sustainability
Article
The Effect of eWOM Source on Purchase Intention: The
Moderation Role of Weak-Tie eWOM
Reema Nofal 1 , Pelin Bayram 2 , Okechukwu Lawrence Emeagwali 3
Citation: Nofal, R.; Bayram, P.;
Emeagwali, O.L.; Al-Mu’ani, L. The
Effect of eWOM Source on Purchase
Intention: The Moderation Role of
Weak-Tie eWOM. Sustainability 2022,
14, 9959. https://doi.org/10.3390/
su14169959
Academic Editor: Gioacchino
Pappalardo
Received: 27 June 2022
Accepted: 8 August 2022
Published: 11 August 2022
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
with regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional affil-
iations.
Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
conditions of the Creative Commons
Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14169959
and Lu’ay Al-Mu’ani 4, *
1 Marketing Department, Girne American University, 99320 Karaman, Cyprus
2 Department of Business Administration, European University of Lefke, 99010 Gemikonağı, Cyprus
3 Faculty of Business & Economics, Girne American University, 99320 Karaman, Cyprus
4 Department of Marketing, Business School, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman 19328, Jordan
* Correspondence: Dr.luaymaani@hotmail.com
Abstract: Scholars around the world have studied electronic word of mouth (eWOM) heavily in the
past decade. However, despite extensive knowledge of the effect of eWOM on consumer behavior,
there is still a lack of understanding of how the eWOM source shapes those behaviors. There are many
sources of eWOM, the influence of which may have different outcomes when it comes to consumers’
purchase intentions. Moreover, most studies have measured social tie strengths (strong/weak) as
one variable. Weak-tie eWOM (W-tie) and strong-tie eWOM (S-tie) are always studied in contrast
to each other. The versus characteristics of these two constructs have been considered in almost all
studies; however, they may work together via different mechanisms. This study split social ties into
two separate constructs, W-tie and S-tie, while adding another source of eWOM (celebrities eWOM),
and investigated how W-tie moderated the effect of S-tie and celebrity eWOM on purchase intention,
as well as the mediation effect of perceived value/perceived enjoyment on purchase intention. A
total of 726 valid responses were analyzed using SPSS and AMOS. The results showed that all direct
relationships in the model were supported. Moreover, perceived value mediated only the effect
of celebrity eWOM on purchase intentions and did not successfully convey the effect of S-tie on
purchase intentions. On the other hand, perceived enjoyment mediated both relationships. W-tie did
not moderate the relationship between S-tie and perceived value, perceived enjoyment, or purchase
intention. In contrast, W-tie moderated the positive relationship of celebrity eWOM with perceived
value, perceived enjoyment, and purchase intention, while it also moderated the positive relationship
of perceived value and perceived enjoyment with purchase intention. This research illuminates how
different eWOM sources and social ties on social media platforms affect purchase intentions.
Keywords: social ties; weak-tie; strong-tie; celebrities; eWOM; purchase intention; perceived value;
perceived enjoyment
1. Introduction
As a result of the wide usage of social media, there is now a de facto omnipresence
of material that has been developed and distributed by consumers [1], which has led to
new communication phenomena [2]. People share their knowledge and experiences on
social media sites. It is interesting to note that scientific research suggests that customers
are inclined to have unconditional trust in material posted on social media [3]. On the
other hand, in addition to the content that companies provide, there are a number of other
sources, such as weak and strong ties, offering perspectives and information on goods and
services available on social networking sites. Additionally, in today’s society, celebrities
and people who wield great power on social media play a significant role in determining
how their followers feel about certain products.
There is nothing novel about the concept of using opinion leaders as a means of
exerting influence over the decisions that customers make. People who have a stronger
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 2 of 20

position, social prominence, personal attractiveness, or knowledge have a significant

