Electronic word-of-mouth e a sua influência na intenção de compra dos utilizadores do Facebook

Social media websites are driven mainly by user-generated content, and their popularity augmented the interpersonal communications’ ability to influence consumer behavior regarding products or services between online social networks. This study examined the determinants of Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) transmitted by Facebook friends which influence consumers’ purchasing intention. The model used is adapted from Information Acceptance Model (IAM) by Erkan and Evans (2016). Research objectives consist on the investigation of characteristics of the information (information quality and credibility), the receiver (attitude towards information and needs of information) and the sender (source credibility), which have the greatest impact on eWOM’s influence on consumer behavior. Information usefulness was considered a key antecedent of the consumer’s responses (information adoption and purchase intention). Data collected through an online questionnaire on 294 Facebook users residing in Portugal were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Receiver’s characteristics show the highest impact on purchase intention. Information quality doesn’t present any effect on purchase intention. Additionally, information credibility appears to have a total mediating effect over information quality and source credibility on information usefulness.