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Journal of Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Vol. (10), No. (2/2), September, 2016
391
The Influence of Hotel Customer Demographics on Their Trust on EWOM
Mohamed E. Abd Elaziz Magdy A. A. Mayouf
Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University
Abstract
The advancement of internet technologies increased the number of travelers who are using
the internet to seek destination information, and one of the most important information
sources when consumer is making a purchase decision is EWOM. It has higher credibility,
empathy, and relevance than marketer-created sources of information.
While a lot of studies addressed the impact of EWOM on customer trust and purchasing
decision, only few studies have discussed the role of receiver's demographic characteristics
in determining the influence of EWOM.
So, this study comes to meet this gap and identify the determinants that affect the customer
trust of EWOM in hotel industry, and shows the role of demographic characteristics in
determining the influence of "EWOM" on hotel customer trust.
The study targeted the hotel customers of Sharm El sheikh city using a questionnaire form.
Two quantitative analysis methods were used; linear regression to test the relation between
EWOM determinants and the customer's trust of EWOM, and the compare mean function
with ANOVA analysis to identify the differences between categories of respondents due to
their demographic characteristics.
Result of the study would assist hoteliers identify the determinants of EWOM that can
influence customers trust, and how to manage these determinants with the different
demographic market segments.
Keywords: EWOM, Determinants, Hotel, Trust, Demographic, Market segments.
Introduction
Over the past years, marketing environment has been facing many significant changes.
Every feature of the new economy have been changed, and the emergence of the internet
has dramatically altered not only how consumers buy but also what they buy and why
(Lewis and Bridger, 2011). Many people now simply type what they are looking for into a
search engine, and what they will find will have an influence on their purchase decision
(Litvin et al., 2008).
At the center of these changes in marketing environment, word-of-mouth (WOM) has
emerged as one of the mostly debated topics in marketing literature. Since several studies
proved its high impact on consumer behavior, and marketers agreed upon its power to
change the future of marketing communication, more and more companies give up from
traditional marketing strategies and opt for including word-of mouth in their marketing
mix or launching word-of-mouth campaigns (Sırma et al, 2009; Sweeney, 2014).
By the advent of the internet; a new pattern of WOM has emerged called electronic word
of mouth (EWOM). As with the traditional WOM, EWOM has shown to have more
impact compared to firm-generated sources of information on the internet. It is also more
effective than traditional advertising media which appears to be losing its effectiveness
(López and Sicilia, 2014). EWOM also spreads faster and wider, and has more impact on
consumers' decision than traditional WOM (Pourabedin and Migin, 2015).
In tourism and hospitality industry; the influence of EWOM is more significant than in any
other industry, that refers to the special characteristics of its products which make the
consumer behavior patterns quite complicated (Sırma and others, 2009), it contains more
interpersonal interaction that needs to be experienced by consumers, (Litvin et al., 2008;
Wu, 2013).
Yoo et al., (2009) mentioned that there are many studies have identified the factors
influencing customer online trust e.g. (Ha, 2004; Yang and Trappey, 2010). Yoo et al.,
Journal of Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Vol. (10), No. (2/2), September, 2016
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(2009) also emphasized the importance of understanding the nature EWOM and its
emphases on customer trust which is definitely needed for the consumer purchasing
decision. Consequently, the first purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that
drive hotel customer trust in electronic word of mouth.
Also, there is little studies have discussed the role of receiver's demographic characteristics
in determining the influence of EWOM (López and Sicilia, 2011). So the second purpose
of this paper is to investigate the impact of certain demographics (e.g., gender, age,
education levels) on hotel customer trust of electronic word of mouth.
Theoretical background and hypotheses
Word of mouth and Electronic word of mouth
Word of mouth has been recognized as one of the most influential resources of information
transmission since the beginning of human society (Yaylı and Bayram, 2012). It is the
most important information source when consumer makes a purchase decision and one of
the oldest forms of marketing (Sırma and others, 2009). Over the time many WOM
definitions have been introduced (Arndt, 1967; Westbrook, 1987; Litvin et al., 2008;
WOMMA, 2008). In this study we accept the broadest and one of the most recent
definitions: WOM is the communication between consumers about a product, service, or a
company in which the sources are considered independent of commercial influence (Litvin
et al., 2008).
