Journal of Information Technology Services (한국IT서비스학회지)

Korea Society of IT Services (한국IT서비스학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Effect of Consumer Characteristics on Intention to Use Product Reviews to Make Online Purchasing Decisions

소비자의 특성이 온라인 상품평 활용의도에 미치는 영향

  • 박윤주 (서울과학기술대학교 경영학과)
  • Received : 2017.04.20
  • Accepted : 2017.05.19
  • Published : 2017.06.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

This study analyzes the variable consumer characteristics that influence the intention to use online product reviews. In online e-commerce, where purchases take place without consumers seeing the products in person, the product reviews left by other consumers who have already purchased the product are believed to be valuable information. However, when different consumers read the same product review, their responses to it may vary. This study analyzes the characteristics of consumers who utilize product reviews for their purchases. Consumer characteristics are categorized into personal information, personality, purchasing tendency, and experience related to product reviews. These factors are examined to see if they have direct or indirect effects on a consumer's intention to use product reviews when making online purchases. We surveyed a total of 240 consumers who had experience using e-commerce and knew about online product reviews. Once the data was collected, path analysis was conducted using the statistics tool AMOS. The study results reveal that consumers who are female, extroverted, and have higher price sensitivity think that product reviews left by others are useful, and that this "perceived usefulness" has a positive effect on the intention to use product reviews for making online purchasing decisions. In addition, consumers who are agreeable to others, have high brand sensitivity, and who have left numerous reviews themselves demonstrated the tendency to trust reviews left by others more. Thus, we conclude that this "perceived reliability" makes it more likely that a consumer will use product reviews when making online purchasing decisions. Future research can be done to develop this study further by analyzing whether providing online product reviews corresponding to the personal characteristics of consumers enhances the effect of product reviews on online purchasing decisions.

