A research on the determinants of E-wom engagement in social media platforms within the scope of social commerce and its effect on purchase intention

With the developing technology from the past to the present, people have started to spend more time on the internet and social media. This situation is reflected in the change not only in the daily lives of consumers but also in their consumption habits. This change in consumers has led businesses to make different production, design and marketing practices. Businesses have also made innovations in the processes that operate from the supply of goods and services to product design and finally delivery to the end consumer. In addition, businesses have begun to carry out their commercial activities not only in retail stores but also on the internet and social media channels. Businesses have begun to take part in electronic markets along with traditional store retailing. Consumers have begun to intensively use electronic media, along with traditional media, in product research and evaluation. In this context, it was thought to be valuable to investigate E-wom (Electronic word of mouth communication) participation behaviors in social media. As a result of the literature research, the determinants of E-wom participation are quality of information, reliability of information, quality of the website, innovation, social support, trust, perceived ease of use, subjective norms, satisfaction, opinion leadership (influencer), perceived behavioral control and opposition to E-wom. It was determined that there was an attitude. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of the determinants of E-wom participation on E-wom participation and purchase intention. Additionally, the effects of E-wom participation on purchase intention will also be examined. For this purpose, the study was created with the descriptive research method. The necessary data for the study was obtained by online survey method between February and May 2023 in Rize province. An online survey was conducted with 501 participants. Reliability analyses, descriptive statistics, factor analyses and structural equation modeling were applied to the data obtained. According to the findings, it was determined that the quality of information and trust significantly affected the intention to receive E-wom participation, the intention to send E-wom participation and the intention to purchase. It has been understood that subjective norms, opinion leaders, perceived behavioral control and attitude towards E-wom do not have any statistical effect on the intention to receive, send and purchase E-wom participation. An original study was created by explaining e-wom participation and adding social media phenomena to its determinants. It aims to make valuable contributions to the relevant literature with the analyses carried out within the framework of the study. In addition, it is thought that businesses operating in electronic environments and carrying out social commerce activities can be helped to understand and define consumer behavior within the framework of participation in E-wom.