IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/joreco/v81y2024ics096969892400290x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Actions are more than just words: Relationships between word-of-mouth, personal interaction, and product attachment

Author

Listed:
  • Kim, Woo Bin
  • Kim, Changju
  • Go, I.
  • Fukuda, Reo
  • Imai, Marina

Abstract

While the impact of word-of-mouth (WOM) on receivers is widely recognized, less is known about how participation in WOM affects purchase behavior. To address this literature gap, this study aims to empirically investigate the connection between customers' positive WOM intentions and their actual consumption behavior by considering frontline employees' personal interactions with customers and customers' global product attachment. Using data from 521 Chinese consumers in a retail shopping mall, we employed a hierarchical multiple regression model to test our hypotheses. Our findings reveal that, while the direct effect of positive WOM on actual behavior is not significant, customers' active interactions with frontline employees enhances the influence of their positive WOM intention on both a) purchase amount and b) visit frequency. Furthermore, we suggest that customers with high (versus low) attachment to global products heighten the positive interaction effect of positive WOM intention and frontline employees’ personal interaction on purchase amounts only. Therefore, this study has implications for domestic and global retail companies to effectively manage customer WOM.

Suggested Citation

  • Kim, Woo Bin & Kim, Changju & Go, I. & Fukuda, Reo & Imai, Marina, 2024. "Actions are more than just words: Relationships between word-of-mouth, personal interaction, and product attachment," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:81:y:2024:i:c:s096969892400290x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103994
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096969892400290X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103994?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Fan, Liu & Zhang, Xiaoping & Rai, Laxmisha, 2021. "When should star power and eWOM be responsible for the box office performance? - An empirical study based on signaling theory," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 62(C).
    2. Chebat, Jean-Charles & Sirgy, M. Joseph & Grzeskowiak, Stephan, 2010. "How can shopping mall management best capture mall image?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 63(7), pages 735-740, July.
    3. Li, You & Li, Xiaolin & Cai, Jiali, 2021. "How attachment affects user stickiness on live streaming platforms: A socio-technical approach perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    4. Das, Gopal & Varshneya, Geetika, 2017. "Consumer emotions: Determinants and outcomes in a shopping mall," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 38(C), pages 177-185.
    5. N. Krey & Karine Picot-Coupey & Gérard Cliquet, 2022. "Shopping mall retailing: A bibliometric analysis and systematic assessment of Chebat's contributions," Post-Print hal-03373705, HAL.
    6. Kim, Changju & Kim, Woonho & Nakami, Shinya, 2022. "Do online sales channels save brands of global companies from consumer boycotts? A geographical analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    7. Duarte, Paulo & Costa e Silva, Susana & Ferreira, Margarida Bernardo, 2018. "How convenient is it? Delivering online shopping convenience to enhance customer satisfaction and encourage e-WOM," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 161-169.
    8. de Kerviler, Gwarlann & Rodriguez, Carlos M., 2019. "Luxury brand experiences and relationship quality for Millennials: The role of self-expansion," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 250-262.
    9. Errajaa, Karim & Hombourger-Barès, Sabrina & Audrain-Pontevia, Anne-Françoise, 2022. "Effects of the in-store crowd and employee perceptions on intentions to revisit and word-of-mouth via transactional satisfaction: A SOR approach," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    10. Rosenbaum, Mark S. & Otalora, Mauricio Losada & Ramírez, Germán Contreras, 2016. "The restorative potential of shopping malls," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 157-165.
    11. Rokonuzzaman, Md & Harun, Ahasan & Al-Emran, Md & Prybutok, Victor R., 2020. "An investigation into the link between consumer's product involvement and store loyalty: The roles of shopping value goals and information search as the mediating factors," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    12. El Hedhli, Kamel & Zourrig, Haithem & Chebat, Jean-Charles, 2016. "Shopping well-being: Is it just a matter of pleasure or doing the task? The role of shopper's gender and self-congruity," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 1-13.
