Electronic Word of Mouth (e-WOM) and Purchase Intention: A Brief Look at the Last Decade by Bibliometrics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38035/dijefa.v7i1.6410Keywords:
Bibliometric Analysis, Consumer Behavior, Electronic Word Of Mouth, Purchase Intention, Social CommerceAbstract
Electronic word of mouth (e-WOM) plays a crucial role in digital marketing by shaping consumer judgments and purchase decisions. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of research on e-WOM and purchase intention published between 2015 and 2024. A total of 200 Scopus-indexed journal articles were analyzed using performance indicators, citation analysis, keyword co-occurrence, thematic clustering, and network visualization with VOSviewer. The findings reveal three development phases: emergence (2015–2017), rapid growth (2018–2020), and consolidation with a sharp increase in publications in 2023–2024. Influential journals and highly cited studies emphasize information helpfulness, review quality, and credibility as key predictors of purchase intention. Five thematic clusters were identified, covering consumer behavior, trust, social commerce, brand constructs, and information quality. The study confirms that e-WOM and purchase intention remain evolving research areas, highlights cross-cultural and longitudinal gaps, and provides structured directions for future theoretical and managerial development.
References
Alalwan, A. A., Rana, N. P., Dwivedi, Y. K., & Algharabat, R. (2017). Social media in marketing: A review and analysis of the existing literature. Telematics and Informatics, 34(7), 1177–1190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2017.05.008
Babić Rosario, A., de Valck, K., & Sotgiu, F. (2020). Conceptualizing the electronic word-of-mouth process: What we know and need to know about eWOM creation, exposure, and evaluation. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 48(3), 422–448. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-019-00706-1
Bhimani, H., Mention, A. L., & Barlatier, P. J. (2019). Social media and innovation: A systematic literature review and future research directions. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 144(August), 251–269. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2018.10.007
Casaló, L. V., Flavián, C., & Ibáñez-Sánchez, S. (2020). Influencers on Instagram: Antecedents and consequences of opinion leadership. Journal of Business Research, 117(July), 510–519. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.07.005
Chen, N., & Yang, Y. (2023). The Role of Influencers in Live Streaming E-Commerce: Influencer Trust, Attachment, and Consumer Purchase Intention. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research, 18(3), 1601–1618. https://doi.org/10.3390/jtaer18030081
Chen, X., Chen, J., Wu, D., Xie, Y., & Li, J. (2016). Mapping the Research Trends by Co-word Analysis Based on Keywords from Funded Project. Procedia Computer Science, 91(Itqm), 547–555. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procs.2016.07.140
Cheung, C. M. K., & Thadani, D. R. (2012). The impact of electronic word-of-mouth communication: A literature analysis and integrative model. Decision Support Systems, 54(1), 461–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2012.06.008
Chinchilla-Rodríguez, Z., Sugimoto, C. R., & Larivière, V. (2019). Follow the leader: On the relationship between leadership and scholarly impact in international collaborations. PLOS ONE, 14(6), e0218309.