amount of influence on the attitudes and behaviors of customers; they are referred to as
opinion leaders [4]. Opinion leaders may be described as individuals who have a significant
impact on the attitudes and behaviors of consumers [5,6]. Hiring famous people, such as
actors, a technique used to increase marketing communications, is a marketing tactic that
has been well established over the last few decades [7].
Many scholars have proved that there are other important factors playing a role in
decision-making behavior, such as perceived value and perceived enjoyment, which are
essential in predicting purchase intention [8–13]. In addition, word of mouth (WOM)
is a social concept used in referral marketing to capitalize on interpersonal connections.
It is beneficial to analyze social relationships by relying on social ties to gain a better
understanding of how recommendation flow works [14]. eWOM, which may take the form
of online evaluations or the exchange of messages and experiences, is dominant on online
social networking platforms.
Academics believe that sending messages via social media, such as Facebook, is a
form of providing eWOM. This is because these sites provide a channel through which
it is feasible to offer advertisements for businesses over a longer time [15]. However,
eWOM might emerge from anybody (e.g., close friends, seldom contacted acquaintances,
or complete strangers). A social tie is an umbrella notion that encompasses the procedure
of accumulating social capital results [16]. Tie strength is a multidimensional concept that
depicts the power of dyadic interpersonal interactions within the framework of social
networks. Some of the aspects that determine the strength of these ties include proximity,
closeness, reinforcement, and connection. The strength of the connection may vary from
strong (e.g., a close friend) to weak (e.g., a rarely contacted acquaintance), depending on
the amount and kind of resources exchanged within the relationship, the frequency of
those exchanges, and the degree of intimacy present within those exchanges [17]. Not
to mistaken celebrities with weak-ties, the celebrity relationship is based on parasocial
relationships, which are imaginary relationships with media stars that start by following
their news and develop a one-sided relationship where the follower knows the media star
very well; however, the latter knows almost nothing about the follower [18].
Scholars around the world have studied eWOM heavily in the past decade. However,
when looking in the literature for social ties eWOM, all studies looked at weak-tie eWOM
(from here on W-tie) and strong-tie eWOM (from here on S-tie) as one construct. In
other words, W-tie and S-tie have always been studied in contrast to each other. The
versus characteristics of these two constructs have been considered in almost all studies.
Researchers developed conceptual frameworks and included them as either independent
variables (e.g., [19–25]) or as moderation variables (e.g., [26–30]). In their methodology,
they studied different groups (strong-tie group and weak-tie group) and then compared
the results. Alternatively, one group was exposed to different scenarios (strong-tie scenario
and weak-tie scenario) before comparing the results. The reader always considers them
bonded together at the same level as the model. Nonetheless, the S-tie and the W-tie
may work together in a different spectrum. For example, if we are exposed to an opinion
from a close friend while receiving a counterargument from a stranger on social media
regarding a product, will the effect of the opinion from the close friend differ? What about
the recommendations from celebrities we admire? Will W-tie moderate the effect of other
eWOM sources? What about the perceived value and enjoyment we have developed in our
minds? Does their effect on purchase intention change with high or low levels of W-tie?
Only one study altered the mechanism and studied S-tie as an independent variable and
W-tie as a moderation variable [31]. This research builds on that study and adds celebrity
eWOM, perceived value, and perceived enjoyment as mediating variables.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 3 of 20

2. Theoretical Background and Hypothesis Development

2.1. Strong-Tie eWOM
The term electronic word of mouth refers to favorable or unfavorable online mes-
sages/posts about goods or services created or communicated by consumers and made
accessible to a large number of people utilizing the internet [32]. The development of
technology has brought about substantial shifts in the manner in which information is dis-
seminated and has enabled it to transcend the traditional restrictions of word of mouth [33].
Consumers currently express their purchase experience with brands on social media [34],
using a variety of channels available on the internet, including e-mail, chat rooms, online
forums, community groups, and brand-specific communities [35]. eWOM is the term given
to describe the phenomenon that has arisen due to the proliferation of word-of-mouth mar-
keting due to the internet. This development removes the need for people to be physically
present [36]. In addition, there is a substantial volume of online eWOM content online [37].
This does not mean that all eWOM information will influence consumer purchasing equally;
there is likely to be some variance in the extent of the effect.
The term “influential marketing tool” has been attached to eWOM for quite some
time [38]. Prior to making purchases of goods and services, customers are more likely
to look for or investigate information that has already been made accessible to them.
Customers do so to feel confident when making decisions on their purchases [39].
According to [40], those in a situation of strong ties are more inclined to interact on
a more regular basis and put out more effort to preserve their relationships. People are
encouraged to share information with one another via a range of communication platforms
and to do so at a high frequency to foster the development of strong links built on deep
personal relationships. Moreover, according to [41], strong ties are characterized by in-
creased degrees of closeness, increased levels of self-disclosure, emotional and instrumental
exchanges, reciprocity in exchanges, and increased levels of contact between the parties
involved. Additionally, the authors of [42] argued that one may infer greater reliability
and validity from sources with strong ties than from those with weak ties. In other words,
knowledge obtained from reliable sources has a lower level of risk. Social exchange theory
demonstrates that sources with strong ties are more likely to provide knowledge of greater
economic value than sources with weak ties [43,44]. There is a better chance of better
information coming from a trusted source than from someone you do not know very well.
While customers trust strong-tie sources and the importance of the information supplied
by strong-tie sources, consumers find it easier to assess whether strong-tie sources provide
data about these products. In other words, customers feel that a reliable source can assist
them in evaluating the quality and effectiveness of a product.