The emergence of online networking sites have profoundly changed the way information is
exchanged and have transcended the traditional limitations of WOM (Magalhaes and
Musallam, 2014; Cheung and Thadani, 2012; Heyne, 2009; Shin, 2007). Nowadays
consumer can share their product-related experiences on the internet through e-mail,
bulletin boards, chat rooms, forums, fan clubs, brand and user groups (Wu, 2013; Cheung
and Thadani, 2012; Goldsmith and Horowitz, 2006). Internet has led word of mouth to be
simultaneously global and removed necessity of physically present anywhere (Torlak et
al., 2014; Heyne, 2009). This new form of WOM is named electronic word of mouth
(EWOM).
Hennig-Thurau et al, (2004) defined EWOM as "any positive or negative statement made
by potential, actual, or former customers about a product or company, which is made
available to a multitude of people and institutions via the internet". Also (Litvin et al.,
2008) defined EWOM as "all informal communications directed at consumers through
internet-based technology related to the usage or characteristics of particular goods and
services or their sellers''.
In tourism and hospitality industry, the advancements of internet technologies increased
the number of travelers, who are using the internet to seek destination information and to
conduct transactions online (Le, 2014; Wu, 2013; Basarani, 2011). Previous studies
demonstrated that EWOM has a critical role on consumer' preferences and behavioral
intentions (Pedersen et al., 2014; Severi et al., 2014; Torlak et al., 2014). Lin et al, (2013)
shows that; EWOM may have higher credibility, empathy, and relevance than marketer-
created sources of information. Other studies show that; EWOM has an impact on
consumers' trust on the firm and its products (See-To and Ho, 2014). They also added that,
trust on a firm and its products can be developed in e-forums by those EWOM written by
previous consumers.
Customer trust
Trust is a very complex and multi-dimensional construct that has been studied from
different views (Wu, 2013), it is a crucial element in whether word of mouth is accepted
by consumers or not (Yoo et al., 2009).
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Grazioli and Jarvenpaa, (2000) defined trust as ‘‘an individual belief that others will
behave based on an individual’s expectation”. It is also defined as a willingness to rely on
an exchange partner in whom one has confidence (Moorman et al., 1993). This study
focuses on Interpersonal Trust, which is “the expectancy held by an individual or a party
that the word, promise, verbal, promise, or written statement of another individual or party
can be relied on” (Rotter, 1967).
Trust is important because it helps customers overcome perceptions of uncertainty
and risk and engage in trust-related behaviors with vendors, such as sharing personal
information or making purchases (Kamtarin, 2012). Many researchers assured the
importance of trust as a factor affecting consumer behavior (Kamtarin, 2012, Yoo et al.,
2009, Yang and Trappey, 2010, Wu, 2013). People are not able to guarantee that the
information Captured from various resources is always trustworthy (Kamtarin, 2012).
They act differently according to the degree of trust they have toward the EWOM
information. Consequently, (Yoo et al., 2009) state that trust is one of the major
factors which influence the online buying. Internet buying depends on consumer‘s
perceived risk and level of satisfaction and this perceived risk can be reduced by
the trust development.
Factors affecting customer trust on EWOM
Previous literature assured that there is a range of potential factors affecting customer trust
in electronic word of mouth (Wu, 2013; Sparks and Browning, 2011; Yoo et al., 2009).
These factors include source expertise, tie strength between EWOM source and receiver,
EWOM volume, type of website and nature of the product.
Source expertise
Expertise refers to "the perceived ability of the source to make valid assertion"
(Ruiterkamp, 2013), the extent to which a reader perceives the communicator to provide
valid information about a certain topic. Wangenheim and Bayón, (2004) stated that
information obtained from an expert should be more reliable. Wangenheim and Bayón,
(2004) and Wu, (2013) argued that the reviewer who is an expert in a particular product
category should dispose of more product related information in this field and therefore
his/her opinion will be more trusted than the opinion of others.
Consequently, literature suggested that expertise of Ewom source would affect the
consumers' attitudes (De Bruyn and Lilien, 2008; Sweeney et al., 2008; Wu, 2013; Yang,
n.d.). Sparks and Browning (2011) and Wu (2013) argued that when a product or service is
complex -as hospitality services-, recipients of the EWOM rely on the expert opinion of
the source as a cue for evaluating and potentially purchasing the product or service. Also,
Yoo et al, (2009) mentioned that perceived source credibility was found to be a very
influential factor for trust in online advice.
