온라인 구전 관광정보의 특성이 구전효과에 미치는 영향

Abstract

The evolution of information technology has influenced our society and everyday lives leading to radical change. Also, it has altered traveler's vacation plans and the method of finding travel information. The most revolutionary aspect of these changes is eWOM (Electronic online word of mouth). eWOM Tourism Information has not only created a new paradigm of information flow via consumer to consumer communication but has also played an important role in consumer decision making. Despite this fact, tourism management models such as destination image, have only a limited discussion of eWOM. Hospitality and tourism marketers ought to find the issue of critical importance, as many hospitality and tourism products are seen as high-risk purchases, and are intensely competitive, suggesting that the use of online interpersonal influence may provide important competitive advantages for early adopters. The purpose of this study is to examine the eWOM's quality and suggest the relationship between eWOM tourism information and its effect. To accomplish the purpose, this study attempted to understand the differences between traditional WOM and eWOM in terms of tourism information and define the quality of eWOM tourism information. As to the quality of e-WOM tourism information, it was viewed from different perspectives and classified into two aspects. One is the cognitive qualities and the other is the technical qualities. In this study, it was proposed a path model of eWOM tourism information in which cognitive and technical quality influence on the WOM effects via the mediating variables of credibility and direction. Data of this study was collected from respondents who have experience in gathering WOM tourism information. The survey data was collected online from 15th to 17th of October 2007. A total of 350 completed questionnaires were collected and were used for the analysis. Convenience sampling was adopted as a method of sampling in this study. The result of this study can be summarized as follows: (1) Credibility and direction in eWOM tourism information was the most important factor in the WOM effect. (2) Credibility was related to quality such as information utility, vividness, and design. (3) Direction was related to quality such as information utility. (4) The study model indicated the interrelationship of factors extracted from the result of the analysis and provided us with a platform to understand eWOM tourism information. There are several implications in the result of this study. First, this study examined the increase in important changes and findings from earlier research on WOM effect in tourism information. Second, in relation to the application of eWOM strategies, the study identified how to make the transition into more practical approach to eWOM marketing. The study was designed to measure the cognitive, affective, and behavioral implications upon traveler behavior and the new dynamics created by eWOM in tourism information. There are some limitation in this study, however, as it is a cross-sectional study and there is no consideration of factors such as communication interaction, ease of use, and perceived reputation. In the future, a study is needed to address the theoretical development and empirical studies on each factor various other situations.