Dellarocas, C., Gao, G., & Narayan, R. (2010). Are consumers more likely to contribute online reviews for hit or niche products? Journal of Management Information Systems, 27(2), 127–158. https://doi.org/10.2753/MIS0742-1222270204
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Mukherjee, D., Pandey, N., & Lim, W. M. (2021). How to conduct a bibliometric analysis: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 133(April), 285–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.04.070
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Pandey, N., Pandey, N., & Mishra, A. (2021). Mapping the electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) research: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis. Journal of Business Research, 135(February), 758–773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.07.015
Donthu, N., Kumar, S., Sureka, R., & Joshi, R. (2021). Research constituents and citation analysis of the Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing (1986–2019). Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 36(8), 1435–1451. https://doi.org/10.1108/JBIM-04-2020-0214
Dwivedi, Y. K., Ismagilova, E., Hughes, D. L., Carlson, J., Filieri, R., Jacobson, J., Jain, V., Karjaluoto, H., Kefi, H., Krishen, A. S., Kumar, V., Rahman, M. M., Raman, R., Rauschnabel, P. A., Rowley, J., Salo, J., Tran, G. A., & Wang, Y. (2021). International Journal of Information Management Setting the future of digital and social media marketing research : Perspectives and research propositions. International Journal of Information Management, 59(May 2020), 102168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102168
Erkan, I., & Evans, C. (2016). The influence of eWOM in social media on consumers’ purchase intentions: An extended approach to information adoption. Computers in Human Behavior, 61, 47–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.03.003
Erkan, I., & Evans, C. (2018). Social media or shopping websites? The influence of eWOM on consumers’ online purchase intentions. Journal of Marketing Communications, 24(6), 617–632. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527266.2016.1184706
Esparza-huamanchumo, R. M., Quiroz-celis, A. V., & Camacho-sanz, A. (2024). In fl uence of eWOM on the purchase intention of consumers of Nikkei restaurants in Lima , Peru. 10(4), 1551–1567. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJTC-01-2024-0010
Estevez, A. V., Sánchez, P. G., & Munoz, J. A. M. (2022). Why do papers from international collaborations get more citations ? A bibliometric analysis of Library and Information Science papers. In Scientometrics (Vol. 127, Nomor 12). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-022-04486-4
Filieri, R., & McLeay, F. (2014). E-WOM and Accommodation: An Analysis of the Factors That Influence Travelers’ Adoption of Information from Online Reviews. Journal of Travel Research, 53(1), 44–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/0047287513481274
Filieri, R., Acikgoz, F., & Du, H. (2023). Electronic word-of-mouth from video bloggers : The role of content quality and source homophily across hedonic and utilitarian products. Journal of Business Research, 160(January 2022), 113774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.113774
Filieri, R., Lin, Z., Pino, G., Alguezaui, S., & Inversini, A. (2021). The role of visual cues in eWOM on consumers ’ behavioral intention and decisions. Journal of Business Research, 135(July), 663–675. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.06.055
Filieri, R., McLeay, F., Tsui, B., & Lin, Z. (2018). Consumer perceptions of information helpfulness and determinants of purchase intention in online consumer reviews of services. Information and Management, 55(8), 956–970. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.im.2018.04.010
Ghorbani, Z., Kargaran, S., Saberi, A., Haghighinasab, M., Jamali, S. M., & Ale Ebrahim, N. (2022). Trends and patterns in digital marketing research: bibliometric analysis. Journal of Marketing Analytics, 10(2), 158–172. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41270-021-00116-9
Hajli, N., Sims, J., Zadeh, A. H., & Richard, M. (2016). A social commerce investigation of the role of trust in a social networking site on purchase intentions. Journal of Business Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.10.004
Islam, J., & Rahman, Z. (2017). The impact of online brand community characteristics on customer engagement: An application of Stimulus-Organism-Response paradigm. Telematics and Informatics, 34(4), 96–109. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2017.01.004
Ismagilova, E., Dwivedi, Y. K., Slade, E., & Williams, M. D. (2017). Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) in the Marketing Context. In SpringerBriefs in Business.
Ismagilova, E., Slade, E. L., Rana, N. P., & Dwivedi, Y. K. (2020). The Effect of Electronic Word of Mouth Communications on Intention to Buy: A Meta-Analysis. Information Systems Frontiers, 22(5), 1203–1226. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10796-019-09924-y
Jalilvand, M. R., & Samiei, N. (2012). The impact of electronic word of mouth on a tourism destination choice: Testing the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Internet Research, 22(5), 591–612. https://doi.org/10.1108/10662241211271563
Jiménez-Castillo, D., & Sánchez-Fernández, R. (2019). The role of digital influencers in brand recommendation: Examining their impact on engagement, expected value and purchase intention. International Journal of Information Management, 49(February), 366–376. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.07.009
Khan, Z., Khan, A., Nabi, M. K., & Khanam, Z. (2024). Demystifying the effect of social media usage and eWOM on purchase intention: the mediating role of brand equity. Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEAS-05-2023-0102
King, R. A., Racherla, P., & Bush, V. D. (2014). What we know and don’t know about online word-of-mouth: A review and synthesis of the literature. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 28(3), 167–183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2014.02.001
Kudeshia, C., & Kumar, A. (2017). Social eWOM: does it affect the brand attitude and purchase intention of brands? Management Research Review, 40(3), 310–330. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/MRR-07-2015-0161
Kumar, A., & C, K. (2017). Social eWOM: Does it Affect the Brand Attitude and Purchase Intention of Brands? Management Research Review, 36(7), 700–719.
