Communication goals and online persuasion: An empirical examination

Computer-mediated communication (CMC) is frequently applied as a tool for organizational marketing and consumer research. This paper explores the underlying structure of message receivers’ communication goals and their impact on persuasiveness in the context of CMC. Extending prior research on the structure of primary and secondary goals, we identified five specific communication goals that are important to receivers. We conducted an online exercise in which subjects respond to a message requesting them to volunteer their time. The results demonstrate all five communication goals are important to one or more indicators of persuasiveness, including attitude toward the issue, source credibility, perceived information quality, and behavioral intention to comply with the request.