Abstract
Although word-of-mouth (WOM) activity has been studied as an outcome variable of other constructs such as satisfaction, less attention has been given to the antecedents and moderators of WOM when considering WOM as a central construct. Hence, we propose a model of WOM antecedents and moderators using a meta-analytic review. The results show that all antecedents have significant effects on WOM activity, with customer commitment showing the strongest effect. The following hypotheses are also supported: (1) WOM valence is a significant moderator, (2) cross-sectional studies show a stronger influence of satisfaction and loyalty on WOM activity than longitudinal studies, and (3) studies of WOM behavior show a weaker link between loyalty and WOM activity than studies of WOM intentions. In addition, we show that satisfaction has a stronger relationship with positive WOM than loyalty, whereas (dis)loyalty has a stronger relationship with negative WOM than does (dis)satisfaction. We discuss this finding based on the different natures of positive and negative WOM.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Anderson, E. W. (1998). Customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth. Journal of Service Research, 1(1), 1–14.
Arndt, J. (1967). Word-of-mouth advertising and informal vommunication. In D. Cox (Ed.), Risk taking and information handling in consumer behaviour. Boston: Harvard University.
Arnett, D. B., German, S. D., & Hunt, S. D. (2003). The identity salience model of relationship marketing successes: the case of nonprofit marketing. Journal of Marketing, 67, 89–105 April.
Assmus, G., Farley, J. U., & Lehmann, D. R. (1984). How advertising affects sales: meta-analysis of econometric results. Journal of Marketing Research, 21(1), 65–74.
Bearden, W. O., & Teel, J. E. (1983). Selected determinants of consumer satisfaction and complaint reports. Journal of Marketing Research, 20(1), 21–28.
Blodgett, J. G., Granbois, D. H., & Walters, R. G. (1993). The effects of perceived justice on complainants’ negative word-of-mouth behavior and repatronage intentions. Journal of Retailing, 69(4), 399–428.
Bloemer, J., de Ruyter, K., & Wetzels, M. (1999). Linking perceived service quality and service loyalty: a multi-dimensional perspective. European Journal of Marketing, 33(11/12), 1082–1106.
Bolton, R. N., & Drew, J. H. (1991). A longitudinal analysis of the impact of service changes on customer attitudes. Journal of Marketing, 55(1), 1–10.
Bonifield, C., & Cole, C. (2007). Affective responses to service failure: anger, regret, and retaliatory versus conciliatory responses. Marketing Letters, 18(1), 85–99.
Boulding, W., Kalra, A., Staelin, R., & Zeithaml, V. A. (1993). A dynamic process model of service quality: from expectations to behavioural intentions. Journal of Marketing Research, 30(1), 7–27.
Brown, T. J., Barry, T. E., Dacin, P. A., & Gunst, R. F. (2005). Spreading the word: investigating antecedents of consumers’ positive word-of-mouth intentions and behaviors in a retailing context. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 33(2), 123–138.
Carpenter, J. M., & Fairhurst, A. (2005). Consumer shopping value, satisfaction, and loyalty for retail apparel brands. Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management, 9(3), 256–269.
Chevalier, J., & Mayzlin, D. (2006). The effect of word of mouth on sales: online book reviews. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(3), 345–354.
Crosno, J. L., & Dahlstrom, R. (2008). A meta-analytic review of opportunism in exchange relationships. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36(2), 191–201.
DelVecchio, D., Henard, D. H., & Freling, T. H. (2006). The effect of sales promotion on post-promotion brand preference: a meta-analysis. Journal of Retailing, 82(3), 203–213.
Dick, A. S., & Basu, K. (1994). Customer loyalty: toward an integrated conceptual framework. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 22(2), 99–113.
Duan, W., Gu, B., & Whinston, A. B. (2008). The dynamics of online word-of-mouth and product sales – an empirical investigation of the movie industry. Journal of Retailing, 84(2), 233–242.
Durvasula, S., Lysonski, S., Mehta, S. C., & Tang, B. P. (2004). Forging relationships with services: the antecedents that have an impact on behavioral outcomes in the life insurance industry. Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 8(4), 314–326.
Dwyer, F. R., Schurr, P., & Oh, S. (1987). Developing buyer-seller relationships. Journal of Marketing, 51, 11–27 April.
