온라인 구전정보 방향성과 동의수준이 소비자평가에 미치는 영향: 웹 사이트 상에서의 실험설계를 바탕으로

Effects of On-line Reviews’ Favorability and Feedback level on Consumer Responses: Based on Experimental Design on Web-Site

본연구는실제웹사이트상에서온라인구전정보의방향성과동의수준이소비자반응(상표태도와구매의사)에 미치는영향과제품지식및관여도가이들간의인과관계에미치는조절효과를검증하는데그목적이있다. 구체 적으로본연구는부정적구전정보가긍정적구전정보에비해소비자의상표태도와구매의사에더큰영향을미 칠것이며, 구전정보에대한동의수준(댓글의수)이높을수록상표태도와구매의사가증가할것으로가정했다. 이를위해본연구는실제쇼핑몰과유사한제품정보사이트를제작한후, 실험참가자들에게이사이트를직접 방문하고, 구전정보를검색한후제품에대해평가해줄것을요청했다. 실제와유사하게설계된웹사이트상에서진행된실험을통해수집된자료를토대로가설을검증한결과는다음 과같다. 첫째, 구전정보의방향성과동의수준은소비자반응에유의한영향을미치고있음이확인되었다. 즉, 부 정적구전정보는상품태도와구매의사에부정적영향을, 그리고긍정적구전정보는상표태도와구매의사에긍정 적영향을미쳤다. 또한부정적구전정보가소비자반응에미치는부정적효과가긍정적구전정보가소비자반응 에미치는긍정적효과에비해더강하게나타남으로써부정적구전정보와긍정적구전정보가소비자반응에미 치는효과에서비대칭성이확인되었다. 그리고긍정적동의수준은소비자의상표태도와구매의사에긍정적효과 를, 그리고부정적동의수준은부정적효과를미치는것으로나타났다. 둘째, 구전정보의방향성이소비자평가 에미치는영향은소비자의제품지식수준에의해조절되는것으로확인되었지만, 구전정보의동의수준이소비 자평가에미치는영향은제품지식수준에의해조절되지않았다. 이는상표사용후기와댓글이제공되는순서에 의한영향이통제되지못했기때문인것으로해석된다. 셋째, 제품관여도의조절효과는모두유의하지않은것 으로나타났다. 그이유는본연구에서제품정보에대한관여수준이높게통제되었기때문인것으로보인다. 마지막으로본연구는연구결과의기여도, 연구의한계점과향후연구방향을제시하였다

This study analyzed the effects of valence of on-line reviews (i.e, favorable/unfavorable reviews ) and feedback level for on-line reviews on consumer responses (attitude toword and purchase intention for target product brand) as well as moderating effects of product knowledge and involvement level at actual web-site situations. For this purpose, this study designed actual web-site similar to actual shopping mall, and asked participants to visit the site, search on-line information and evaluate the given products. Results of this study are summarized as followings. First, we found that on-line reviews’ favorability and feedback level significantly influenced customers’ attitude and purchase intention. Specifically favorable on-line reviews have the positive effect on the consumer responses (i.e, consumer’s brand attitude and purchase intension) and unfavorable on-line reviews have the negative effect on the consumer responses. Interestingly the negative effect of unfavorable on-line reviews is much stronger than the positive effect of favorable on-line reviews. And as (positive/negative) feedback level for on-line reviews increases, (positive/negative) consumer responses also increase. Second, we found that consumers’ product knowledge significantly moderated the effects of reviews’ favorability on consumer evaluations, but did not moderate the effects of consumers’ feedback to reviews on consumer evaluations. It is inferred that the order (sequence of consumer reviews and feedback) effects may confound the results. Third, the moderating effects of involvement level were found to be insignificant. It is inferred that we may fail to control the involvement level toward the on-line information. Finally, we discussed the contributions, limitations and future research directions of this study. We suggested incorporation of relevancy between product information and reviews, re-examination of sequence between reviews and feedbacks, further categorization of product knowledge level, and control of involvement level toward product information as future research directions.