Hypothesis 1. S-tie has a positive effect on customers’ purchase intention.

There are significant psychological and economic implications resulting from cus-
tomers’ ability to precisely predict their future experiences. An underestimation of future
pleasure may result in forgone possibilities for the customer, as well as the marketer, while
an overestimation of future enjoyment may lead to post-purchase disappointment and
dissatisfaction [45]. People are not very good at formulating effective predictions, especially
when it comes to enjoyment [46]. Forecasting mistakes are most often linked to inaccurate
modeling of future experiences [47], and prescriptive counsel frequently seeks to improve
the simulation process. According to [45], the function of eWOM in enhancing customers’
capacity to anticipate the level to which they would appreciate the products and services
offered in the market is becoming more important. The authors of [48] found that eWOM
is a key predictor of perceived enjoyment. In addition, the authors of [45] studied how
eWOM can predict consumption enjoyment and found that eWOM from strong ties can
accurately help consumers forecast their own product enjoyment.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 4 of 20

Hypothesis 2. S-tie has a positive effect on customers’ perceived enjoyment.

The authors of [49] analyzed the effect of user activities on YouTube and brand activi-
ties on Facebook, revealing that both have a favorable effect on the value of the brand. It is
the main responsibility of the advertiser to deliver value to the consumer, and businesses
may often modify the marketing mix to increase the value of their products to the target
demographic or market group that they have in mind. The idea of customer-perceived
value, which is sometimes referred to as perceived value or consumer value in the rele-
vant literature, continues to play an important role in marketing [50]. Perceived value is
examined through their “interactive relativistic preference experience,” according to the
findings of [51]. The academic community has continuously focused on gaining a better
understanding of consumer perceptions of value, given the importance of this variable as a
significant predictor of marketing results [52].
Researchers and brands often focus on the spread of eWOM because it is seen as a way
to measure the results of marketing efforts or post-purchase behavior. [53]. Researchers
have recently begun studying eWOM as an antecedent that affects consumer views and
future behaviors (e.g., [37,54,55]).

Hypothesis 3. S-tie has a positive effect on customers’ perceived value.

2.2. Celebrities eWOM

Due to the rapid advancement of technology, consumers tend to change their prefer-
ences and desires toward a company’s products and services more frequently [56]. The
emerging concept of celebrity endorsement has grown concurrently as corporations need
to attract consumers in the market and compete with their competitors in making sales
and acquiring market shares. As a result, many companies from different industries in-
creasingly employ celebrities as their brand spokesperson and representative [57]. Since
celebrities can make commercials stand out from the surrounding clutter, they should be
used wherever possible. It has been observed that products and services sponsored by
celebrities have a higher degree of product recall, which helps such products stand out
from the crowd and get more attention, while consumers shop for those products [58]. It
is then undeniable that celebrity endorsement is an important marketing strategy, as this
kind of brand representative can potentially influence consumers’ attitudes [59].
The authors of [60] reported that the social influence of celebrities on an online platform
can affect consumers’ purchase decisions and behaviors. In addition, the authors of [61]
argued that the person conveying the marketing messages of a brand can affect the customer,
whereby more important role models have a greater effect on the customer. For this reason,
in the process of advertising their goods, business owners employ celebrities to promote
their products so that customers may accept their products and services.
Numerous studies have proven that celebrity endorsements in advertising are success-
ful and have a favorable effect, notably on the endorser’s integrity, message recall, support,
and buy intent [62].

Hypothesis 4. Celebrities eWOM has a positive effect on customers’ purchase intentions.