Therefore, the study hypothesizes the following:
H1: perceived source expertise has a positive impact on hotel customer trust.
Tie strength
All traditional WOM communication takes place within a social relationship (Brown et al.,
2007). The closeness of the relationship between information seeker and the source of
Ewom called the social tie strength. Social tie strength was defined by (Mittal et al., 2008)
as "the potency of the bond between members of a network". also defined by (Steffes and
Burgee, 2009) as "the level of intensity of a social relationship between two individual".
Brown et al, (2007) suggested that tie strength affects information flows. Strong ties bear
greater influence on the receiver's behavior than weaker ties due to the frequency and
Journal of Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Vol. (10), No. (2/2), September, 2016
394
perceived importance of social contact among strong tie individuals. Also, Sweeney et al,
(2008) stated that the relationship between the parties influenced WOM acceptance. And
that backs to the closeness of a sender and receiver.
Thus, the study hypothesizes the following:
H2: Tie strength between the reviewer and the receiver of Ewom has a positive impact on
hotel customer trust.
Perceived volume of EWOM
The volume of review refers to "the number of posted messages that consumers declare to
have found about a product" (López and Sicilia, 2014). The volume of EWOM enhances
product or service awareness. Thus, the greater the volume of EWOM available online
about the product or the service, the more likely a consumer will be to hear about it
(Cheung and Thadani, 2012; Litvin et al., 2008). Previous studies suggested that the
volume of information on EWOM correlates significantly with its impact on consumer
behavior (Blal and Sturman, 2014; Cheung and Thadani, 2012; Filieri and McLeay, 2014;
López and Sicilia, 2011). Therefore, the study also hypothesizes that:
H3: overall Ewom volume has a positive impact on hotel customer trust.
Type of website on which EWOM is found
The nature of the website can also influence the impact of a given recommendation (Adjei
et al., 2010). Based on previous studies, online consumer opinions can be found on two
types of websites: firm-sponsored websites, where the product or service is sponsored or
commercialized (e.g. Amazon.com); and third parties websites, where the product or
service is not sponsored or commercialized (e.g. Tripadvisor.com in tourism and
hospitality domain) (Senecal and Nantel, 2004).
The type of website on which opinions are found affects consumers' judgment on product
recommendations (Bart et al., 2005; Cheung and Thadani, 2012; Senecal and Nantel,
2004). Other studies argued that more independent websites are assumed to be preferred
and more trusted by consumers (Cheung and Thadani, 2012; López and Sicilia, 2014).
Generally, EWOM from other customers is perceived to be more credible and trustworthy
than that obtained from the producing or sponsoring company (Adjei et al., 2010).
Subsequently, EWOM obtained from independently owned and managed websites will be
more trusted by consumer than that obtained from firm sponsored websites.
Thus, the study hypothesizes that:
H4: The type of website has a significant impact on hotel customer trust.
The nature of the product/service recommended
Previous studies have shown that the type of product affects consumers' use of EWOM
(Karimi, 2013; Sweeney et al., 2008). Products could be classified according to its nature
into search or tangible products and experience or intangible products (Karimi, 2013;
Senecal and Nantel, 2004). Tangible products are products that the consumer can evaluate
before purchasing, and experience products are those that it is difficult to evaluate prior to
purchase (Litvin et al., 2008). As hospitality and tourism products and services are
considered as intangible products, the impact of its product related EWOM is assumed to
be higher than in other tangible product (Jalilvand et al., 2011).
Adjei et al, (2010) studied the role of product complexity on consumer purchase behavior
and stated that customers are likely to engage in more searches when buying more
complex products and that this is because complex product creates greater perceived risk.
That means the more product complexity the more perceived risk and less consumer trust.
Thus, the study hypothesizes that:
Journal of Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Vol. (10), No. (2/2), September, 2016
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H5: The nature of the product has a significant impact on hotel customer trust.
The role of demographics
The relationships between certain demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age, education
levels) and interpersonal communication had been discussed in a lot of marketing
literature, while little studies discussed the role of receiver's demographic characteristics in
determining customer trust on EWOM (López and Sicilia, 2011). For this reason, this
study addressed the role of demographic characteristics in determining the customer's trust
of EWOM.
Gender
Gender plays an important role in communication and purchases (Ulbrich et al., 2011).