Ladhari, R., & Michaud, M. (2015). International Journal of Hospitality Management eWOM effects on hotel booking intentions , attitudes , trust , and website perceptions. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 46, 36–45. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2015.01.010
Liu, H., Jayawardhena, C., Shukla, P., Osburg, V. S., & Yoganathan, V. (2024). Electronic word of mouth 2.0 (eWOM 2.0) – The evolution of eWOM research in the new age. Journal of Business Research, 176(January), 114587. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114587
Öztürk, O., Kocaman, R., & Kanbach, D. K. (2024). How to design bibliometric research: an overview and a framework proposal. In Review of Managerial Science (Nomor 0123456789).
Park, C., & Lee, T. M. (2009). Information direction, website reputation and eWOM effect: A moderating role of product type. Journal of Business Research, 62(1), 61–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2007.11.017
Quintana-Martínez, O., & Ramos-Rodríguez, A. R. (2014). Mapping the invisible colleges of innovation management field during the period from 1956 through 2012. Journal of Scientometric Research, 3(3), 111. https://doi.org/10.4103/2320-0057.153573
Ruswanti, E., Ekonomi, F., Bisnis, D., & Esa, U. (2024). THE INFLUENCE OF EWOM DIMENSIONS , PURCHASE INTENTION ON BUYING BEHAVIOR IN WOMEN ’ S. 4(3), 1322–1331.
Sheoran, M., Kumar, D., Kumar, V., & Verma, D. (2018). Understanding the trends of marketing research and its future directions: a citation analysis. Bottom Line, 31(3–4), 191–207. https://doi.org/10.1108/BL-04-2018-0022
Sussman, S. W., & Siegal, W. S. (2003). Informational influence in organizations: An integrated approach to knowledge adoption. Information Systems Research, 14(1), 47–65. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.14.1.47.14767
van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2010). Software survey: VOSviewer, a computer program for bibliometric mapping. Scientometrics, 84(2), 523–538. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-009-0146-3
Verma, S., & Yadav, N. (2021). Past, Present, and Future of Electronic Word of Mouth (EWOM). Journal of Interactive Marketing, 53, 111–128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intmar.2020.07.001
Wang, J., Shahzad, F., Ahmad, Z., Abdullah, M., & Hassan, N. M. (2022). Trust and Consumers ’ Purchase Intention in a Social Commerce Platform : A Meta- Analytic Approach. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221091262
Wang, Y., Zhang, M., Li, S., McLeay, F., & Gupta, S. (2021). Corporate Responses to the Coronavirus Crisis and their Impact on Electronic-Word-of-Mouth and Trust Recovery: Evidence from Social Media. British Journal of Management, 32(4), 1184–1202. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8551.12497
Wang, Z. Y., Li, G., Li, C. Y., & Li, A. (2012). Research on the semantic-based co-word analysis. Scientometrics, 90(3), 855–875. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-011-0563-y
Yusuf, A. S., Che Hussin, A. R., & Busalim, A. H. (2018). Influence of e-WOM engagement on consumer purchase intention in social commerce. Journal of Services Marketing, 32(4), 493–504. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSM-01-2017-0031
Zupic, I., & Čater, T. (2015). Bibliometric Methods in Management and Organization. Organizational Research Methods, 18(3), 429–472. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094428114562629
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Afifah Nur'aghnia Kusumadewi, Retno Widowati
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish their manuscripts in this journal agree to the following conditions:
- The copyright on each article belongs to the author(s).
- The author acknowledges that the Dinasti International Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting (DIJEFA) has the right to be the first to publish with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license (Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0).
- Authors can submit articles separately, arrange for the non-exclusive distribution of manuscripts that have been published in this journal into other versions (e.g., sent to the author's institutional repository, publication into books, etc.), by acknowledging that the manuscript has been published for the first time in the Dinasti International Journal of Economics, Finance & Accounting (DIJEFA).
