Understanding the effects of eWOM social ties on purchase intentions: A moderated mediation investigation

Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) social ties have been well recognized to exert influence on consumer decision making. However, the underlying mechanism through which eWOM social ties impart influence remains unclear. This study develops a moderated mediation model that incorporates perceived value to explain the effects of eWOM social ties (strong-tie and weak-tie eWOM) on purchase intentions. The research model and hypotheses are empirically test with 286 valid responses. Results reveal a double-edge” moderating role of weak-tie eWOM. Weak-tie eWOM is found to positively moderate the relationship between perceived value and purchase intentions, while it has a negative moderating effect on the relationship between strong-tie eWOM and purchase intentions. Furthermore, when weak-tie eWOM is high, there is a significant indirect effect of strong-tie eWOM on purchase intentions through perceived value, whereas the indirect effect becomes non-significant under a low level of weak-tie eWOM. These findings shed light on the influencing pathways of eWOM social ties on consumer purchase intentions, and provide some implications for theory and practice in evoking purchase intentions.