Influence of electronic word of mouth during consumer buying decisions in South Africa

Abstract

This study explored the influence of electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) on the online purchasing behaviour of Generation Z and Millennial students in South Africa, specifically identifying key e-WOM factors influencing consumer decisions and examining the role of demographic differences in shaping these behaviours. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 288 students and lecturers from Durban University of Technology. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and regression analysis to examine the causal relationships between e-WOM factors and consumer buying behaviour. Key findings indicate that e-WOM significantly influences consumer buying behaviour, with factors such as e-WOM volume, e-WOM adoption and usage emerging as strong predictors.  The influence of e-WOM was consistent across age groups and gender. The consistent influence of e-WOM on both Generation Z and Millennials, regardless of gender, suggests that unified e-WOM strategies can be developed for these generational cohorts, resulting in more efficient and cost-effective marketing campaigns. Based on these findings, digital marketers must focus on increasing the volume of e-WOM, particularly by encouraging customer reviews and enhancing social media engagement and leveraging user-generated content. Businesses can benefit from these approaches by enhancing brand trust, improving consumer decision-making and ultimately driving sales performance. Future studies could incorporate a mixed methods approach to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon.

Keywords: {'name': 'consumer behaviour'}, {'name': 'Electronic word of mouth'}

Authors & affiliations

Faith Tinonetsana
Affiliation not supplied

Veena P. Rawjee
Affiliation not supplied

Jeevarathnam P. Govender
Affiliation not supplied

Deposited references

Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.

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