Customer Engagement with Negative Electronic Word-of-mouth in Mobile Application Stores

Abstract

The aim of the study is to understand the motivations of consumer engagement behavior with negative electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) on mobile application consumer platforms, using the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) as an analysis lens. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted with users who provided negative comments, which allowed the construction of a corpus that was described, classified and interpreted through thematic content analysis. As an analytical generalization, it is inferred that the most influential motivators for engaging with negative eWOM are Search for Providence, Altruism, Negative Emotions, and Reciprocity. With respect to TRA constructs, Attitudes impact this engagement, but subjective Norms has little contribution to negative electronic word of mouth engagement. This research can support mobile application developers and social media analysts in formulating interaction strategies that foster consumer engagement behavior.

Key words:
customer engagement behavior; electronic word-of-mouth; negative reviews; theory of reasoned action; mobile app stores