intentions slightly decrease from the early to mid-stage, followed by an increase in the late stage. Furthermore, relationship strength does not affect negative WOM or revisit intentions at the subsequent service recovery phase. Our findings offer innovative insights into upgrading customer avoidance perspectives regarding service recovery. We also present managerial implications regarding service recovery and customer relationship strategies that vary over time. Full article

As a cornerstone of Chinese traditional culture, traditional Chinese opera encapsulates deep historical significance and embodies the national spirit, acting as a vital conduit for transmitting intangible cultural heritage. However, in today’s society, this art form confronts the challenge of becoming marginalized, underscoring the urgency for its revitalization and preservation. This study adopts a mixed-methods approach, integrating questionnaire surveys with semi-structured interviews, to explore how perceived value in opera culture shapes tourists’ behavioral intentions. Key findings include: (1) Emotional and socioeconomic perceived values significantly positively affect tourists’ intentions to revisit and recommend through the lens of cultural identity. (2) Conversely, aesthetic perceived value significantly negatively influences revisit intention when mediated by cultural identity but does not substantially impact word-of-mouth communication. These insights suggest that fostering emotional resonance and socioeconomic value perception among tourists is essential for positively strengthening their cultural identity and influencing their behavior. Additionally, there is a need to refine and enhance the aesthetic experience based on real-world encounters. Building on these conclusions, it is advised that opera troupes and tourist destinations innovate in presenting operas while the government bolsters policy support to boost market competitiveness and enrich audience experience design. In doing so, we can aid the rejuvenation of opera culture for the modern era. Full article

The advent of social commerce platforms fueled by the growing commercialization of social media and networking sites represents a significant evolution in e-commerce dynamics. This study investigates the pivotal role of key opinion leaders (KOLs), particularly YouTubers, in shaping consumer purchasing behavior. Recognizing the powerful influence exerted by KOLs, we examined their ability to promote product diffusion through credibility, specialized knowledge, and strategic word-of-mouth campaigns. This study employs a robust theoretical framework that foregrounds the influence of KOLs while integrating critical constructs, such as perceived value and risk, into a comprehensive model. Our empirical analysis, based on data from 411 valid responses, yields the following insights: the expertise and renown of KOLs exert a profound effect on consumer purchase intentions; consumer perceptions of value positively correlate with trust, whereas perceived risk negatively affects it; and trust mediates the relationship between KOL characteristics (popularity and professionalism) and consumers’ relationship strength with purchase intentions. The findings advocate leveraging KOLs’ renown and expertise while mitigating perceived risks to amplify consumer purchase intentions, thus providing actionable strategies for marketers in the burgeoning social commerce landscape. Full article

(1) Background: News deserts are communities without a local news outlet, or communities where residents face significantly reduced access to the news of the local public sphere. The demise of a local news outlet can have negative effects on community engagement and on the discussion of solutions to community problems. In Portugal, for example, 25% of municipalities do not have their own media outlets. When there are no journalists reporting on reality, studies show that much of the local information in these territories is obtained through social media, such as Facebook pages and groups, which can be a source of disinformation and manipulation that communities become vulnerable to. (2) Methods: Through focus groups in the municipality of Manteigas, we researched perspectives and behaviours, as well as the factors that influence people’s choices in the consumption of information. (3) Results: We found that citizens used a wide range of informational sources, with a strong dependence on social media and institutional channels to access local information. (4) Conclusions: Proximity relationships are the basis of fact-checking processes, and citizens showed less concern about disinformation and more trust in the information they accessed through official institutions’ pages and through word-of-mouth in their communities. Full article

