Abstract
I. Research Objectives: Most of the previous studies on diffusion have concentrated on efficacy of WOM communication with the use of variables at individual level (Iacobucci 1996; Midgley et al. 1992). However, there is a paucity of studies which investigated network's structural properties as antecedents of WOM from the perspective of consumers' sociocultural propensities. Against this research backbone, this study attempted to link the network's structural properties and consumer' WOM behavior on cross-national basis. The major research objective of this study was to examine the relationship between network properties and WOM by comparing Korean and Chinese consumers. Specific objectives of this research are threefold; firstly, it sought to examine whether network properties (i.e., tie strength, centrality, range) affect WOM (WOM intention and quality of WOM). Secondly, it aimed to explore the moderating effects of cutural orientation (uncertainty avoidance and individuality) on the relationship between network properties and WOM. Thirdly, it substantiates the role of innovativeness as antecedents to both network properties and WOM. II. Research Hypotheses: Based on the above research objectives, the study put forth the following research hypotheses to validate. ${\cdot}$ H 1-1 : The Strength of tie between two counterparts within network will positively influence WOM effectivenes ${\cdot}$ H 1-2 : The network centrality will positively influence the WOM effectiveness ${\cdot}$ H 1-3 : The network range will positively influence the WOM effectiveness ${\cdot}$ H 2-1 : The consumer's uncertainty avoidance tendency will moderate the relationship between network properties and WOM effectiveness ${\cdot}$ H 2-2 : The consumer's individualism tendency will moderate the relationship between network properties and WOM effectiveness ${\cdot}$ H 3-1 : The consumer's innovativeness will positively influence the social network properties ${\cdot}$ H 3-2 : The consumer's innovativeness will positively influence WOM effectiveness III. Methodology: Through a pilot study and back-translation, two versions of questionnaire were prepared, one in Korean and the other in Chinese. The chinese data were collected from the chinese students enrolled in language schools in Suwon city in Korea, while Korean data were collected from students taking classes in a major university in Seoul. A total of 277 questionnaire were used for analysis of Korean data and 212 for Chinese data. The reason why Chinese students living in Korea rather than in China were selected was based on two factors: one was to neutralize the differences (ie, retail channel availability) that may arise from living in separate countries and the second was to minimize the difference in communication venues such as internet accessibility and cell phone usability. SPSS 12.0 and AMOS 7.0 were used for analysis. IV. Results: Prior to hypothesis verification, mean differences between the two countries in terms of major constructs were performed with the following result; As for network properties (tie strength, centrality and range), Koreans showed higher scores in all three constructs. For cultural orientation traits, Koreans scored higher only on uncertainty avoidance trait than Chinese. As a result of verifying the first research objective, confirming the relationship between network properties and WOM effectiveness, on Korean side, tie strength(Beta=.116; t=1.785) and centrality (Beta=.499; t=6.776) significantly influenced on WOM intention, and similar finding was obtained for Chinese side, with tie strength (Beta=.246; t=3.544) and centrality (Beta=.247; t=3.538) being significant. However, with regard to WOM argument quality, Korean data yielded only centrality (Beta=.82; t=7.600) having a significant impact on WOM, whereas China showed both tie strength(Beat=.142; t=2.052) and centrality(Beta=.348; t=5.031) being influential. To answer for the second research objective addressing the moderating role of cultural orientation, moderated regression anaylsis was performed and the result showed that uncertainty avoidance moderated between network range and WOM intention for both Korea and China, But for Korea, the uncertainty avoidance moderated between tie strength and WOM quality, while for China it moderated between network range and WOM intention. And innovativeness moderated between tie strength and WOM intention for Korea but it moderated between network range and WOM intention for China. As a result of analysing for third research objective, we found that for Korea, innovativeness positively influenced centrality only (Beta=.546; t=10.808), while for China it influenced both tie strength (Beta=.203; t=2.998) and centrality(Beta=.518; t=8.782). But for both countries alike, the innovativeness influenced positively on WOM (WOM intention and WOM quality). V. Implications: The study yields the two practical implications. Firstly, the result suggests that companies targeting multinational customers need to identify segments which are susceptible to the positive WOM and WOM information based on individual traits such as uncertainty avoidance and individualism and based on that, develop marketing communication strategy. Secondly, the companies need to divide the market on Roger's five innovation stages and based on this information, enforce marketing strategy which utilizes social networking tools such as public media and WOM. For instance, innovator and early adopters, if provided with new product information, will be able to capitalize upon the network advantages and thus add informational value to network operations using SNS or corporate blog.
기존의 확산관련 연구들은 대부분이 구전 커뮤니케이션의 효용성에 치중하여 개인단위의 변수를 사용하는 경향이 많았다 (Iacobucci 1996; Midgley 외 1992). 반면 구전의 선행 변수로써 네트워크의 구조적 특성을 소비자의 집단문화적 성향에 기초하여 조사한 연구는 찾아보기 어렵다. 본 연구는 이같은 연구배경 하에서 네트워크의 구조적 특성과 소비자의 구전간의 관계를 연관시켜 비교문화적으로 접근하려고 하였다. 본 연구에서 추구하는 주요 목적은 한국과 중국 소비자를 대상으로 사회적 네트워크 형태에 따른 구전효과를 규명하려는 것이며, 네트워크와 구전 효과와의 관계에 영향을 미치는 조절변수로써 문화적 가치관의 역할을 검증하려고 하였다. 구체적인 연구목적은 다음과 같다. 첫째, 사회적 네트워크 관련 이론들을 바탕으로 한국과 중국 소비자들을 대상으로 네트워크의 구조적 특성들 (예: 유대강도, 중심성, 범위)이 구전의 효과 (구전 의향 및 구전 정보의 질)에 어떠한 영향을 미치는지를 규명한다. 둘째, 사회적 네트워크 특성이 구전효과에 미치는 영향에 있어서 문화적 가치 (불확실성 회피 성향, 개인주의성향)가 조절 역할을 하는지를 규명한다. 셋째, 사회적 네트워크 특성과 구전효과의 선행변수로써 소비자 개인의 혁신 성향의 역할을 규명한다. 분석 결과, 한국과 중국 소비자들은 공통적으로 네트워크 유대강도와 중심성은 구전의향에 유의한 영향을 보였으나 네트워크 범위는 두집단 모두 유의하게 나타나지 않았다. 반면, 한, 중 소비자 공통적으로 불확실성회피 성향은 네트워크범위와 상호작용을 함으로써 구전의향에 조절역할을 하는 것으로 나타났다. 마지막으로 소비자의 혁신성향은 한중 두 소비자 집단에서 공통적으로 네트워크 특성 (중심성)과 구전효과(구전정보의 질) 에 유의하게 긍정적 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 한중 양국의 네트워크 특성을 비교한 결과 한국이 중국보다 유대강도, 중심성, 범위에서 모두 유의하게 더 높은 점수를 보였으며, 불확실성회피 성향 또한 한국 소비자가 중국보다 유의하게 높은 것으로 나타났다.
(Dept of Business Administration of Kyonggi University)
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