    13. Westaby, James D., 2005. "Behavioral reasoning theory: Identifying new linkages underlying intentions and behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 98(2), pages 97-120, November.
    14. Badrinarayanan, Vishag & Becerra, Enrique P., 2019. "Shoppers’ attachment with retail stores: Antecedents and impact on patronage intentions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 371-378.
    15. Elmashhara, Maher Georges & Soares, Ana Maria, 2022. "Linking atmospherics to shopping outcomes: The role of the desire to stay," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    16. Barari, Mojtaba & Ross, Mitchell & Surachartkumtonkun, Jiraporn, 2020. "Negative and positive customer shopping experience in an online context," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 53(C).
    17. Kaushik, Kapil & Mishra, Rajhans & Rana, Nripendra P. & Dwivedi, Yogesh K., 2018. "Exploring reviews and review sequences on e-commerce platform: A study of helpful reviews on Amazon.in," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 21-32.
    18. Krey, Nina & Picot-Coupey, Karine & Cliquet, Gérard, 2022. "Shopping mall retailing: A bibliometric analysis and systematic assessment of Chebat's contributions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    19. Talwar, Manish & Talwar, Shalini & Kaur, Puneet & Islam, A.K.M. Najmul & Dhir, Amandeep, 2021. "Positive and negative word of mouth (WOM) are not necessarily opposites: A reappraisal using the dual factor theory," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    20. Le, Loc Tuan & Ly, Pham Thi Minh & Nguyen, Nhan Thanh & Tran, Lobel Trong Thuy, 2022. "Online reviews as a pacifying decision-making assistant," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    21. Vlachos, Pavlos A. & Vrechopoulos, Adam P., 2012. "Consumer–retailer love and attachment: Antecedents and personality moderators," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 218-228.
    22. Gwarlann de Kerviler & Carlos Rodriguez, 2019. "Luxury brand experiences and relationship quality for Millennials: The role of self-expansion," Post-Print hal-02114441, HAL.
    23. Rippé, Cindy B. & Smith, Brent & Dubinsky, Alan J., 2018. "Lonely consumers and their friend the retail salesperson," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 131-141.
    24. El Hedhli, Kamel & Chebat, Jean-Charles & Sirgy, M. Joseph, 2013. "Shopping well-being at the mall: Construct, antecedents, and consequences," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(7), pages 856-863.
    25. Sun, Yang & Gonzalez-Jimenez, Hector & Wang, Shenghui, 2021. "Examining the relationships between e-WOM, consumer ethnocentrism and brand equity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 564-573.
    26. Eslami, Seyed Pouyan & Ghasemaghaei, Maryam, 2018. "Effects of online review positiveness and review score inconsistency on sales: A comparison by product involvement," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 45(C), pages 74-80.
    27. Changju Kim & Mai Kikumori & Aekyoung Kim & Jungkeun Kim, 2024. "How do moral judgment and saving face interact with positive word–of–mouth regarding counterfeit luxury consumption?," Journal of Global Fashion Marketing, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 15(2), pages 253-269, April.
    28. Kim, Changju & Yan, Xiuyan & Kim, Jungkeun & Terasaki, Shinichiro & Furukawa, Hiroyasu, 2022. "Effect of consumer animosity on boycott campaigns in a cross-cultural context: Does consumer affinity matter?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    29. Lavorata, Laure, 2014. "Influence of retailers’ commitment to sustainable development on store image, consumer loyalty and consumer boycotts: Proposal for a model using the theory of planned behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 21(6), pages 1021-1027.
    30. Holmqvist, Jonas & Van Vaerenbergh, Yves & Lunardo, Renaud & Dahlén, Micael, 2019. "The Language Backfire Effect: How Frontline Employees Decrease Customer Satisfaction through Language Use," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 95(2), pages 115-129.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Elmashhara, Maher Georges & Soares, Ana Maria, 2022. "Linking atmospherics to shopping outcomes: The role of the desire to stay," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    2. Wang, Jiawei, 2023. "The relationship between loneliness and consumer shopping channel choice: Evidence from China," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    3. Chen, Chin-Tsu, 2024. "Atmospherics fosters customer loyalty: Exploring the mediating effects of memorable customer experience and customer satisfaction in factory outlet malls in Taiwan," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 80(C).