Eisend, M. (2004). Is it still worth to be credible? A meta-analysis of temporal patterns of source credibility effects in marketing. In B. Kahn, & M. F. Luce (Eds.), Advances in consumer research, vol. 31 (pp. 352–357). Urbana: Association of Consumer Research.
Eisend, M. (2006). Two-sided advertising: a meta-analysis. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 23(2), 187–198.
Engel, J. F., Blackwell, R. D., & Miniard, P. W. (1995). Consumer behavior (8th ed.). Orlando: Dryden.
Fern, E. F., & Monroe, K. B. (1996). Effect-size estimates: issues and problems in interpretation. Journal of Consumer Research, 23, 89–105 September.
Franke, G. R., & Park, J.-E. (2006). Salesperson adaptive selling behavior and customer orientation: a meta-analysis. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(4), 693–702.
Fullerton, G. (2003). When does commitment lead to loyalty? Journal of Service Research, 5(4), 333–344.
Garbarino, E., & Johnson, M. S. (1999). The different roles of satisfaction, trust, and commitment in customer relationships. Journal of Marketing, 63(2), 70–87.
Geyskens, I., Steenkamp, J.-B. E. M., & Kumar, N. (1998). Generalizations about trust in marketing channel relationships using meta-analysis. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 15(3), 223–249.
Gilly, M. C., Graham, J. L., Wolfinbarger, M. F., & Yale, L. J. (1998). A dyadic study of interpersonal information search. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 26(2), 83–100.
Gounaris, S., & Stathakopoulos, V. (2004). Antecedents and consequences of brand loyalty: an empirical study. Journal of Brand Management, 11(4), 283–306.
Gremler, D. D., & Gwinner, K. P. (2000). Customer-employee rapport in service relationships. Journal of Service Research, 3(1), 82–104.
Gremler, D. D., Gwinner, K. P., & Brown, S. W. (2001). Generating positive word-of-mouth communication through customer-employee relationships. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 12(1), 44–59.
Grewal, D., Kavanoor, S., Fern, E. F., Costley, C., & Barnes, J. (1997). Comparative versus noncomparative advertising: a meta-analysis. Journal of Marketing, 61(4), 1–15.
Grinstein, A. (2008). The effect of market orientation and its components on innovation consequences: a meta-analysis. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 36(2), 166–173.
Gruen, T. W., Osmonbekov, T., & Czaplewski, A. J. (2006). eWOM: the impact of customer-to-customer online know-how exchange on customer value and loyalty. Journal of Business Research, 59(4), 449–456.
Gruen, T. W., Summers, J. O., & Acito, F. (2000). Relationship marketing activities, commitment, and membership behaviors in professional associations. Journal of Marketing, 64(3), 34–49.
Hair, J. F., Jr., Anderson, R. E., Tatham, R. L., & Black, W. C. (1998). Multivariate data analysis. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
Halstead, D. (2002). Negative word of mouth: Substitute for or supplement to consumer complaints? Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, 15(1), 1–12.
Halstead, D., & Dröge, C. (1991). Consumer attitudes toward complaining and the prediction of multiple complaint responses. Advances in Consumer Research, 18, 210–216.
Harrison-Walker, L. J. (2001). The measurement of word-of-mouth communication and an investigation of service quality and customer commitment as potential antecedents. Journal of Service Research, 4(1), 60–75.
Hartline, M. D., & Jones, K. C. (1996). Employee performance cues in a hotel service environment: influence on perceived service quality, value, and word-of-mouth intentions. Journal of Business Research, 35(3), 207–215.
Heckman, R., & Guskey, A. (1998). The relationship between alumni and university: toward a theory of discretionary collaborative behavior. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 6(2), 97–112.
Heitmann, M., Lehmann, D. R., & Herrmann, A. (2007). Choice goal attainment and decision and consumption satisfaction. Journal of Marketing Research, 44, 234–250 May.
Henard, D. H., & Szymanski, D. M. (2001). Why some new products are more successful than others. Journal of Marketing Research, 38(3), 362–375.
Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., & Gremler, D. D. (2002). Understanding relationship marketing outcomes: An integration of relational benefits and relationship quality. Journal of Service Research, 4(3), 230–247.
Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K. P., Walsh, G., & Gremler, D. D. (2004). Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: what motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the internet? Journal of Interactive Marketing, 18(1), 38–52.