Some studies have shown that females spend less time online, less interested in the
internet, and they shop online lesser than men (López and Sicilia, 2011). In addition,
Women tend to use the internet to give and receive social support, so getting
recommendations from others has a greater effect on reducing risk perceptions among
women than men (Fan and Miao, 2012). On the other hand, men use the internet to
increase social relationships, they are more pragmatic in their e-commerce transactions
(Awad and Ragowsky, 2008). (López and Sicilia, 2011) also stated that men put a weaker
sensitivity to the opinions of their friends. So, the study assumes that:
H6: There is a significant difference between male and female in how they will be
influenced by the EWOM determinants
of trust
Age
López and Sicilia, (2011) assured that age affects consumer behavior, and added that the
internet has become the primary medium of choice among the young. In contrast, elder
consumers are more likely to use information channels that provide relatively less complex
information. Also, Yoo et al, (2009) stated that younger internet users rate online news to
be more trustworthy than older users. Thus, it's assumed that as internet is a preferred
medium for the young user than the elder one, EWOM communication will be more
trusted by young than by elder consumers.
To investigate this assumption the study hypothesizes that:
H7: There is a significant difference among the different categories of respondents
according to age in how they are influenced by EWOM.
Education Level
Consumers' education level is also considered as an important factor that greatly influences
consumer behavior. Hu et al, (2008) mentioned that the higher the educational level, the
more extensive the information search and the higher the probability of evaluating
different information sources, Yoo et al, (2009) stated that education level negatively
influence people's trust in online information. Also, López and Sicilia, (2011) suggested
that the higher the education level of consumers, the less likely they are to favor
advertising, and assured that education level negatively influences people's trust in online
communities.
Based on this discussion the study hypothesizes that:
H8: There is significant difference between the different categories of respondents due to
education level in how they are influenced by EWOM.
Journal of Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Vol. (10), No. (2/2), September, 2016
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Methodology
Research approach
According to the aim of this study, researchers decided to achieve this aim using a
deductive research approach. They used eight hypotheses to explain the relationships
among variables. In the case of this study, it will be between EWOM determinants and
customer perceived trust of EWOM, then between EWOM determinants and customers
demographic characteristics. They used quantitative analytical techniques to investigate
these hypotheses including linear regression to test the relation between variables and
compare mean function with ANOVA analysis to identify the differences between
categories of respondents regarding the demographic characteristics.
Data Collection's Instrument and Sampling
The study used a questionnaire form to collect research data from all customers arriving
Sharm-El-Sheikh Airport from July 10, 2015 to September 10, 2015. The study applied to
Sharm-El-Sheikh city as one of the most famous touristic destinations in Egypt, and targeted
500 consumers randomly. A total of 368 usable replies were obtained after eliminated invalid
and incomplete responses, representing response rate of 73.6 percent which is found sufficient.
The questionnaire comprised a Likert scale of (1-5 disagree/agree) statements adopted
from extant studies as shown in table (1). The final form includes 23 items used to measure
the five constructs of the study. The five constructs are ‘source expertise’ (5 items); ‘tie
strength’ (3 items); ‘EWOM volume’ (4 items); ‘type of website’ (5 items); ‘nature of the
product’ (3 items); ‘hotel customer trust’ (3 items). Also, the form included questions to
collect information on respondents' demographics such as gender, age, and education.
Table 1: EWOM determinants influencing customer trust
Source expertise
I rely more on the reviews written by persons I think they are
experienced.
(Lin et al., 2013)
I think they have abundant knowledge toward the hotel.
I think they have the ability on judgment.
Those persons provided some different ideas than other sources.
Those persons mentioned some things I had not considered.
Tie strength
I rely more on the reviews by persons I know them personally.
Original scale
(formulated by the
researchers)
I rely more on the reviews by persons I talked to them before.
I rely more on the reviews by persons who are in my friend list.
EWOM volume
The number of online review/comment is large, inferring that the
hotel is popular.
(Lin et al., 2013)
Highly ranking and recommendation, inferring that the hotel has
good reputations.
The more the hotel is mentioned in front of me the more am aware
of it.
(El-desouky, 2011)
The more the hotel is discussed in front of me the more it influences
my purchasing decision.
Type of website
I rely more in reviews introduced in independent websites than
firm sponsored websites.
Original scale
(formulated by the
researchers)
I trust in the reviews written in the hotel's website
(Yaylı and
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Reliability of the website that present the reviews affect my
purchase decision.