    4. Gilboa, Shaked & Vilnai-Yavetz, Iris & Mitchell, Vince, 2024. "Shopping mall detachment: Why do some consumers avoid malls?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    5. Maggioni, Isabella & Sands, Sean & Kachouie, Reza & Tsarenko, Yelena, 2019. "Shopping for well-being: The role of consumer decision-making styles," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 21-32.
    6. Hänninen, Mikko & Paavola, Lauri, 2021. "Managing transformations in retail agglomerations:Case Itis shopping center," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 59(C).
    7. Chuloh Jung & Naglaa Sami Abdelaziz Mahmoud, 2023. "Exploring Customer Behavior in Shopping Malls: A Study of Rest Areas in Dubai, United Arab Emirates," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-22, June.
    8. El Hedhli, Kamel & Zourrig, Haithem & Park, Jeongsoo, 2017. "Image transfer from malls to stores and its influence on shopping values and mall patronage: The role of self-congruity," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 39(C), pages 208-218.
    9. Garrouch, Karim & Ghali, Zohra, 2023. "On linking the perceived values of mobile shopping apps, customer well-being, and customer citizenship behavior: Moderating role of customer intimacy," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    10. Krey, Nina & Picot-Coupey, Karine & Cliquet, Gérard, 2022. "Shopping mall retailing: A bibliometric analysis and systematic assessment of Chebat's contributions," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    11. Kim, Changju & Kinoshita, Akihiro, 2023. "Do you punish or forgive socially responsible companies? A cross-country analysis of boycott campaigns," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 71(C).
    12. Kautish, Pradeep & Paço, Arminda & Thaichon, Park, 2022. "Sustainable consumption and plastic packaging: Relationships among product involvement, perceived marketplace influence and choice behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    13. Ahn, Suhyoung & Ellie Jin, Byoungho & Seo, Hyesim, 2024. "Why do people interact and buy in the Metaverse? Self-Expansion perspectives and the impact of hedonic adaptation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    14. Trinh Le Tan & Khanh Nguyen Chau Ngoc & Hien Le Thi Thanh & Hoai Nguyen Thi Thu & Uyen Vo Truong Hoang, 2024. "Enhancing Repurchase Intention on Digital Platforms Based on Shopping Well-Being Through Shopping Value, Trust and Impulsive Buying," SAGE Open, , vol. 14(3), pages 21582440241, September.
    15. Eunkyung Lee & Yeosun Yoon, 2022. "Heading Up or Stuck Down Here? The Effect of Perceived Economic Mobility on Subjective Social Status and Brand Identification," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(3), pages 21582440221, September.
    16. Gilboa, Shaked & Mitchell, Vince, 2020. "The role of culture and purchasing power parity in shaping mall-shoppers’ profiles," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 52(C).
    17. Zhou, Jiaying & Dahana, Wirawan Dony & Ye, Qiongwei & Zhang, Qingyu & Ye, Mingqi & Li, Xi, 2023. "Hedonic service consumption and its dynamic effects on sales in the brick-and-mortar retail context," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    18. Zhang, Yunen & Shao, Wei & Quach, Sara & Thaichon, Park & Li, Qianmin, 2024. "Examining the moderating effects of shopping orientation, product knowledge and involvement on the effectiveness of Virtual Reality (VR) retail environment," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    19. Flacandji, Michaël & Vlad, Mariana & Lunardo, Renaud, 2024. "The effects of retail apps on shopping well-being and loyalty intention: A matter of competence more than autonomy," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    20. Janina SÜRKEN & Sören SUNDERMANN, 2021. ""Online Touchpoints Matter!" - An Empirical Analysis of Consumer-Brand Relationships in Retail Settings," Journal of Emerging Trends in Marketing and Management, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, vol. 1(1), pages 77-87, August.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:81:y:2024:i:c:s096969892400290x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-retailing-and-consumer-services .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.