As environmental issues intensify, sustainability development is becoming mainstream, with environmental topics gaining increasing attention in the media and online. Shifting consumer behavior in China toward green purchasing is crucial for mitigating environmental pollution and achieving sustainable, low-carbon consumption. This study constructed a theoretical model combining media persuasion (MP) and positive internet word-of-mouth (PIM) with green purchasing behavior (GPB), based on the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) and persuasion theories, to explore consumer responses to environmental information campaigns. A total of 357 valid samples were collected through an online questionnaire survey and subjected to analysis using the structural equation model (SEM). The results indicate that MP, PIM, and environmental attitude (EA) significantly influence GPB. Specifically, EA partially mediates the relationship between MP, PIM, and GPB, while environmental knowledge (EK) negatively moderates the relationship between independent variables and EA. Additionally, EK moderates the mediating effect of EA. The findings highlight that the effective implementation of MPs and PIMs can facilitate the creation of positive EA, which stimulates consumer GPB. This is essential for promoting sustainable consumption. This research contributes to sustainability by providing insights and practical suggestions for developing green marketing strategies that support environmental goals. Full article

The current adoption of human resource (HR) chatbots has created problems within organizations, such as stilted conversational flow and a limited range of queries and responses. This paper presents an analysis of the factors affecting these issues by employing a new conceptual model. The instances of rejection and acceptance of an HR chatbot were analyzed in this study using the innovation decision process. A survey of 251 employees from private companies in Thailand was conducted, scrutinizing their experiences of using HR chatbots. Then, the innovation decision process was utilized to identify the critical factors that influenced the shift in attitude from rejection to acceptance. The survey identified three key findings affecting employees’ negative attitudes towards the HR chatbot, namely, hesitation concerning the perceived ease-of-use (HPEOU), word of mouth (WoM), and personal innovation (PI). Additionally, our research also revealed that the way people perceive the level of risk associated with using the HR chatbot directly affects their intention to reject. This highlighted the significance of organizational development for facilitating the re-engagement of employees with the HR chatbot, and specifically, a focus on the elements of people (PP), processes (PC), technology (TE), and policy (PL). This study demonstrated the advances in process development within an organization and its corresponding policies. The validation of HR chatbots was influenced by a distinct corporate vision. This study provides guidelines for the implementation of HR chatbots for employees in private corporations in Thailand. The findings can assist in enhancing operational performance and the subsequent adoption of HR chatbots, resulting in the sustainable development of an efficient acceptance evaluation model of change from negative to positive. This model uses the innovation decision process to foster the sustainability of HR chatbots in private companies in Thailand. Full article

Given the increasing competition and the impact of digital media in the automobile industry, dealerships need to understand the antecedents of customer happiness and brand love. The goals of the study are to analyse the combined influence of the cognitive and affective drivers of brand love for high-involvement products and its effects on behavioural intentions, paying special attention to the moderating role of susceptibility to information posted on social media. Using a sample of 317 Jordanian car buyers, a structural model is tested that confirms that the sales consultant’s empathy is a strong predictor of customer happiness during a car purchase and a stronger predictor of his/her trust in the car dealership. Happiness and trust translate into greater brand love, which in turn can generate resistance towards negative information posted on social media; positive electronic word-of-mouth; and willingness to pay more. Happiness fully mediated the relationship between empathy and car brand love. The effect of the impact of the perceived empathy of salespeople on customer happiness was stronger for consumers with low susceptibility to information posted on social media. This work expands the academic knowledge of the direct mediating and moderating effects of brand love. Full article

Admittedly, tourism stakeholders become more aware of the negative impacts of tourism, and it has become increasingly important to brand and position destinations towards sustainability. The main concern is emphasizing economic, social, and environmental awareness and implementation at the destination level regarding planning and development. This paper identifies the importance of sustainable place branding as part of destination social responsibility in the current global context. The main focus is identifying visitors’ responses as part of sustainable destination marketing. The study conducts a systematic literature review by rigorously selecting 26 related articles from the 106 search results for further analysis. The study results highlight the emergence of sustainable place branding concepts in academic literature, especially after the post-pandemic period. The themes identified in the literature analysis revolve around sustainable place branding in creating unique tourism experiences and engagement that resonates with the visitors’ self-perceptions and expectations of a destination. Sustainable place branding positively impacts destination image, trust, value, and loyalty. Moreover, it can create positive visitor outcomes, such as an intention to revisit because of positive word of mouth. The article concludes with suggestions for future research, emphasizing the need to explore further sustainable place branding and its influence on visitors’ responses in the evolving landscape of global tourism. Full article

