Socio-influences of user generated content in emerging markets

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the influencing characteristics of user-generated content over perceived structure of social platforms to plan various business practices to improve the social commerce activities especially in emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach

In first step, key factors are identified from the systematic literature studies and experts’ opinion. Second, total interpretive structural modeling is used to interpret the complexity of relationships among various factors. Further, fuzzy-MICMAC analysis is used to determine the most driving factors to improve the social commerce.

Findings

The study illustrates hierarchical relationships that can help policy designers, business leaders and decision makers to gain maximum benefits of mining the user-generated content to implement the people-oriented changes to improve economic capability of a country.

Research limitations/implications

The applicability of the study findings can be deployed mostly in emerging economies. The study has not considered the data security, cyberbullying, authenticity and reliability of shared content spread virally over social sites.

Practical implications

The paper will assist policy makers, business planners and solution providers to give importance to public-led influencing patterns to offer business solutions based on people demand and choices.

Social implications

The customers’ engagement, sharing reviews, getting suggestions from other people and finding new trends through user-generated content would enable higher social commerce activities.

Originality/value

The paper develops hierarchical relationships to represent the advancements in business and marketing activities based on influencing patterns and behavior of users over social sites.

Citation

Kumar, H., Singh, M.K. and Gupta, M.P. (2018), "Socio-influences of user generated content in emerging markets", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 36 No. 7, pp. 737-749. https://doi.org/10.1108/MIP-12-2017-0347