Keywords

References

  1. Assael, H., "Consumer Behavior : A Strategic Approach", Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2003.
  2. Bei, L.T., E.Y. Chen, and R. Widdows, "Consumers' online Information Search Behavior and the Phenomenon of Search vs. Experience Products", Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Vol.25, No.4, 2004, 449-467.
  3. Chatterjee, P., "Online Reviews : Do Consumers Use Them?", Advance in Consumer Research, Vol.28, 2001, 129-133.
  4. Chen, Y. and J. Xie, "Online Consumer Review : Word-of-mouth as a New Element of Marketing Communication Mix", Management Science, Vol.54, No.3, 2008, 477-491. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1070.0810
  5. Cheung, M.Y., C. Luo, C.L. Sia, and H. Chen, "Credibility of Electronic Word of-Mouth : Informational and Normative Determinants of On-line Consumer Recommendations", International Journal of Electronic Commerce, Vol.13, No.4, 2009, 9-38. https://doi.org/10.2753/JEC1086-4415130402
  6. Chevalier, J.A. and D. Mayzlin, "The Effect of Word of Mouth on Sales : Online Book Reviews", Journal of Marketing Research, Vol.43, No.3, 2003, 345-354. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkr.43.3.345
  7. Dellarocas, C. and R. Narayan, "A Statistical Measure of a Population's Propensity to Engage in Post-Purchase Online Word-of-Mouth", Statistical Science, Vol.21, No.2, 2006, 277-285. https://doi.org/10.1214/088342306000000169
  8. Duan, W., B. Gu, and A.B. Whinston, "Do Online Reviews Matter?-An Empirical Investigation of Panel Data", Decision Support Systems, Vol.45, No.4, 2008, 1007-1016. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2008.04.001
  9. Forman, C., A. Ghose, and B. Wiesenfeld, "Examining the Relationship between Reviews and Sales : The Role of Reviewer Identity Disclosure in Electronic Markets", Information Systems Research, Vol.19, No.3, 2008, 291-313. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.1080.0193
  10. Ghose, A. and P.G. Ipeirotis, "Estimating the Helpfulness and Economic Impact of Product Reviews : Mining Text and Reviewer Characteristics", IEEE Transactions on Knowledge and Data Engineering, Vol.23, No.10, 2011, 1498-1512. https://doi.org/10.1109/TKDE.2010.188
  11. Josang, A., R. Ismail, and C. Boyd, "A Survey of Trust and Reputation Systems for Online Service Provision", Decision Support Systems, Vol.43, No.2, 2007, 618-644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2005.05.019
  12. Lee, G.N., Y.J. Won, C.H. Cho, G.H. Lee, E.A. Na, H.S. Hwang, and M.J. Shin, "2010 Survey on the Internet Usage", Seoul : Korea Internet and Security Agency, 2010. (이계남, 원유재, 조찬형, 이건호, 나은아, 황혜선, 신명재, "2010년 인터넷 이용실태 조사", 서울 : 한국인터넷진흥원, 2010.)
  13. Lee, H.G. and H. Kwak, "Investigation of Factors Affecting the Effects of Online Consumer Reviews", Informatization Policy, Vol. 20, No.3, 2013, 3-17. (이호근, 곽 현, "온라인 소비자 리뷰의 효과에 영향을 미치는 요인에 대한 고찰", 정보화정책, 제20권, 제3호, 2013, 3-17.)
  14. McCrae, R.R. and P.T. Costa, "Personality Trait Structure as a Human Universal", American Psychologist, Vol.52, No.5, 1997, 509-516. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.52.5.509
  15. McKnight, H. and C. Kacmar, "Factors of Information Credibility for an Internet Advice Site", HICSS'06, Proceedings of the 39th Annual Hawaii International Conference, 2006.
  16. Mudambi, S.M. and D. Schuff, "What Makes a Helpful Online Review? A Study of Customer Reviews on Amazon.com", MIS Quarterly, Vol.34, No.1, 2010, 185-200. https://doi.org/10.2307/20721420
  17. Nelson, P., "Advertising as Information", The Journal of Political Economy, Vol.82, No.4, 1974, 729-754. https://doi.org/10.1086/260231
  18. Nunally, J.C., Psychometric Theory, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1978.
  19. Picazo-Vela, S., S.Y. Chou, A.J. Melcher, and J.M. Pearson, "Why Provide an Online Review? An Extended Theory of Planned Behavior and the Role of Big-Five Personality Traits", Computers in Human Behavior, Vol.26, No.4, 2010, 685-696. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2010.01.005
  20. Racherla, P. and W. Friske, "Perceived 'Usefulness' of Online Consumer Reviews : An Exploratory Investigation Across three Services Categories", Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, Vol.11, No.6, 2012, 548-559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2012.06.003
  21. Smith, D., S. Menon, and K. Sivakumar, "Online Peer and Editorial Recommendations, Trust, and Choice in Virtual Markets", Journal of Interactive Marketing, Vol.19, No.3, 2005, 15-37. https://doi.org/10.1002/dir.20041
  22. So, H.J., "Attributes of Trusted Blog Contents : Through Analysis of Product-reviews in Powerblogs and Consumer Survey", The Journal of the Korea Contents Association, Vol.13, No.1, 2013, 73-82. (소현진, "신뢰받는 블로그 컨텐츠의 특성 탐구-파워블로그의 사용 후기 분석과 소비자 조사를 통하여", 한국콘텐츠학회논문지, 제13권, 제1호, 2013, 73-82.) https://doi.org/10.5392/JKCA.2013.13.01.073
  23. Sridhar, S. and R. Srinivasan, "Social Influence Effects in Online Product Ratings", Journal of Marketing, Vol.76, No.5, 2012, 70-88. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.10.0377
  24. Yoon, H.J., S.H. Ahn, and J.J. Lee, "Determinants of Trust in Power Blogs and Their Effect on Purchase Intention", Journal of the Korea Contents Association, Vol.12, No. 2, 2012, 411-419. (윤혜정, 안승혜, 이중정, "파워블로그의 신뢰 요인이 제품 및 서비스 구매 의도에 미치는 영향", 한국콘텐츠학회논문지, 제12권, 제2호, 2012, 411-419.) https://doi.org/10.5392/JKCA.2012.12.02.411
  25. Zhu, F. and X. Zhang, "Impact of Online Consumer Reviews on Sales : The moderating Role of Product and Consumer Characteristics", Journal of Marketing, Vol.74, No.2, 2010, 133-148. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmkg.74.2.133