Effects of (non-)Similar Property Extension of Products on Online Word of Mouth According to Self-construal Level

This study sought to find out howconsumers haveWord-ofMouth (WOM) effects on in-group and out-group according to the nature of the extended product. We also looked at howtheWOMeffect of the in-group and in-group changed according to self-construal.We used t-test formanipulation checking, and hypothesis examination was verified using ANOVA. After the experiment, the participants were informed that the product had failed to expand; they sought the word of mouth of the in-group and out-group once again. As a result, consumers found the results of theword-of-mouth transmission of the in-group and out-groupswhen they did not know whether the extension of the product failed or not, and the results of the in-group and out-groups failed to expand the product. For self-construal,we used a questionnaire to separate high and lowbased on themean value. Theoretical andmanagerial implications are discussed.