Restaurant experience sharing on social network sites: Examining the effects of psychological factors and motivations

DongHee Kim, Purdue University

Abstract

With the rapid emergence of social networking sites (SNSs), the marketing landscape has changed dramatically. The SNS is empowering customers as a result of online consumption activities such as generating contents, participating in review discussions, and sharing with other customers to influence decision-making. Accordingly, consumers’ online activity in SNSs has paid growing attention as the importance of effective marketing communication has become more clear. However, exploring the psychological aspects of sharing restaurant experiences in SNSs has been largely ignored. To provide deeper insights into the SNS phenomenon in the foodservice industry, the current study proposed a conceptual framework to capture restaurant customers’ online activities in SNSs. Using a strong foundation of uses and gratification theory, this study took a psychological approach to understanding SNS phenomena. This study first addressed the questions of what psychological needs trigger the gratifications consumers sought from sharing their dining experiences. On the basis of the literature review, the study has identified four key psychological aspects: self-esteem, life satisfaction, need to belong, and narcissism. The current study proposed that psychological needs, as the first component, drive consumers’ different motivations for SNS activity. Then, this study explored the effect of three salient motivations on restaurant experience sharing intention in SNSs: self-expression, social benefit, and status seeking. In addition, the potential influencing effect of gender was explored in the relationship between motivations and SNS sharing behavioral intention. To test the hypothesized relationships, structural equation modeling was assessed. The study used multiple group analysis identify gender difference in the relationship between motivations and SNS sharing intention. The results of SEM showed that self-esteem, life satisfaction, need to belong, and narcissism were significant inner psychological factors leading to motivations for SNS sharing intention. The motivations of self-expression and social seeking were key drivers of SNS sharing intention. The findings of this study devote to the restaurant social media marketing literature by filling a gap that has not been studied previously. Such findings provide managerial implications for designing more effective social media marketing campaigns to strategically encourage customers to share their consumption experiences.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Jang, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Marketing|Communication

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