Social media technologies and services have empowered individuals and organisations by revolutionalising the way people communicate, socialise and conduct business. Two examples of social media services are Facebook and Twitter. Many organisations have been quick to realise the potential benefits of social media and have adopted social media marketing practices. Social media analytics are condu...

Online transaction environment is full of uncertainties. To reduce online uncertainty, the first stage model examines the effect of extrinsic signals on perceived product quality, and the second stage model employs cue-diagnosticity framework to examine the influence of eWOM attributes (eWOM volume and eWOM consensus) on both perceived product quality and purchase intention. Our research questi...

This commentary explores the implications of increased social media marketing by drug manufacturers, based on findings in Hyosun Kim’s article of the major themes in recent Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warning letters and notices of violation regarding online direct-to-consumer promotions of pharmaceuticals. Kim’s rigorous analysis of FDA letters over a 10-year span highlights a relative ...

Social media has become a value-adding marketing channel. With the significance of social media for online small businesses and the lack of understanding of this area, this study attempts to investigate the impact of social media marketing on the sales performance of such businesses. Drawing on the theories of media richness and uses and gratifications, we propose a research model in which the ...

The Arab Spring has brought a lot of attention to the use of social media in the Arab world. Whether social media was one of the catalysts or the sole agent of the socio-political movement has been an object of endless debate. Nevertheless, it can be agreed that social media usage has increased in the region and is paving the way for enduring changes in all spheres of public and private life. G...

Word-of-mouth (WOM) has been recognized as one of the most influential resources of information transmission. However, conventional WOM communication is only effective within limited social contact boundaries. The advances of information technology and the emergence of online social network sites have changed the way information is transmitted and have transcended the traditional limitations of...