Hovland, C. I., Janis, I. L., & Kelley, H. H. (1953). Communication and persuasion: psychological studies of opinion change. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Hunter, J. E., & Schmidt, F. L. (2004). Methods of meta-analysis: correcting error and bias in research findings (2nd ed.). Beverly Hills: Sage.
Janiszewski, C., Noel, H., & Sawyer, A. G. (2003). A meta-analysis of the spacing effect in verbal learning: implications for research on advertising repetition and consumer memory. Journal of Consumer Researcher, 30(1), 138–149.
Jones, M. A., & Reynolds, K. E. (2006). The role of retailer interest on shopping behavior. Journal of Retailing, 82(2), 115–126.
Jones, M. A., Reynolds, K. E., Mothersbaugh, D. L., & Beatty, S. E. (2007). The positive and negative effects of switching costs on relational outcomes. Journal of Service Research, 9(4), 335–355.
Jones, T. O., & Sasser, W. E., Jr. (1995). Why satisfied customers defect. Harvard Business Review, 73, 88–99 November-December.
Jones, T., & Taylor, S. F. (2007). The conceptual domain of service loyalty: how many dimensions? Journal of Services Marketing, 21(1), 36–51.
Katz, E., & Lazarsfeld, P. F. (1955). Personal influence. Glencoe: Free.
Kau, A.-K., & Loh, E. W.-Y. (2006). The effects of service recovery on consumer satisfaction: a comparison between complainants and non-complainants. Journal of Services Marketing, 20(2), 101–111.
Keiningham, T. L., Cooil, B., Aksoy, L., Andreassen, T. W., & Weiner, J. (2007). The value of different customer satisfaction and loyalty metrics in predicting customer retention, recommendation, and share-of-wallet. Managing Service Quality, 17(4), 361–384.
Kirca, A. H., Jayachandran, S., & Bearden, W. O. (2005). Market orientation: a meta-analytic review and assessment of its antecedents and impact on performance. Journal of Marketing, 69, 24–41 April.
Lacey, R., Suh, J., & Morgan, R. M. (2007). Differential effects of preferential treatment levels on relational outcomes. Journal of Service Research, 9(3), 241–256.
Lam, S. Y., Shankar, V., Krishna Erramilli, M., & Murthy, B. (2004). Customer value, satisfaction, loyalty, and switching costs: an illustration from a business-to-business service context. Journal Academy of Marketing Science, 32(3), 293–311.
Liljander, V., & Strandvik, T. (1997). Emotions in service satisfaction. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 8(2), 148–169.
Lipsey, M. W., & Wilson, D. B. (2001). Practical meta-analysis. Beverly Hills: Sage.
Macintosh, G. (2007). Customer orientation, relationship quality, and relational benefits to the firm. Journal of Services Marketing, 21(3), 150–159.
Martin, D., O’Neill, M., Hubbard, S., & Palmer, A. (2008). The role of emotion in explaining consumer satisfaction and future behavioural intention. Journal of Services Marketing, 22(3), 224–236.
Matos, C. A., Henrique, J. L., & Rossi, C. A. V. (2007). Service recovery paradox: a meta-analysis. Journal of Service Research, 10(1), 60–77.
Maxham, J. G., III (2001). Service recovery’s influence on consumer satisfaction, positive word-of-mouth, and purchase intentions. Journal of Business Research, 54(1), 11–24.
Maxham, J. G., III, & Netemeyer, R. G. (2002a). A longitudinal study of complaining customers’ evaluations of multiple service failures and recovery efforts. Journal of Marketing, 66(4), 57–71.
Maxham, J. G., III, & Netemeyer, R. G. (2002b). Modeling customer perceptions of complaint handling over time: the effects of perceived justice on satisfaction and intent. Journal of Retailing, 78(4), 239–252.
Maxham, J. G., III, & Netemeyer, R. G. (2003). Firms reap what they sow: the effects of shared values and perceived organizational justice on customers’ evaluations of complaint handling. Journal of Marketing, 67, 46–62 January.
Mazzarol, T., Sweeney, J. C., & Soutar, G. N. (2007). Conceptualizing word-of-mouth activity, triggers and conditions: an exploratory study. European Journal of Marketing, 41(11/12), 1475–1494.
McKee, D., Simmers, C. S., & Licata, J. (2006). Customer self-efficacy and response to service. Journal of Service Research, 8(3), 207–220.