Bayram, 2012)
Internationality of the website that present the reviews affect my
purchase decision.
Popularity of the website that present the reviews affect my
purchase decision.
Nature of the product
I rely more on the reviews about intangible or experience product
which I have no prior information before using it.
Original scale
(formulated by the
researchers)
I rely more on the reviews about high risk product (ex. Product
with very expensive prices).
I rely more on the reviews about very complex product (ex. Travel
and tourism product).
Hotel customer trust
I believe the reviews demonstrate the true service level or Quality
of the hotel.
(Wu, 2013)
I believe the hotel must offer the same service level as Described
by the reviews.
The reviews are trustworthy for me to choose the hotel.
Validity and Reliability
This study adopted items from different studies and modified questions to fit the purpose
of the study. So for validity concerns, the survey was piloted on a sample of 40 customers
and academic experts to check its face and content validity. The comments of respondents
related to language and design of questionnaire were considered in the final form. For
reliability of constructs, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was calculated and exceeded 0.70 for
all constructs meaning that the questionnaire results are reliable (Hair et al., 2010).
Results and Discussions
Respondents' profile
Regarding respondents' gender, figure (1) shows that out of the 368 respondents, 55% are
female and only 45% are male.
Figure 1: respondents' gender
And as illustrated in figure (2); 29% of respondents ware between 18 to 30 years old, and
29.2% of the respondents were between 31 to 40 years old which shows that the majority
of the participants were young.
45%
55%
Respondents' gender
male
female
Journal of Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Vol. (10), No. (2/2), September, 2016
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Figure 2: respondents' age
Regarding the education level, 26.5% of the respondents had High school or less, 20.8% had
associate degree, 27.9% had bachelor's degree, 18.8% had master's degree, and 6% had ph. D.
degree, which are in line with the ages of respondents. Figure (3) reflects these data.
Figure 3: respondents' level of education
The Relationship between EWOM Determinants and Customer Trust of EWOM
(Hypothesis 1 to 5).
Researchers used the regression analysis to test the relationship between EWOM
determinants (Source expertise, tie strength, EWOM volume, website independency, and
nature of the product) and customer trust of EWOM. According to table (2), the overall
multiple regression model was significant as (f = 139.143 and p<0.05). as shown in table
(1) the examined determinants of EWOM (Source expertise, tie strength, EWOM volume,
website independency, and product or service complexity) can explain 65.3% of the
customer trust of EWOM. Based on the above discussion, the first hypothesis will be
accepted.
Table 2: Model Summary
Model
R
R Square
Adjusted R
Square
Std. Error of the
Estimate
1
.811a
.658
.653
.48056
a. Predictors: (Constant), Nature of Product or service (Complexity),
Tie strength, Source Expertise, Type of website (independency),
EWOM volume
29% 29.20%
21.30% 16.10%
4.40%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
from 18 to 30 from 31 to 40 from 41 to 50 from 51 to 60 More than 60
Respondent's Age
26.50%
20.80%
27.90%
18.80%
6%
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
High School or
Less
Associate
Degree
Bacholor
Degree
Master
Degree
Ph.D. Degree
Respondent's level of education
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Table 3: Model ANOVAb
Model
Sum of
Squares
df
Mean Square
F
Sig.
1
Regression
160.670
5
32.134
139.143
.000a
Residual
83.601
362
.231
Total
244.271
367
a. Predictors: (Constant), Nature of Product or service (Complexity), Tie strength, Source
Expertise, Type of website (independency), EWOM volume
b. Dependent Variable: Trust of EWOM
The researchers also used the regression model to measure the causal relationships among
the constructs. As illustrated in table (4) it was found that all the model components have
significant effects on customer trust in EWOM. Which means that, the first five
hypotheses in this study are supported, and that will be shown in more details in the
following lines. Table 4: Coefficientsa
Model
Unstandardized
Coefficients
Standardized
Coefficients
t
Sig.
B
Std. Error
Beta
1
(Constant)
-.209-
.144
-
1.453-
.047
Source Expertise
.290
.051
.244
5.680
.000
Tie strength
.048
.020
.080
2.350
.019
EWOM volume
.276
.051
.253
5.393
.000
Type of website
(independency)
.221
.052
.199
4.266
.000
Nature of Product
or service
(Complexity)
.236
.048
.220
4.863
.000
a. Dependent Variable: Trust of EWOM
Table (4) illustrates the remission coefficients between constructs; the increase of source
expertise by one unit leads to increase in the customer trust of EWOM by 0.29 of the unit
(β=0.290 and p<0.05). Consequently, the study accepts the first hypothesis (H1: perceived
source expertise has a positive impact on hotel customer trust).
