The Role by Electronic Word-of-Mouth (EWOM) Influencing Trust and Brand Image in Online Hotel Booking Among Thai Generation Z

Main Article Content

Kobkrit Rakjit
Tipparat Laohavichien

Abstract

This research paper examines the electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) influencing trust and brand image in online hotel booking among Thai generation Z in Thailand. Data were collected by using questionnaire-based surveys. The participants in this study were 420 respondents, who had experiences in online hotel reservations within one year. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to propose the conceptual model by considering the effect of eWOM on trust and brand image among Generation Z. The research finding revealed that eWOM has a significant positive effect on trust and brand image in online hotel booking among Thai generation Z. Specifically, this could be due to the fact that Thai generation Z as consumers are likely to trust online reviews and choose the hotel with a positive brand image.

Article Details

Section
Research Articles

References

Aghekyan-Simonian, M., Forsythe, S., Kwon, W. S., & Chattaraman, V. (2012). The role of product brand image and online store image on perceived risks and online purchase intentions for apparel. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 19(3), 325-331.

Angulo, D., Ripple, L., & Halko, N. (2016). U.S. Patent No. 9,336,282. Washington, DC: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Awad, N. F., & Ragowsky, A. (2008). Establishing trust in electronic commerce through online word of mouth: An examination across genders. Journal of Management Information Systems, 24(4), 101-121.

Ayeh, J. K., Au, N., & Law, R. (2013). “Do we believe in TripAdvisor?” Examining credibility perceptions and online travelers’ attitude toward using user-generated content. Journal of Travel Research, 52(4), 437-452.

Bagozzi, R. P., & Yi, Y. (2012). Specification, evaluation, and interpretation of structural equation models. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 40(1), 8-34.

Bernstein, M. H. (2015). Regulating business by independent commission. United States: Princeton University Press.

Bibby, D. N. (2011). Sponsorship portfolio as brand image creation strategies: A commentary essay. Journal of Business Research, 64(6), 628-630.

Burgess, S., Sellitto, C., Cox, C., & Buultjens, J. (2011). Trust perceptions of online travel information by different content creators: Some social and legal implications. Information Systems Frontiers, 13(2), 221-235.

Business Insider. (2019). Generation Z latest characteristics research and facts. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from https://www.businessinsider.com/generation-z

Casaló, L. V., Flavián, C., & Guinalíu, M. (2011). Understanding the intention to follow the advice obtained in an online travel community. Computers in Human Behavior, 27(2), 622-633.

Chakraborty, U., & Bhat, S. (2018). Credibility of online reviews and its impact on brand image. Management Research Review, 41(1), 148-164.

Cheung, C. M. K., & Lee, M. K. O. (2012). What drives consumers to spread electronic word of mouth in online consumer-opinion platforms. Decision Support Systems, 53(1), 218-225.

Chinomona, R. (2016). Brand communication, brand image and brand trust as antecedents of brand loyalty in Gauteng Province of South Africa. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 7(1), 124-139.

Chu, S. C., & Kim, Y. (2011). Determinants of consumer engagement in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites. International Journal of Advertising, 30(1), 47-75.

Chulaphan, W., & Barahona, J. F. (2018). Contribution of disaggregated tourism on Thailand's economic growth. Kasetsart Journal of Social Sciences, 39(3), 401-406.

Connolly, R., & Bannister, F. (2007). Consumer trust in Internet shopping in Ireland: Towards the development of a more effective trust measurement instrument. Journal of Information Technology, 22(2), 102-118.

Cretu, A. E., & Brodie, R. J. (2007). The influence of brand image and company reputation where manufacturers market to small firms: A customer value perspective. Industrial Marketing Management, 36(2), 230-240.

Cronbach, L. J., & Shavelson, R. J. (2004). My current thoughts on coefficient alpha and successor procedures. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 64(3), 391-418.

Electronic Transactions Development Agency (ETDA). (2018). Thailand Internet user profile 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2019, from https://www.etda.or.th/publishing-detail/thailand-internet-user-profile-2018.html

Erkan, I. (2015). Electronic word of mouth on Instagram: Customers’ engagements with brands in different sectors. International Journal of Management, Accounting and Economics, 2(12), 1435-1444.

Farzin, M., & Fattahi, M. (2018). eWOM through social networking sites and impact on purchase intention and brand image in Iran. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 15(2), 161-183.

Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39-50.

Gefen, D., Karahanna, E., & Straub, D. W. (2003). Trust and TAM in online shopping: An integrated model. MIS Quarterly, 27(1), 51-90.

Glanville, J. L., & Paxton, P. (2007). How do we learn to trust? A confirmatory tetrad analysis of the sources of generalized trust. Social Psychology Quarterly, 70(3), 230-242.

Goh, E., & Lee, C. (2018). A workforce to be reckoned with: The emerging pivotal Generation Z hospitality workforce. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 73, 20-28.

Gottschalk, S. A., & Mafael, A. (2017). Cutting through the online review jungle—investigating selective eWOM processing. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 37, 89-104.

Grewal, D., Krishnan, R., Baker, J., & Borin, N. A. (1998). The effect of store name, brand name and price discounts on consumers' evaluations and purchase intentions. Journal of Retailing, 74(3), 331.

Grönroos, C. (1990). Service management and marketing: Managing the moments of truth in service competition. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.

Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & William, C. (1995). Multivariate data analysis with readings. New Jersey: Prentice hall

Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., Anderson, R. E., & Tatham, R. L. (1998). Multivariate data analysis. New Jersey: Prentice hall

Hair, J. F., Anderson, R. E., Babin, B. J., & Black, W. C. (2010). Multivariate data analysis: A global perspective (Vol.7). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Hallikainen, H., & Laukkanen, T. (2018). National culture and consumer trust in e-commerce. International Journal of Information Management, 38(1), 97-106.

Harris, L. C., & Goode, M. M. (2004). The four levels of loyalty and the pivotal role of trust: A study of online service dynamics. Journal of Retailing, 80(2), 139-158.

Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., Walsh, G., & Gremler, D. D. (2004). Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: What motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the internet? Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18(1), 38-52.

Hu, X., Ha, L., Mo, S., & Xu, Y. (2014). Who are fans of Facebook fan pages? An electronic word-of-mouth communication perspective. International Journal of Cyber Society and Education, 7(2), 125-146.

Hu, L. T., & Bentler, P. M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling: A Multidisciplinary Journal, 6(1), 1-55.

Hussain, S., Ahmed, W., Jafar, R. M. S., Rabnawaz, A., & Jianzhou, Y. (2017). eWOM source credibility, perceived risk and food product customer's information adoption. Computers in Human Behavior, 66, 96-102.

Issa, T., & Isaias, P. (2016). Internet factors influencing generations Y and Z in Australia and Portugal: A practical study. Information Processing & Management, 52(4), 592-617.

Jalilvand, M. R., & Samiei, N. (2012). The impact of electronic word of mouth on a tourism destination choice: Testing the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Internet Research: Electronic Networking Applications and Policy, 22(5), 591-612.

Keller, K. L. (1998). Branding perspectives on social marketing. Advances in Consumer

Research, 25(1), 299-302.

Kenning, P. (2008). The influence of general trust and specific trust on buying behavior. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 36(6), 461-476.

Kline, R. B. (2011). Methodology in the social sciences. Principles and practice of structural equation modeling (3rd ed.). New York: Guilford Press.

Kline, R. B., & Santor, D. A. (1999). Principles & practice of structural equation modelling. Canadian Psychology, 40(4), 381.

Lahap, J., Ramli, N. S., Said, N. M., Radzi, S. M., & Zain, R. A. (2016). A study of brand image towards customer's satisfaction in the Malaysian hotel industry. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 224, 149-157.

Ladhari, R., & Michaud, M. (2015). eWOM effects on hotel booking intentions, attitudes, trust, and website perceptions. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 46, 36-45.

Latina, D., & Docherty, S. (2014). Trending participation, trending exclusion? Feminist Media Studies, 14(6), 1103-1105.

Lee, K. S., & Tan, S. J. (2003). E-retailing versus physical retailing: A theoretical model and empirical test of consumer choice. Journal of Business Research, 56(11), 877-885.

Lewis, R. C., & Chambers, R. E. (2000). Marketing leadership in hospitality (3rd ed.). New York: Wiley.

Lien, C. H., Wen, M. J., Huang, L. C., & Wu, K. L. (2015). Online hotel booking: The effects of brand image, price, trust and value on purchase intentions. Asia Pacific Management Review, 20(4), 210-218.

