Through the expansion of the Internet, business and academic fields both pay attention to the influence of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on consumers’ purchase decisions. In literatures, the high correlation between the volume of eWOM and actual product sales has been examined. However, factors which influence eWOM are viewed previously by individual motivation and intention, and there is a lack of studies with network interactive effects. In this study, we examine the influence of public feedback and social structures on eWOM.
In this study, our research data is from online discussion board. We apply social network analysis to construct indicators and examine research hypotheses. The result shows that the controversy between opposite opinions, network centralization, network overlap, and network involvement have significant impacts on eWOM. In practice, companies could take reference from these factors to establish future marketing strategies for better achievement.

隨著網際網路的快速發展，網路口碑對於消費者購買決策的影響已成為企業與學術界關注的焦點。在過去研究中，口碑的量與產品銷售的高度相關性已被證實，而口碑形成的因素則多為個人動機方面的研究，網路互動的影響則仍待探討。本研究以社會網路層面探討虛擬社群中成員的意見回饋(public feedback)以及互動型態所形成的網路結構(social structure)對於口碑生成的影響。

本研究以電影討論區作為資料來源，利用社會網路分析建立網路口碑之衡量指標，分析並驗證出社群內討論文章所引起的爭議程度(controversy between opinions)、社群網路內部的互動集中程度(network centralization)、跨網路之成員重複程度(network overlap)以及網路涉入程度(network involvement)對於未來口碑生成有顯著的影響。在實務上，企業可依此結果針對網路社群制定合適的行銷策略，以達到最佳的市場成果。

