Title: Consensus and disagreement between online peer and expert recommendations

Authors: Alex Wang

Addresses: Department of Communication Sciences, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut-Stamford, One University Place, Stamford, CT 06901, USA

Abstract: This study examines how consumers integrate expert and peer recommendations into their attitudes toward the recommended product and how recommendation consensus or disagreement affects their behavioural intents. The results suggest that positive peer and expert recommendations enhance consumers| attitudes, whereas recommendation consensus plays a crucial role in determining behavioural intent. Managing recommendation consensus or disagreement for internet advertising is important because it determines whether a recommended product or subject is perceived as meeting or falling short of evaluation. To the extent that consumers are not familiar with a recommended product that has hedonic characteristics, they are likely to respond favourably to recommendation consensus rather than recommendation disagreement.

Keywords: expert recommendations; peer recommendations; online recommendations; communication; consensus; disagreement; behavioural intent; consumer attitudes; internet advertising; online advertising; e-advertising.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIMA.2008.019152

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising, 2008 Vol.4 No.4, pp.328 - 349

Published online: 30 Jun 2008 *

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