Revisiting Word-of-Mouth Communications: A Cross-National Exploration

Abstract

This study explores the internal motivational factors that influence U.S. and Chinese consumers to initiate word-of-mouth (WOM) communication in the majority market. The study found several new motivational factors not previously discussed in the WOM literature, including the three dimensions of altruism, seeking retaliation, seeking compensation, and seeking bargaining power. Both the common and different influencers of WOM between the two cultural settings found in this study could help marketers further explore the role of WOM while considering the standardization versus adaptation strategies in their global advertising and promotion campaigns across the two nations.