Anderson, E. (1998). Customer Satisfaction and Word of Mouth. Journal of Service Research, 1(1), 5-17.
Arndt, J. (1967). Role of Product-Related Conversations in the Diffusion of a New Product. Journal of Marketing Research, 4(3), 291-295.
Arndt, J. (1967). Word of Mouth Advertising: A Review of the Literature: Advertising Research Foundation.
Baym, N. (1995). The Emergence of Community in Computer-Mediated Communication. In S. Jones (Ed.), Cybersociety: Computer-Mediated Communication and Community (pp. 138-163): Thousand Oaks: Sage.
Borgatti, S. (1998). What Is Social Network Analysis?, 2009, from http://www.analytictech.com/networks/whatis.htm
Bounie, D., Bourreau, M., Gensollen, M., & Waelbroeck, P. (2008). Do Online Customer Reviews Matter? Evidence from the Video Game Industry. Unpublished Working Paper.
Brown, J., & Reingen, P. (1987). Social Ties and Word-of-Mouth Referral Behavior. Journal of Consumer Research, 12(3), 350-362.
Chen, P., Wu, S., & Yoon, J. (2004). The Impact of Online Recommendations and Consumer Feedback on Sales. Paper presented at the ICIS.
Chevalier, J., & Mayzlin, D. (2006). The Effect of Word of Mouth on Sales: Online Book Reviews. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(3), 345-354.
Dellarocas, C., Awad, N., & Zhang, X. (2004). Exploring the Value of Online Reviews to Organizations: Implications for Revenue Forecasting and Planning. Paper presented at the ICIS.
Dellarocas, C., Awad, N., & Zhang, X. (2005). Using Online Ratings as a Proxy of Word-of-Mouth in Motion Picture Revenue Forecasting. Working paper, Smith School of Business, Univ. Maryland.
Dellarocas, C., Zhang, X., & Awad, N. (2007). Exploring the Value of Online Product Reviews in Forecasting Sales: The Case of Motion Pictures. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 21(4), 23-45.
Dick, A., & Basu, K. (1994). Customer Loyalty: Toward an Integrated Conceptual Framework. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 22(2), 99-113.
Druckman, D. (1993). An Analytical Research Agenda for Conflict and Conflict Resolution. In D. Sandole & H. Van der Merwe (Eds.), Conflict Resolution Theory and Practice: Integration and Application (pp. 25-42): Manchester University Press.
Duan, W., Gu, B., & Whinston, A. (2005). Analysis of Herding on the Internet–An Empirical Investigation of Online Software Download. Paper presented at the AMCIS.
Duan, W., Gu, B., & Whinston, A. (2008). Do Online Reviews Matter?—An Empirical Investigation of Panel Data. Decision Support Systems, 45(4), 1007-1016.
Duan, W., Gu, B., & Whinston, A. (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.
Engel, J., Blackwell, R., & Kegerreis, R. (1969). How Information is Used to Adopt an Innovation. Journal of Advertising Research, 9(4), 3-8.
Fang, S., & Chang, Y. (2006). The Influential Factors of Online Word-of-Mouth Formation - Internet Involvement and Virtual Community Management as Moderators. Journal of e-Business, 8(4), 499-532.
Freeman, L. (1979). Centrality in Social Networks: Conceptual Clarification. Social Networks, 1(3), 215-239.
Gelb, B., & Sundaram, S. (2002). Adapting to “Word of Mouse”. Business Horizons, 45(4), 21-25.
Godes, D., & Mayzlin, D. (2004). Using Online Conversations to Study Word-of-Mouth Communication. Marketing Science, 23(4), 545-560.
Granovetter, M. (1973). The Strength of Weak Ties. American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), 1360.
Hagel III, J., & Armstrong, A. (1997). Net Gain: Expanding Markets Through Virtual Communities: Harvard Business School Press.
Hanneman, R., & Riddle, M. (2005). Introduction to Social Network Methods, from http://faculty.ucr.edu/~hanneman/
Hennig-Thurau, T., Gwinner, K., Walsh, G., & Gremler, 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.
Herr, P., Kardes, F., & Kim, J. (1991). Effects of Word-of-Mouth and Product-Attribute Information on Persuasion: An Accessibility-Diagnosticity Perspective. Journal of Consumer Research, 17(4), 454.
Hiltz, S., & Wellman, B. (1997). Asynchronous Learning Networks as a Virtual Classroom. Communications of the ACM, 40(9), 44-49.
Katz, E., Lazarsfeld, P., & Roper, E. (2005). Personal Influence: The Part Played by People in the Flow of Mass Communications (2 ed.): Transaction Publishers.
Lai, J. (2008). 掌握未來二十年的主流市場解構台灣最大網路社群批踢踢. Business Today Magazine (今周刊), 601.
Laurent, G., & Kapferer, J. (1985). Measuring Consumer Involvement Profiles. Journal of Marketing Research, 22(1), 41-53.
Lazar, J., & Preece, J. (1998). Classification Schema for Online Communities. Paper presented at the AMCIS.
Lin, C., & Goh, K. (2007). Estimating the Impact of Online Reviews on the Box Office Performance: A Three-Stage-Least-Squares Model. Unpublished Working Paper.
Liu, Y. (2006). Word of Mouth for Movies: Its Dynamics and Impact on Box Office Revenue. Journal of Marketing, 70(3), 74-89.
Mahajan, V., Muller, E., & Bass, F. (1990). New Product Diffusion Models in Marketing: A Review and Directions for Research. The Journal of Marketing, 54(1), 1-26.
Micorsoft (2008). Influence an Audience of Influencers with Windows Live, 2009, from http://advertising.microsoft.com/asia/Research?Adv_ResearchReportID=802
Newman, P. (1999). When Windows Replace Walls: Investigating Virtual Word of Mouth Exchanges and Constructing Multilogue Profiles. Advances in Consumer Research, 26(1), 653-654.
Nielsen (2007). Word-of-Mouth the Most Powerful Selling Tool: Nielsen Global Survey. Retrieved from http://tw.cn.acnielsen.com/site/news20071011.htm
Rheingold, H. (1993). The Virtual Community: Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier: Addison Wesley Publishing Company.
Richins, M. (1983). Negative Word-of-Mouth by Dissatisfied Consumers: A Pilot Study. The Journal of Marketing, 47(1), 68-78.
Ridings, C., Gefen, D., & Arinze, B. (2002). Some Antecedents and Effects of Trust in Virtual Communities. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 11(3-4), 271-295.
Schindler, R., & Bickart, B. (2005). Published Word of Mouth: Referable, Consumer-Generated Information on the Internet. In C. Haugtvedt, K. Machleit & R. Yalch (Eds.), Online Consumer Psychology: Understanding and Influencing Consumer Behavior in the Virtual World: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Sundaram, D., Mitra, K., & Webster, C. (1998). Word-of-Mouth Communications: A Motivational Analysis. Advances in Consumer Research, 25(1), 527-531.
Tang, C. (2005). A Study of the Correlation among Online Community and Market Status–Using Cellular Phone as Example. National Chung Cheng University.
Tsang, A., & Zhou, N. (2005). Newsgroup Participants as Opinion Leaders and Seekers in Online and Offline Communication Environments. Journal of Business Research, 58(9), 1186-1193.
Van House, N., Butler, M., & Schiff, L. (1998). Cooperative Knowledge Work and Practices of Trust: Sharing Environmental Planning Data Sets. Paper presented at the ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work.
Wasserman, S., & Faust, K. (1994). Social Network Analysis: Methods and Applications: Cambridge Univ Press.
Westbrook, R. (1987). Product/Consumption-Based Affective Responses and Postpurchase Processes. Journal of Marketing Research, 24(3), 258-270.
Wilson, T. (1982). Relational Networks: An Extension of Sociometric Concepts. Social Networks, 4(2), 105-116.
Zhang, X., & Dellarocas, C. (2006). The Lord of the Ratings: How a Movie’s Fate is Influenced by Reviews? Paper presented at the ICIS, Milwaukee.
Zhu, F., & Zhang, X. (2006). The Influence of Online Consumer Reviews on the Demand for Experience Goods: The Case of Video Games. Paper presented at the ICIS, Milwaukee.