E-Commerce Commons^™

Why Is The Crowd Divided? Attribution For Dispersion In Online Word Of Mouth, Stephen He, Samuel Bond

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The widespread availability of online word of mouth (WOM) enables modern consumers to assess not only the opinions of others about products and services, but also the extent to which those opinions are consistent or dispersive. Despite longstanding calls for greater understanding of mixed opinions, existing evidence is inconclusive regarding effects of WOM dispersion, and theoretical accounts have relied primarily on the notion of reference dependence. Extending prior work, this research proposes an attribution-based account, in which consumer interpretation of WOM dispersion depends on the extent to which tastes in a product domain are perceived to be dissimilar, so that …

Mobile Security Tips To Help You Be Safe!, Connie Hancock, Glenn Muske

Community Vitality Initiative

No abstract provided.

Finding The Time To Create A Social Media Strategy, Connie Hancock, Glenn Muske

Community Vitality Initiative

No abstract provided.

Procurement In Property And Construction - A Review Of Practises Under Taken By A Medium Size Contractor In Ireland, Charles Mitchell

Other Resources

3B Contracting Limited is a privately owned building and civil engineering firm on the east coast of Ireland. The company works predominately within the east Leinster region. The company falls into the category of being a small to medium size contracting company.

The procurement function is carried out by a number of small departments. Procurement is a key function for securing value for money and ensuring the successful continuation of the company.

Most projects tendered are done so using the traditional method of design-bid-build and as a result the subsequent sub-contract packages are secured in a similar manner. All plant …

A Web Personalization Artifact For Utility-Sensitive Review Analysis, Long Flory Mrs.

Theses and Dissertations

Online customer reviews are web content voluntarily posted by the users of a product (e.g. camera) or service (e.g. hotel) to express their opinions about the product or service. Online reviews are important resources for businesses and consumers. This dissertation focuses on the important consumer concern of review utility, i.e., the helpfulness or usefulness of online reviews to inform consumer purchase decisions. Review utility concerns consumers since not all online reviews are useful or helpful. And, the quantity of the online reviews of a product/service tends to be very large. Manual assessment of review utility is not only time consuming …

Exploring The Relationship Between Online Search And Offline Sales For Better "Nowcasting", Sandeep R. Chandukala, Jeffrey P. Dotson, Qing Liu, Stephan Conrady

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Although the conditions that motivate individuals to buy, sell, search, and post on the Internet are diverse, the information generated as a byproduct of these activities has the potential to help marketers develop a better understanding of consumer and firm behavior. In this paper, we utilize online product search data to build a model that links sales to marketing mix activity. The objectives of this research are threefold: first, to incorporate secondary data collected from online sources into a model of demand, thus improving our ability to forecast sales; second, to develop a better understanding of the role of marketing …

The Relationship Between Fashion Blogs And Intention To Purchase And Word Of Mouth Behavior, Cassidy L. Vineyard

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Blogs are an influential social media platform and a powerful marketing tool (Hsu & Tsou, 2011). A corporate fashion blog is an online product community. Online product communities established by retailers enable customers to interact with the company as well as amongst themselves (Nambisan & Watt, 2011). Online communities are a social space wherein relationships and ties are formed among the members and a common set of values and norms are established and shared (Nambisan & Watt, 2011).

The objective of this study was threefold. First it explored what factors shape readers’ intention to browse products on blogs. Based on …

How Corporations Use Social Media: An Exploratory Study, Victor Khachatryan

Honors College Theses

This paper explores the role of social media in increasing a company’s brand equity and strengthening its customer relationships. The data collected consists of three case studies of major American companies, two interviews with Brazilian entrepreneurs, and a survey conducted to start-up companies in the New York City area. The paper then concludes that the use of social media by businesses, leads to a positive relationship with brand equity and improved customer relationships. Nevertheless, further research is required to see how other factors interact with brand equity and customer relationships to get a better understanding of social media and its …

Use Of Peripheral Route Triggers To Test Buying Habits On Social Curating Sites, Kellie K. Brown

Communication Studies

Ecommerce has become an increasingly visual activity as images of product fill websites, social media, and social curation sites. The Elaboration Likelihood Model has often been used to examine and explain online purchasing behavior; however, this previous research barely touches on the use of peripheral cues. In analyzing the effect of peripheral cues on buying habits when searching social curation sites, statistical results from a survey conducted using women aged 18 to 34 in the San Luis Obispo area showed that these cues made no difference on the activity of a user. Regardless of their awareness to the visual cues, …