Litvin, S. W., Goldsmith, R. E., & Pan, B. (2008). Electronic word-of-mouth in hospitality and tourism management. Tourism Management, 29(3), 458-468.

McKnight, D. H., & Choudhury, V. (2006). Distrust and trust in B2C e-commerce: Do they differ? In Proceedings of the 8th international conference on Electronic commerce: The new e-commerce: Innovations for conquering current barriers, obstacles and limitations to conducting successful business on the internet (pp. 482-491). United States: Association for Computing Machinery.

Monaco, S. (2018). Tourism and the new generations: Emerging trends and social implications in Italy. Journal of Tourism Futures, 4(1), 7-15.

Mudambi, S. M., Doyle, P., & Wong, V. (1997). An exploration of branding in industrial markets. Industrial Marketing Management, 26(5), 433-446.

Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychological theory (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Ozkan, M., & Solmaz, B. (2015). Mobile addiction of generation z and its effects on their social lives: (An application among university students in the 18-23 age group). Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 205, 92-98.

Park, C., & Lee, T. M. (2009). Information direction, website reputation and eWOM effect: A moderating role of product type. Journal of Business Research, 62(1), 61-67.

Prasad, S., Gupta, I. C., & Totala, N. K. (2017). Social media usage, electronic word of mouth and purchase-decision involvement. Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration, 9(2), 134-145.

Priporas, C. V., Stylos, N., & Fotiadis, A. K. (2017). Generation Z consumers' expectations of interactions in smart retailing: A future agenda. Computers in Human Behavior, 77, 374-381.

Reimer, T., & Benkenstein, M. (2016). Altruistic eWOM marketing: More than an alternative to monetary incentives. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 31, 323-333.

Rovinelli, R. J., & Hambleton, R. K. (1977). On the use of content specialists in the assessment of criterion-referenced test item validity. Dutch Journal of Educational Research, 2, 49–60.

Rui, H., Liu, Y., & Whinston, A. (2013). Whose and what chatter matters? The effect of tweets on movie sales. Decision Support Systems, 55(4), 863-870.

Salinas, E. M., & Pérez, J. M. P. (2009). Modeling the brand extensions' influence on brand image. Journal of Business Research, 62(1), 50-60.

See-To, E. W., & Ho, K. K. (2014). Value co-creation and purchase intention in social network sites: The role of electronic Word-of-Mouth and trust–A theoretical analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 31, 182-189.

Shankar, V., Azar, P., & Fuller, M. (2008). Practice prize paper—BRAN* EQT: A multicategory brand equity model and its application at Allstate. Marketing Science, 27(4), 567-584.

Shatto, B., & Erwin, K. (2016). Moving on from millennials: Preparing for generation Z. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 47(6), 253-254.

Skinner, H., Sarpong, D., & White, G. R. (2018). Meeting the needs of the millennials and generation Z: Gamification in tourism through geocaching. Journal of Tourism Futures, 4(1), 93-104.

Trusov, M., Bucklin, R. E., & Pauwels, K. (2009). Effects of word-of-mouth versus traditional marketing: Findings from an internet social networking site. Journal of Marketing, 73(5), 90-102.

Twenge, J. M. (2017). iGen: Why today's super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious, more tolerant, less happy--and completely unprepared for adulthood--and what that means for the rest of us. New York: Simon & Schuster Audio

Yoo, K. & Gretzel, U. (2009). Comparison of deceptive and truthful travel reviews. In W. Hopken, U. Gretzel & R. Law (Eds.), Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2009: Proceedings of the International Conference (pp. 37-47). Vienna, Austria: Springer Verlag.

Wang, L., Law, R., Guillet, B. D., Hung, K., & Fong, D. K. C. (2015). Impact of hotel website quality on online booking intentions: eTrust as a mediator. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 47, 108-115.

Webster, F. E., & Keller, K. L. (2004). A roadmap for branding in industrial markets. Journal of Brand Management, 11(5), 388-402.

Wong, J. Y., & Yeh, C. (2009). Tourist hesitation in destination decision making. Annals of Tourism Research, 36(1), 6-23.

Worrachaddejchai, D. (2019). Atta head notes tourism disruption. Retrieved April 14, 2020, from https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/1663196/atta-head-notes-tourism-disruption