The increase of tie strength by one unit leads to increase in customer trust of EWOM by
0.48 of the unit (β=0.48 and p<0.05). Consequently, the study accepts the Second
hypothesis (H2: tie strength between the reviewer and the receiver of Ewom has a positive
impact on hotel customer trust).
Also, the increase of EWOM volume by one unit leads to increase in the customer trust of
EWOM by (β=0.276 and p<0.01). Accordingly, the study accepts the third hypothesis (H3:
overall Ewom volume has a positive impact on hotel customer trust). About the fourth
hypothesis, the study also found that the overall multiple regression model was significant
(β=0.221 and p<0.01). Consequently, the fourth hypothesis is also accepted (H4: the type
of website has a significant impact on hotel customer trust). In relation to the fifth
hypothesis, the study found that the overall multiple regression model was significant
(β=0.236 and p<0.01). Consequently, the fifth hypothesis is also accepted (H5: the nature
of the product has a significant impact on hotel customer trust).
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The differences between respondents according to the demographic characteristics
To identify the differences between hotels customers according to the demographic
characteristics concerning the influence of EWOM determinants on the customer trust of
EWOM, researchers used the compare mean function.
The differences between respondents according to Gender
The study revealed that, there is a significant difference between male and female in only
two of the five determinants of EWOM included in this study; tie strength (p value > 0.5)
and Complexity of Product or service (p value > 0.05) and there are no significant
differences between male and female in the rest of the EWOM determinants. This means
that hypothesis (H6: there is a significant difference between male and female in how they
will be influenced by the Ewom determinants) accepted only for these two determinants.
See table (5). Table 5: the compare mean ANOVA for male and female
Sum of
Squares
Df
Mean
Square
F
Sig.
Source
Expertise
Between Groups
.674
1
.674
1.393
.239
Within Groups
168.793
349
.484
Total
169.466
350
Tie strength
Between Groups
.788
1
.788
.402
.036
Within Groups
683.329
349
1.958
Total
684.116
350
EWOM volume
Between Groups
1.320
1
1.320
1.300
.130
Within Groups
200.337
349
.574
Total
201.657
350
Type of website
(independency)
Between Groups
.132
1
.132
.238
.626
Within Groups
192.684
349
.552
Total
192.816
350
Nature of
Product or
service
(Complexity)
Between Groups
.086
1
.086
.146
.003
Within Groups
206.495
349
.592
Total
206.581
350
Table (6) illustrates the descriptive analysis of the compare mean function, female trust
EWOM from persons they know or in their friend list more than male, as the mean of tie
strength for female = (3.7966) while the mean for male = (3.1013). Also female prefer to
relay on EWOM when the product or service is complex more than male, as the mean of
product or service complexity for female = (3.7158) while the mean for male = (3.0843).
Table 6: the compare mean descriptives (Gender differences)
N
Mean
Std.
Deviation
Std. Error
Tie strength
Male
157
3.1013
1.43359
.11441
Female
194
3.7966
1.37090
.09843
Total
351
3.4539
1.39808
.07462
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Nature of Product or
service (Complexity)
Male
157
3.0843
.73880
.05896
Female
194
3.7158
.79293
.05693
Total
351
3.4017
.76827
.04101
The differences between respondents according to Age
The study found that, there is a significant difference between different age categories of
hotel customers in only two of the five determinants of EWOM included in this study;
Source Expertise (p value > 0.05), And EWOM volume (p value > 0.05). While, there is
no significant differences between the different age categories in the rest of the EWOM
determinants. Therefore, hypothesis (H7: there is a significant difference among the
different categories of respondents according to age in how they are influence by Ewom.)
is accepted only for these two determinants See table (7).
Table 7: Compare mean ANOVA (Age differences)
Sum of
Squares
df
Mean
Square
F
Sig.