Running And Chasing: The Competition Between Paid Search Marketing And Search Engine Optimization, Kai Li, Mei Lin, Zhangxi Lin, Bo Xing

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

As search engine is leading the revenue growth in online marketing field, the competition of search engine marketing between paid search marketing (PSM) by search engine providers (SEPs), and search engine optimization (SEO) provided by search engine optimization firms, is white-hot. While PSM is simply for advertisers to buy the top ranks in sponsored links, SEO tries to optimize advertisers' websites by free-riding search engine's organic searching results. This study aims to investigate this competition by analytical modeling regarding organic search quality. We focus on sustainability conditions of SEO firms, investment analysis of SEO firms, and profit analysis of SEP. …

How Do Consumers Use Social Shopping Websites? The Impact Of Social Endorsements, Pei Xu

Theses and Dissertations--Business Administration

Social endorsements are user-generated endorsements of products or services, such as “likes” and personal collections, in an online social platform. We examine the effect of prior social endorsements on subsequent users’ tendency to endorse or examine a product in a social shopping context, where a social platform connect consumers and enable a collaborative shopping experience. This research consists of two parts. In part I, we identify two ways prior social endorsements can affect subsequent user behavior: as a crowd endorsement, which is an aggregate number of endorsements a product receives for anyone who comes across the product, and as …

Ratings Lead You To The Product, Reviews Help You Clinch It? The Dynamics And Impact Of Online Review Sentiments On Products Sales, Nan Hu, Noi Sian Koh, Srinivas K. Reddy

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

It is generally assumed that ratings are a numeric representation of text sentiments and their valences are consistent. This however may not always be true. Using a panel of data on over 4000 books from Amazon.com, we develop a multiple equation model to examine the inter-relationships between ratings, sentiments, and sales. We find that ratings do not have a significant direct impact on sales but have an indirect impact through sentiments. Sentiments, however, have a direct significant impact on sales. Our findings also indicate that the two most accessible types of reviews - most helpful and most recent - play …

The Influence Of Mobile Website Quality On Consumer Satisfaction And Behavior, Xiuyuan Gao

Department of Textiles, Merchandising and Fashion Design: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Mobile shopping has grown into a huge market and an increasing number of consumers have begun to use mobile websites to shop. Therefore, how mobile shopping websites provide good shopping to customers is significant. The object of this study is to relate factors of website quality to college students’ satisfaction with mobile shopping experiences, which in turn influence their intentions to return to the website and/or to purchase on the website. Five dimensions of website quality, which were information quality, navigation, visual appeal, response time and interactivity, were selected in this study. The model of self-regulatory process (Bagozzi, 1992) has …

Word Of Mouth And The Forecasting Of Consumption Enjoyment, Stephen He, Samuel Bond

Faculty & Staff Scholarship

The digital era has permitted rapid transfer of peer knowledge regarding products and services. In the present research, we explore the value of specific types of word-of-mouth information (numeric ratings and text commentary) for improving forecasts of consumption enjoyment. We present an anchoring-and-adjustment model in which the relative forecasting error associated with ratings and commentary depends on the extent to which consumer and reviewer have similar product-level preferences. To test our model, we present four experiments using a range of hedonic stimuli. Implications for the provision of consumer WOM are discussed.

Will "Smarter" Marketing End Social Discrimination? A Critical Review, Frances Grodzinsky, Andra Gumbus, Stephen J. Lilley

School of Computer Science & Engineering Faculty Publications

Purpose - There are two claims made by the web marketing/advertising industry. 1) By collecting, managing, and mining data, companies serve consumer’s best interests and 2) by adopting sophisticated analytics web marketers avoid discriminations that disserve individuals. Although we share an interest in ending social discrimination, we are more circumspect about pronounced individualism and technological fixes. Despite its appeal, or perhaps because of it, we should not accept the claim at face value. In this paper we argue that social discrimination may not disappear under smarter marketing; more overt forms may wane only to be replaced by more subtle forms. …

Technology Readiness In A B2b Online Retail Context: An Examination Of Antecedents And Outcomes, Roisin Vize, Joseph Coughlan, Aileen Kennedy, Fiona Ellis-Chadwick

Articles

This paper develops and empirically tests a model that examines the role of Technology Readiness (TR) in the Business-to-Business (B2B) context. It examines how the antecedents of TR affect the construct, and how the construct affects evaluations of a complex credence based B2B service. The research investigates how the retailers’ TR impacts their evaluation of web solution service providers (WSSPs). It responds to previous research calls by extending the TR construct from the business-to-consumer (B2C) perspective that is traditional in the extant literature into the B2B domain. The key findings of a survey conducted with 133 firms in the retail …

Social Media Helps Small Businesses, Nicholas J. Oxborrow

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Beemer and Shook (2009) explain that developing customers one at a time is the only way. There are no short cuts to this. Traditionally, a small business would develop their relationships by going from door-to-door to raise awareness and grow their brand. How fast they achieved this depended on the budget and time available to their business. Traditionally, large businesses had the power of reaching their markets through huge advertising budget, which small companies could not match.

