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Quality dimensions in online communities influence purchase intentions

Chung-Yu Wang (National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, Kaohsiung, Taiwan)
Hsiao-Ching Lee (National Kaohsiung University of Applied Sciences, Kaohsiung, Taiwan)
Li-Wei Wu (Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan)
Chih-Chung Liu (Wei Sheng Steel, Co., Ltd, Kaohsiung, Taiwan)

Management Decision

ISSN: 0025-1747

Article publication date: 16 October 2017

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how quality dimensions in independently owned online brand communities influence purchase intentions via uncertainty reduction and the role of involvement.

Design/methodology/approach

This work validates the model and hypotheses through non-probabilistic sampling. The online questionnaire was made on the website of MySurvey and an invitation letter was posted to the forums. The respondents received the questionnaire items translated into Chinese. The final survey sample consisted of 235 respondents.

Findings

Empirical results confirm that as for independently owned online brand communities, their information quality and relationship quality are effective tools for influencing purchase intentions via uncertainty reduction. In addition, the authors demonstrate that involvement has a positively moderating influence on the relationship between uncertainty reduction and purchase intentions.

Originality/value

The current study moves beyond uncertainty reduction to demonstrate that information quality and relationship quality of forums influenced purchase intention via uncertainty reduction and the moderating variable such as involvement.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The author sincerely appreciates the precious comments from the anonymous reviewers and the financial aid from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (NSC 102-2410-H-151-019-).

Citation

Wang, C.-Y., Lee, H.-C., Wu, L.-W. and Liu, C.-C. (2017), "Quality dimensions in online communities influence purchase intentions", Management Decision, Vol. 55 No. 9, pp. 1984-1998. https://doi.org/10.1108/MD-11-2016-0822

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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