How multidimensional benefits determine cumulative satisfaction and eWOM engagement on mobile social media: Reconciling motivation and expectation disconfirmation perspectives

Abstract

With the ceaseless flourishing of network information technologies, mobile social media have recently gained tremendous popularity and infiltrated people’s quotidian digitized lives in mainland China. Leveraging motivation theory and expectation disconfirmation approach, the principle aim of the current study is to systematically examine the dynamic influences from multidimensional perceived benefits (functional benefits, psychosocial benefits, and hedonic benefits) on WeChat users’ cumulative satisfaction, as well as to comprehensively evaluate the impact stemming from cumulative satisfaction alongside their stickiness on electronic word-of-mouth engagement (eWOM). Data were gathered utilizing an online survey from 689 active WeChat users in mainland China, and subsequently analyzed employing structure equation modeling. The pivotal findings demonstrate that functional benefits, psychosocial benefits, and hedonic benefits positively influence WeChat users’ cumulative satisfaction. Additionally, the empirical investigation discovers that WeChat users’ cumulative satisfaction and their stickiness significantly affect eWOM engagement. Additionally, the mediating role of stickiness between cumulative satisfaction and eWOM is identified. These obtained results illuminate and provide novel evidence on how mobile social media could drive users and heighten their cumulative satisfaction and stickiness which consequently would propel users’ engagement in making comments on specific products or services in contemporary mobile-saturated environments.