Mittal, V., Kumar, P., & Tsiros, M. (1999). Attribute-level performance, satisfaction, and behavioral intentions over time: a consumption-system approach. Journal of Marketing, 63(2), 88–101.
Moorman, C., Deshpandé, R., & Zaltman, G. (1993). Factors affecting trust in market research relationships. Journal of Marketing, 57(1), 81–101.
Moorman, C., Zaltman, G., & Deshpandé, R. (1992). Relationships between providers and users of market research: the dynamics of trust within and between organizations. Journal of Marketing Research, 29(3), 314–339.
Morgan, R., & Hunt, S. (1994). The commitment-trust theory of marketing relationships. Journal of Marketing, 58(3), 20–38.
Murray, K. B. (1991). A test of services marketing theory: consumer information acquisition activities. Journal of Marketing, 55, 10–25 January.
Oliver, R. L. (1980). A cognitive model of the antecedents and consequences of satisfaction decisions. Journal of Marketing Research, 17(4), 460–469.
Oliver, R. L. (1981). Measurement and evaluation of satisfaction processes in retail settings. Journal of Retailing, 57(3), 25–48.
Oliver, R. L. (1997). Satisfaction: a behavioral perspective on the consumer. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Oliver, R. L., & Westbrook, R. A. (1993). Cognitive, affective, and attribute bases of the satisfaction response. Journal of Consumer Research, 20(3), 418–430.
Palmatier, R. W., Dant, R. P., Grewal, D., & Evans, K. R. (2006). Factors influencing the effectiveness of relationship marketing: a meta-analysis. Journal of Marketing, 70(4), 136–153.
Pan, Y., & Zinkhan, G. M. (2006). Determinants of retail patronage: a meta-analytical perspective. Journal of Retailing, 82(3), 229–243.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V., & Berry, L. L. (1985). A conceptual model of service quality and its implications for future research. Journal of Marketing, 49(4), 41–50.
Parasuraman, A., Zeithaml, V., & Berry, L. L. (1988). SERVQUAL: a multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perception of service quality. Journal of Retailing, 64(1), 12–41.
Park, C. W., & Lessig, V. P. (1977). Students and housewives: differences in susceptibility to reference group influence. Journal of Consumer Research, 4, 102–110 September.
Peterson, R. A., & Brown, S. P. (2005). On the use of beta coefficients in meta-analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90(1), 175–181.
Podsakoff, P. M., MacKenzie, S. B., Lee, J.-Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879–903.
Price, L., & Arnould, E. J. (1999). Commercial friendships: service provider-client relationships in context. Journal of Marketing, 63, 38–56 October.
Ranaweera, C., & Prabhu, J. (2003). On the relative importance of customer satisfaction and trust as determinants of customer retention and positive word of mouth. Journal of Targeting, Measurement and Analysis of Marketing, 12(1), 82–90.
Reichheld, F. F. (1994). Loyalty and the renaissance of marketing. Marketing Management, 2(4), 10–21.
Reynolds, K. E., & Arnold, M. J. (2000). Customer loyalty to the salesperson and the store: examining relationship customers in an upscale retail context. The Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 20(2), 89–98.
Reynolds, K. E., & Beatty, S. E. (1999). Customer benefits and company consequences of customer-salesperson relationships in retailing. Journal of Retailing, 75(1), 11–32.
Richins, M. L. (1983). Negative word-of-mouth by dissatisfied consumers: a pilot study. Journal of Marketing, 47(1), 68–78.
Richins, M. L. (1984). Word-of-mouth communications as negative information. In T. C. Kinnear (Ed.), Advances in consumer research (vol. 11, (pp. 697–702)). Ann Arbor: Association for Consumer Research.
Rosenthal, R. (1979). The ‘file drawer problem’ and tolerance for null results. Psychological Bulletin, 86, 638–641.
Samson, A. (2006). Understanding the buzz that matters: negative vs positive word of mouth. International Journal of Market Research, 48(6), 647–657.
Schoefer, K., & Diamantopoulos, A. (2008). The role of emotions in translating perceptions of (in)justice into postcomplaint behavioral responses. Journal of Service Research, Available at: <http://jsr.sagepub.com/cgi/rapidpdf/1094670508319091v1>.