Source Expertise
Between Groups
3.331
4
.833
1.779
.032
Within Groups
168.958
361
.468
Total
172.289
365
Tie strength
Between Groups
9.521
4
2.380
1.266
.283
Within Groups
678.529
361
1.880
Total
688.050
365
EWOM volume
Between Groups
5.395
4
1.349
2.439
.047
Within Groups
199.606
361
.553
Total
205.001
365
Type of website
(independency)
Between Groups
3.735
4
.934
1.755
.137
Within Groups
192.093
361
.532
Total
195.828
365
Nature of Product or
service (Complexity)
Between Groups
2.160
4
.540
.936
.443
Within Groups
208.269
361
.577
Total
210.430
365
When reviewing the mean value in these two variables we found that, the more the
customer age the more he is influenced by expertise EWOM source, on the other hand, the
researchers found that the less customer age the more he is influenced by volume of
EWOM. Table 8: Compare mean descriptives (Age Differences)
N
Mean
Std.
Deviation
Std. Error
Source Expertise
18-30
106
3.1358
.68816
.06684
30-40
107
3.2916
.60456
.05845
40-50
78
3.6282
.74414
.08426
50-60
59
3.7271
.69625
.09064
more than 60 years
16
3.8375
.80571
.20143
Journal of Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Vol. (10), No. (2/2), September, 2016
402
Total
366
3.4699
.68704
.03591
EWOM volume
18-30
106
3.9014
.74064
.07194
30-40
107
3.8047
.69786
.06746
40-50
78
3.5045
.81249
.09200
50-60
59
3.2805
.74920
.09754
more than 60 years
16
3.2500
.68313
.17078
Total
366
3.5130
.74943
.03917
The differences between respondents due to Education level
The study argued that, there is a significant difference between different education levels
categories of hotel customers in only one of the five determinants of EWOM included in
this study; Website independency (p value > 0.05). And there is no significant differences
between the different education level categories in the rest of the EWOM determinants.
Therefore, hypothesis (H8: there is significant difference between the different categories
of respondents in how they are influenced by Ewom) is accepted only for this determinant
only, See table (9).
Table 9: compare mean ANOVA (Differences according to education level)
Sum of
Squares
Df
Mean
Square
F
Sig.
Source Expertise
Between Groups
.462
4
.116
.236
.918
Within Groups
169.109
346
.489
Total
169.572
350
Tie strength
Between Groups
4.297
4
1.074
.548
.700
Within Groups
677.658
346
1.959
Total
681.954
350
EWOM volume
Between Groups
1.603
4
.401
.691
.499
Within Groups
200.679
346
.580
Total
202.282
350
Type of website
(independency)
Between Groups
2.947
4
.737
1.384
.039
Within Groups
184.254
346
.533
Total
187.202
350
Nature of
Product or
service
(Complexity)
Between Groups
.919
4
.230
.398
.810
Within Groups
199.925
346
.578
Total
200.843
350
Reviewing the descriptive of the compare mean analysis for this determinant, we found
that the higher educated categories especially who have masters and Ph.Ds. are more
influenced by the independency of the website where EWOM is disseminated.
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403
Table 10: Compare mean descriptives (Level of education Differences)
N
Mean
Std.
Deviatio
n
Std.
Error
Type of website
(independency)
high school or less
93
3.1108
.73743
.07647
associate degree
73
3.0562
.60300
.07058
bachelor's degree
98
3.2245
.85880
.08675
master's degree
66
3.7606
.65817
.08102
Ph. D. degree
21
3.7667
.64601
.14097
Total
351
3.3601
.73134
.03904
Discussion of findings
The present study intends to clarify researchers' doubts about determinants of hotel
customer trust in EWOM. Also, this study assesses the relationship between determinants
of EWOM trust and consumer demographic characteristics.
In this study, we investigated the impact of source expertise on receiver trust in EWOM.
As with offline WOM, we found that source expertise affects hotels customer trust in
EWOM. This result is in line with many previous studies. Wu, (2013) who mentioned that;
a recommendation from actual consumer who has real experience is more persuasive than
a comment from an industry expert, and Yang,( n.d.) states that if we have no knowledge
about particular field but someone else does, we easily see him as an expert. If he says to
do it one way or another, we will probably do so, if it is not the best way. The results of
our study did not support De Bruyn and Lilien, (2008) study, who found that source
expertise has no significant impact on EWOM influence. We also found that source
expertise impact on EWOM trust is higher for elder persons than for young consumers. we
think that this result reflect the fact that young consumers nowadays are familiar with all
internet channels so they have enough experience to evaluate EWOM and decide whether
to accept it or not. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between tie strength
and customer trust in EWOM. This result is in line with previous studies (Chu and Kim,
2011; De Bruyn and Lilien, 2008; Sweeney et al., 2008). These studies found that tie
strength has a positive significant impact on EWOM influence. While Yang,(n.d.) found
that tie strength does not have a strong relevance on the acceptance level of EWOM. Also
we found that the impact of tie strength on customer trust is more significant for women
than for men. In line with that, López and Sicilia (2011) stated that the influence of
EWOM is higher for women consumers than for men.
