Antecedents of customer brand advocacy: a meta-analysis of the empirical evidence
Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing
ISSN: 2040-7122
Article publication date: 1 June 2020
Issue publication date: 1 June 2020
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to find out the antecedents of customer brand advocacy (CBA) on the basis of synthesis of the CBA literature. A summarisation of the results of the empirical CBA studies containing CBA as a measured variable is carried out. The antecedents’ strengths of association with CBA are compared.
Design/methodology/approach
The literature is synthesised using the technique of meta-analysis (Hedges and Olkin, 1985). A total of 63 empirical research papers containing 66 data sets, published between 1988 and 2019, are analysed. For each antecedent – CBA relationship, the statistics calculated include point estimate of the reliability adjusted correlation coefficient (ρ), 95% confidence interval of the computed effect size, Cochran’s Q statistic and fail safe-N. The effect of study context as a possible moderator is assessed.
Findings
The major antecedents of CBA, identified in the study, are categorised into personal factor (opinion leadership), relational factors (brand trust, customer satisfaction, brand identification, customer-based brand equity, affective commitment and normative commitment) and social factor (normative influence). Significant heterogeneity was found across studies for the paired relationships, pointing towards the presence of theoretical and/or methodological moderators.
Originality/value
The nascent CBA literature reports mixed findings. This creates confusion. This synthesis study contributes to the present body of knowledge of the concept of CBA. It is the only study that uses the technique of meta-analysis to the CBA literature.
Keywords
Citation
Bhati, R. and Verma, H.V. (2020), "Antecedents of customer brand advocacy: a meta-analysis of the empirical evidence", Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 153-172. https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIM-12-2018-0165
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2020, Emerald Publishing Limited