In today’s business environment, social media has become a new marketing tool that is available to all businesses, that instantly develops relationships with …

The Impact Of Nationality, Gender, And Education On Students’ Buying Attitudes Towards Ethical And Socially Responsible Products, Christina Blundin, Suphamas Chatvisedphan, Siraprapa Dusadeewanich, Elena Perova, Xuebo Wang

MBA Student Scholarship

In today’s corporate climate, a company’s ethical and social responsible (ESR) involvement raises concern amongst consumers. Companies seek methods to demonstrate their high level of ESR in order to win customers’ loyalty. Prior research has been performed examining different variables with regards to the purchase of ESR products. This study utilizes empirical evidence from a private university in Rhode Island, Johnson & Wales University to investigate the significance of demographic variables such as nationality, gender and educational level with regards to students' ESR buying attitude. Additionally considered and analyzed external factors are product price, advertisement and industry concern. Results indicate …

F.A.C.E.S. (Faculty Academic Community Education Showcase): Professional Growth Experiences In A Career University, Paul J. Colbert, Ph.D.

MBA Faculty Conference Papers & Journal Articles

Institutes of higher education exist for the purpose of developing, fostering, nurturing, and stimulating the intellectual growth and development of students. The core values of a college education provide students conceptual and practical educational opportunities that focus on improving their skills and knowledge. These skills and knowledge translate into purposeful, real-life learning experiences. However, in the academic community, learning is not restricted to students. Faculty, too, must be supported and provided opportunities for personal and professional growth and development. Although professional development is not a novel concept in the education profession, schools often take up the gauntlet, but fall short …

Self-Enhancement As A Motivation For Sharing Online Advertising, David G. Taylor, David Strutton, Kenneth Thompson

WCBT Faculty Publications

Marketers have long understood that consumers' self-concepts influence the products they purchase; conversely, products purchased influence people's self-concepts. Might the same self-enhancement framework apply in to shared online advertisements? Using the symbolic interactionist perspective of identity theory, this study empirically tests the proposition that online consumers use electronic word of mouth, and specifically the sharing of online advertising, to construct and express their self-concepts. The results suggest that self-brand congruity, entertainment value, and product category involvement increase the self-expressiveness of online ads, which then increase the likelihood of sharing those ads. These findings have both theoretical and managerial implications.

Identifying Green Meetings In The Hospitality Industry, Shin Yi (Felicity) Chiou

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Purpose:

The purpose of this paper is to identify what constitutes green meetings in the hospitality industries with special attentions on the applications of modern technologies and marketing strategies. This professional paper will search and collect the related literature reviews and existent practices with green ideology in hospitality to clarify the myth and difficulties of being green and help the readers or potential advocates better understand green meetings and adopt them.

Advertising In Online Social Networks: A Comprehensive Overview, Silvia Stockman

Honors Scholar Theses

This paper examines characteristics of online social networking sites and their implications on advertising. The application of well known interpersonal and mass communication theories to the field allows for an in-depth look at behavioral cues and responses. The interactivity inherent in sites like Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, and in other forums encourages advertisers to tap into engaging their consumers. Types of targeting and the success of word of mouth referrals are examined, as are many of the common stumbling blocks. To better understand the potential versus the problems, we conclude with an analysis of return on investment.

