Predictive Factors of Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) Intention Among University Students

The research objective was to establish significant relationships among the predictors of electronic word-of-mouth intention, such as informative peers, internet information, and normative internet use among university students. The methodology used for the study was non-experimental research; a questionnaire was applied to a random sample of 127 students (n=13; α=0.870 ω=0.870), validity and reliability tests, and exploratory factor analysis were used-covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM). The results prove that the influence of Internet regulations is the most significant on the intention to share electronic opinions (IEWOM), determining how people share opinions online. Although the influence of acquaintances' opinions is also positive, it is not as strong as the normative ones. However, the relationship between Internet information and the intention to share opinions was insignificant in this study. The proposed model explains 35% of the variability in the intention to share electronic opinions. Companies should consider the importance of regulations and acquaintances' opinions when designing marketing strategies. Exploring more factors and contexts is essential to understanding these influences better.