In relation to EWOM volume, this study results found that EWOM volume has significant
impact on hotel customer trust in EWOM. In line with that López and Sicilia, (2014) stated
that the more opinions the consumer has accessed about a product or service, the more
influence EWOM has on decision making. Also, we found that the impact of EWOM
volume on hotel customer will be higher for young than older consumers. In line with that,
(Yoo et al., 2009) stated that young internet users consider online news to be more
trustworthy than older users. This study also measured the role of website type in
determining hotel customer trust in EWOM. The results indicate that customer trust in
EWOM is influenced by type of website on which comments are formulated. Ladhari and
Michaud (2015) stated that comments posted on the websites of companies and
organizations are perceived as less credible than those published on independent sites like
Tripadvisor and Virtual tourist. In line with previous studies (Cheung and Thadani, 2012;
Ladhari and Michaud, 2015), this study found that the reviews written in independents
Journal of Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Vol. (10), No. (2/2), September, 2016
404
websites have more impact on purchasing decision than those written in company/hotel
websites. On the other hand, some research found that there is no relationship between the
type of website and EWOM influence(López and Sicilia, 2014; Senecal and Nantel, 2004).
We also found that the type of website has more impact between consumers with high
level of education than between consumers with less level of education. We assume that
consumers with high level of education are able to distinguish between different types of
websites, so they trust independent websites more than sponsored websites.
About the last factor in this study, the nature of the product/service was found to have a
significant impact on hotel customer trust. Karimi (2013) states that products have been
long been classified based on their characteristics such as tangible/intangible,
search/experience, very complex/less complex, and high risk/low risk products, also he
mentioned that product class differences are found to affect consumer behavior during
purchasing process. Jalilvand et al (2011) and Sweeney et al (2008) stated that as
hospitality and tourism products and service are intangible products, which cannot be
evaluated before their consumption, so EWOM has more impact in hotels' customers than
other customers. In line with that, (Litvin et al., 2008) state that EWOM has a critical
importance in hospitality and tourism industries, as many hospitality and tourism products
are high risk purchases, consumers will trust EWOM as a tool for reducing this risk. We
also found that the nature of the product/ service has more impact on customer trust for
females than for males. In line with that, (Yoo et al., 2009) stated that females considers
websites news as more credible than males.
Managerial Implications
According to results of the study, hotels should bear in mind that EWOM has a great
impact on consumer behavior, so they should try to stimulate and manage EWOM activity.
Special attention needs to be devoted to the determinants of EWOM that affect the hotel
customer's trust and that includes:
1. EWOM source expertise; as the perceived source expertise has a positive impact on
hotel customer trust in EWOM.
2. Tie Strength between EWOM source and hotel potential customer; as tie strength
between the EWOM source (reviewer) and the hotel potential customer (receiver)
has a positive impact on hotel customer trust in EWOM.
3. EWOM Volume; as the overall EWOM volume has a positive impact on hotel
customer trust in EWOM.
4. Type of the website where EWOM disseminated on; as the more independent the
website, the more customer trust in the EWOM disseminated on it.
5. The nature of the hotel product; as the more complexity of the hotel product the
more customers trust in EWOM.
The study also provides hotelier with guidelines of who to deal with different
demographics market segments in EWOM marketing plans, these guidelines includes.
1. Female trust EWOM from persons they know or in their friend list more than male.
2. Female also prefer to rely on EWOM when the product or service is complex more
than male.
3. The more the target market segment age the more the attention must be given to the
expertise of EWOM source, as they are more influenced by expertise source of
EWOM.
4. On the other hand, the less target market segment age the more they influenced by
volume of EWOM.
5. When higher educated market segment is targeted, especially those have masters
and Ph.Ds. more attention must be given to the type of website where EWOM is
Journal of Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University, Vol. (10), No. (2/2), September, 2016
405
disseminated, as they are more influenced by the independency of the website
where EWOM is disseminated.
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