Factors influence the choice of Word-of-Mouth recommendation sources in online purchase decisions: with special reference to the tourism and hospitality industry in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Purpose: Word-of-Mouth is a strong communication tool which is perceived as a credible source by consumers.  With the internet penetration now WOM is occurring in e-platforms such as blogs, social network sites etc. This has given birth to electronic Word-of-Mouth or e-WOM. Though WOM may occur from various recommendation sources based on various factors the choice of the WOM recommendation source may vary. The research focuses on three objectives. They are to identify the relationship between the perceived task difficulty and the tie-strength of the recommendation source when making an online purchase decision, to identify the relationship between consumer knowledge and perceived task difficulty and to identify the relationship between internet experience and perceived task difficulty. Design/methodology/approach: Data was collected through a questionnaire. A sample of 140 respondents was used to collect information and convenience sampling method was used. Findings: Results revealed that consumers tend to reach out to both strong ties and weak ties irrespective of the perceived task difficulty. Further, as consumer subjective knowledge and internet experience increases perceived task difficulty reduces. Originality: Although studies have been conducted regarding WOM, no studies have been conducted to understand the role of recommendation sources when making an online purchase decision in the hospitality and tourism industry in the Sri Lankan context. Implications: Thus word -of -mouth communication should be considered as a part of the communication mix and organizations in the tourism and hospitality industry should focus on using opinion leaders to promote products. Keywords: WOM, eWOM, Perceived Task Difficulty, Internet Experience, Recommendation Sources