The present study aimed to analyze the current state of the art regarding brand hate with the main intention of identifying possible gaps to be explored in future studies. Brand hate can be described as a set of negative emotions on the part of consumers concerning a certain brand, whose implications involve a reduction in the profitability of companies, as well as of their market shares. From the research carried out in the Scopus and Web of Science databases, 90 publications related to the theme were identified, of which 25 were selected and read in full. The analyzed literature points out that research on the subject has focused almost exclusively on the development of the phenomenon and its consequences from the perspective of consumer behavior. Therefore, the emphasis has been on identifying its direct antecedents, on the effects of its mediators in a set of behaviors such as complaints, negative word of mouth, protests, sponsorship reduction and assignment, brand change, and wishes for revenge, among others. Few studies have been dedicated to understanding the direct effects of brand hate on consumer behavior, its evolution over time in different industries and contexts, who its mediators are, and how the phenomenon is perceived and managed from the perspective of the companies involved in this phenomenon, providing opportunities for future research. Full article

By using the texts of Internet word-of-mouth, the most popular digital banking services and its users’ perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of these services were explored. Python was used to capture 2026 valid texts on the Industrial Square Banking Service Edition, covering the period of 2016−2020. The results show that (1) the digital banking Fintech provided digital and traditional services, (2) positive comments were seen more than negative comments for confirmation and perceived usefulness while negative comments were more than positive comments for satisfaction and continuance intention, and (3) satisfaction via Internet word-of-mouth was seen the most frequently. Full article

This study indicates that the positive and negative effects of word-of-mouth (WOM) have an impact and moderating effect on vaccine uptake willingness, which is important to exploring the factors that affect vaccine uptake. We further analyzed the differences in the impact relationship between variables through questionnaire research. Based on the Health Belief Model (HBM) widely used to explore global health issues, this study focuses on Taiwanese residents and uses a questionnaire survey method. Furthermore, this study investigates the impact of various factors in the HBM on the willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine when faced with positive and negative word-of-mouth evaluations from the perspective of vaccine recipients, as well as whether WOM evaluations have an interference effect, along with the differences between variables. Practical recommendations are provided based on the research results, which can serve as a reference for future vaccine promotion programs and health promotion. By improving the national vaccination rate and achieving herd immunity, we aim to increase the persuasiveness of word-of-mouth on public healthcare decision-making. We also hope to provide a basis for health promotion and encourage people to make informed decisions about vaccination. Full article

As climate change continues, environmental sustainability has become a popular topic among brands and consumer groups. The fashion industry has detrimental impacts on the natural environment; however, little is known about how brand benefits can help sustainable fashion brands develop relationships with consumers and promote consumer behavior. This study focuses on Instagram to investigate how consumers’ perceived brand benefits predict relationship commitment, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM), and purchase intention. Prior studies have overlooked the possible effects of various benefits. This study outlines five benefits of sustainable fashion brands: inner self-expression, social self-expression, warm glow, green, and economic benefits. Results from a survey of sustainable fashion brand followers on Instagram showed that eWOM positively related with economic benefits and negatively with warm glow and green benefits. Findings further indicated a mediating effect of relationship commitment between benefits and consumers’ behavior. Lastly, the level of environmental attitude influenced the mediating impact of relationship commitment. The implications of these findings are discussed, and suggestions for future research are provided. Full article

This study aims to understand the post-adoption behaviors of mobile health (m-Health) service users during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on the stimulus-organism-response framework, we examined the effects of user personality traits, doctor characteristics, and perceived risks on user continuance intentions and positive word of mouth (WOM) when using m-Health, as mediated by cognitive and emotional trust. The empirical data were collected via an online survey questionnaire from 621 m-Health service users in China and were verified with partial least squares structural equation modeling. The results showed that personal traits and doctor characteristics were positively associated and the perceived risks were negatively associated with both cognitive and emotional trust. Both cognitive and emotional trust significantly influenced users’ post-adoption behavioral intentions in terms of continuance intentions and positive WOM, with different magnitudes. This study provides new insights for the promotion of the sustainable development of m-Health businesses after or during the pandemic. Full article