Developing A Culturally Responsive Classroom Collaborative Of Faculty, Students, And Institution, Paul J. Colbert

MBA Faculty Conference Papers & Journal Articles

Culture is integral to the learning process. It is the organization and way of life within the community of students and teachers and directs the way they communicate, interact, and approach teaching and learning. Although founded in particular values and principles, the academy, like most organizations, is impacted day-to-day by its culture. Yet, the traditional higher education institution has not been designed to operate within a racially or ethnically diverse student population. The social, political, economic, and cultural forces that support the institution influence the teaching and learning environments. To better address cultural diversity in the classroom, faculty must first …

Determining Effect Of Website Usability And Satisfaction Loyality And Positive Word-Of-Mouth : Malaysia Internet Banking., Tan Hui Lee

Student Works (2010-2019)

In Malaysia, Internet Banking has been evaluated in many ways, often in the aspect of adoption and implementation. In this paper, we review Internet Banking from the competitive environment and consumer perspectives with the purpose to develop an understanding of the effect of website usability, customer satisfaction on loyalty and positive word-of-mouth (WOM). It was found that website usability and customer satisfaction enhances customer loyalty and word-of-mouth in the Malaysia Internet Banking. It was also discovered that customer satisfaction mediates the relationship between website usability and customer loyalty as well as between website usability and WOM, and that customer loyalty …

Factors Influencing Consumers' Trust In Online Shopping., Norasmah Noa

Student Works (2010-2019)

Despite the growing development of e-commerce and emerging of online shopping as a new way of doing business, it is still a new technology breakthrough in Malaysia. Unlike the traditional bricks and mortar marketplace, the online shopping includes several distinct factors that will influence consumers’ trust to shop and subsequently purchase online. As stated by Kaufaris and Hampton-Sosa (2004), lack of trust in online environment is a primary reason why many web users do not shop online. This study aims to identify what factors influencing consumers’ trust in online shopping, to examine whether trust influence consumers to purchase online, and …

Factors Influencing Consumers' Trust In Online Shopping., Norasmah Noa

Student Works (2010-2019)

Despite the growing development of e-commerce and emerging of online shopping as a new way of doing business, it is still a new technology breakthrough in Malaysia. Unlike the traditional bricks and mortar marketplace, the online shopping includes several distinct factors that will influence consumers’ trust to shop and subsequently purchase online. As stated by Kaufaris and Hampton-Sosa (2004), lack of trust in online environment is a primary reason why many web users do not shop online. This study aims to identify what factors influencing consumers’ trust in online shopping, to examine whether trust influence consumers to purchase online, and …

Can The Presence Of Online Word Of Mouth Increase Product Sales?, Alanah Mitchell, Deepak Khazanchi

Information Systems and Quantitative Analysis Faculty Publications

The power and potential impact of online word of mouth has increased substantially. Consumers have come to accept and rely upon online word of mouth, so it is important to understand how it works and what kind of impact it has on online product sales. This article provides an assessment of this question through an analysis of sales and online word of mouth data from a multi-product e-commerce retail firm.

The Antecedents Of Initial Trust On Intention To Purchase Online In Malaysia., Chin Kian Hoong

Student Works (2010-2019)

Internet shopping is not new to developed countries, particularly from the western part. However, survey shows that the volume of Internet purchase in Malaysia is far behind compared to those countries. The percentage of Internet shopping in Malaysia is relatively low compared to other Internet usage. Lack of initial trust on Internet vendors is an issue in Internet shopping. Without a trusting foundation, Internet shoppers are reluctant to move forward to make transactions online. Therefore, formation of trusting attitude is imperative in any success of Internet business. However, the factors that influence the formation of initial trust Internet shopping remain …

From Online Perceived Value To E-Loyalty : A Study Of Malaysian Low Cost Carriers., Lim Pey Chyi

Student Works (2010-2019)

Emergence of Malaysia-based low cost carriers (LCCs) has changed the travelling trends and air ticket purchasing behaviors in the country lately. With the advancement of information technology, consumers now can purchase online air ticket 24/7/365. Besides, consumers are more aware of the online offerings through massive advertising and promotional efforts implemented by LCCs. Price-sensitive consumers are now well-informed and aware of the benefits of buying air tickets online. Therefore, establishing a web site that provides good online service becomes the priority of LCCs marketers. This research was conducted with the objective of studying Malaysian consumers’ perception towards the online perceived …

Factors Influencing The Adoption Of Online Purchase Through Blogs In Malaysia / Fariza Malawati Abdullah, Fariza Malawati Abdullah

Student Works (2010-2019)

Internet users in Malaysia have grown from only fifteen percent Internet penetration over population in year 2000 to sixty-six percent penetration in year 2009. The Internet has become a means of transaction for consumers in the global market. A study by the International Data Corporation (IDC) indicates that the future forecast of online shopping in Malaysia looks bright and promising. One of the more popular online marketing channels is Blogs. This study aims to identify the adoption factors towards online purchase through Blogs in the Malaysian consumers’ context. A conceptual model integrating five determinants namely, utilitarian orientation, hedonic orientation, trust, …