Sheppard, B. H., Hartwick, J., & Warshaw, P. R. (1988). The theory of reasoned action: a meta-analysis of past research with recommendation for modifications and future research. Journal of Consumer Research, 15(3), 325–343.
Sichtmann, C. (2007). An analysis of antecedents and consequences of trust in a corporate brand. European Journal of Marketing, 41(9/10), 999–1015.
Singh, J., & Sirdeshmukh, D. (2000). Agency and trust mechanisms in consumer satisfaction and loyalty judgments. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 28(1), 150–167.
Sirdeshmukh, D., Singh, J., & Sabol, B. (2002). Consumer trust, value, and loyalty in relational exchanges. Journal of Marketing, 66(1), 15–37.
Söderlund, M. (1998). Customer satisfaction and its consequences on customer behaviour revisited. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 9(2), 169–188.
Söderlund, M. (2006). Measuring customer loyalty with multi-item scales—a case for caution. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 17(1), 76–98.
Söderlund, M., & Rosengren, S. (2007). Receiving word-of-mouth from the service customer: An emotion-based effectiveness assessment. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 14(1), 123–136.
Stewart, D. W., & Pavlou, P. A. (2002). From consumer response to active consumer: measuring the effectiveness of interactive media. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 30(4), 376–396.
Straus, B., & Neuhaus, P. (1997). The qualitative satisfaction model. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 8(3), 236–249.
Sundaram, D. S., Mitra, K., & Webster, C. (1998). Word-of-mouth communications: a motivational analysis. Advances in Consumer Research, 25, 527–531.
Swan, J. E., & Oliver, R. E. (1989). Postpurchase communications by consumers. Journal of Retailing, 65(4), 516–533.
Sweeney, J. C., Soutar, G. N., & Mazzarol, T. (2005). The difference between positive and negative word-of-mouth—emotion as a differentiator. In Proceedings of the ANZMAC 2005 Conference: Broadening the Boundaries (pp. 331–337). Perth, Australia: University of Western Australia.
Szymanski, D. M., & Henard, D. H. (2001). Customer satisfaction: a meta-analysis of the empirical evidence. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 29(1), 16–35.
Voorhees, C. M., Brady, M. K., & Horowitz, D. M. (2006). A voice from the silent masses: an exploratory and comparative analysis of noncomplainers. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 34(4), 514–527.
Wangenheim, F. v. (2005). Postswitching negative word of mouth. Journal of Service Research, 8(1), 67–78.
Wangenheim, F. v., & Bayón, T. (2007). The chain from customer satisfaction via word-of-mouth referrals to new customer acquisition. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 35(2), 233–249.
Westbrook, R. A. (1987). Product/consumption based affective responses and postpurchase processes. Journal of Marketing Research, 24(3), 258–270.
Westbrook, R. A., & Oliver, R. L. (1991). The dimensionality of consumption emotion patterns and consumer satisfaction. Journal of Consumer Research, 18(1), 84–91.
Wetzer, I. M., Zeelenberg, M., & Pieters, R. (2007). ‘Never eat in that restaurant, I Did!’: exploring why people engage in negative word-of-mouth communication. Psychology & Marketing, 24(8), 661–680.
Zeelenberg, M., & Pieters, R. (2004). Beyond valence in customer dissatisfaction: a review and new findings on behavioral responses to regret and disappointment in failed services. Journal of Business Research, 57(4), 445–455.
Zeithaml, V. A. (1988). Consumer perceptions of price, quality, and value: a means-end model and synthesis of evidence. Journal of Marketing, 52(3), 2–22.
Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1993). The nature and determinants of customer expectations of service. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 21(1), 1–12.
Zeithaml, V. A., Berry, L. L., & Parasuraman, A. (1996). The behavioral consequences of service quality. Journal of Marketing, 60(2), 31–47.
Acknowledgments
We thank the Brazilian Funding Council for Research (CNPq and CAPES) and the Graduate School of Management (PPGA-EA-UFRGS) for their financial support. We are also thankful to the editor, David W. Stewart, and the three anonymous JAMS reviewers for their insightful comments.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
This article is based on the first author’s dissertation.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
de Matos, C.A., Rossi, C.A.V. Word-of-mouth communications in marketing: a meta-analytic review of the antecedents and moderators. J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci. 36, 578–596 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-008-0121-1
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-008-0121-1