It is generally agreed that an individual’s perceived enjoyment is an important factor

in determining their emotional state or response [63]. The term “perceived enjoyment”
refers to the extent to which a user believes that using the product or making use of the
service will be pleasurable to them [64]. We are affected by the media in many different
ways. It has an effect on the way we communicate, feel, and behave, including our views of
reality and enjoyment. The use of celebrity endorsements in advertising is quite prevalent
since it helps to develop trust with existing consumers and future customers, increases
the probability of brand recall, and attracts a different kind of target [65]. The authors
of [66] suggested that customers create connections with celebrities that enable them, via
imagination, to flee the pressures and hassles of daily life by imagining experiences with
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 5 of 20

the celebrity. This argument is based on the notion that consumers build associations with
celebrities that allow them to fantasize about spending time with them. These escapes
allow the celebrity to supply customers with pleasant emotions that help develop the bond
between the two parties. Consumption of a celebrity-endorsed product for its hedonistic
value revives these kinds of emotions for consumers. Hedsonic values are used to create an
illusory face-to-face link with the audience in parasocial engagement [67]. Customers who
place high importance on hedonic experiences interpret product content evaluations by
celebrities as honest information regarding products [68,69].

Hypothesis 5. Celebrities eWOM has a positive effect on customers’ perceived enjoyment.

The strategies used in the marketing of a product have the potential to influence
a person’s attitudes, either positively or negatively, toward products [70]. Usually, an
individual’s conviction that there is some value connected with possessing the thing that is
being promoted drives the creation and change of an individual’s attitude [71]. Therefore, a
buyer will not buy a brand’s products and services if they do not think they have value [72].
This might be because of an emotional connection to the product, price, and quality, or
even a sense of social acceptability that comes with buying services and products [73].
According to [74], advertisers have been using the assistance of celebrities for a long
time to boost the value of a brand. Celebrities make an appearance in the media on behalf of
a promoted brand, whereby they deliver information to the public, share their experience,
and offer the audience a strong influence on the brands that they endorse. Celebrities
gain a larger degree of attention and value than other types of endorsements [75]. Because
the cost and quality of a product are vital factors in determining how much perceived
value consumers give to a product, celebrity endorsements are a powerful tool for shaping
consumer preferences [76].

Hypothesis 6. Celebrities eWOM has a positive effect on customers’ perceived value.

2.3. Perceived Value and Perceived Enjoyment as Mediators

People’s perceptions of value significantly influence whether they intend to make a
purchase, and this influence may be utilized to forecast how consumers will behave when
making decisions [77]. It has also been established that there is a direct and beneficial
influence of perceived value on the behavioral intentions of consumers [9]. Moreover,
it is considered a crucial antecedent for establishing customers’ buying intentions in the
existing body of research [10]. In addition, the authors of [11] discovered that customers’
perceptions of product value had a beneficial impact on their purchase intentions.
On the other hand, perceived enjoyment refers to the degree to which customers
experience amusement when making use of a product or service [78]. After constructing
the TAM, perceived enjoyment was incorporated into the model in [12], and the associated
findings suggest that it has a large effect on adoption intention. Additionally, buying inten-
tions are influenced by perceived enjoyment [13]. Individuals are motivated to purchase
for various reasons, including avoiding boredom, conforming to the expectations of their
peers, and maintaining their social position [79].

Hypothesis 7. Perceived value has a positive effect on customers’ purchase intentions.

Hypothesis 8. Perceived enjoyment has a positive effect on customers’ purchase intentions.

The authors of [80] theoretically extended the S–O–R model initially developed by [81],
which explains human actions by analyzing the internal responses affected by the environ-
mental stimulus (Shah et al., 2020). In other words, the external environment stimulus (S)
encourages the organism’s internal response (O), thus encouraging a behavioral response
(R). The stimulus is a trigger that provokes consumers [82]. The organism is a function of
the cognitive and affective state of an internal state of an individual [83], which plays an
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 6 of 20

intermediary role between stimulus and response [84]. Lastly, the response indicates the
behavior of the consumer [85]. Researchers have widely used the S–O–R model in mar-
keting [86]. The current study proposes that S-tie and celebrity eWOM can be considered
external stimuli, while perceived value and perceived enjoyment are part of the internal
response (organism), leading to purchase intentions as a behavioral outcome.

Hypothesis 9a. Perceived value mediates the effect of the S-tie on customers’ purchase intention.

Hypothesis 9b. Perceived value mediates the effect of celebrity eWOM on customers’ purchase intention.

Hypothesis 10a. Perceived enjoyment mediates the effect of S-tie customers’ purchase intentions.

Hypothesis 10b. Perceived enjoyment mediates the effect of celebrity eWOM on customers’
purchase intention.

2.4. Weak-Tie eWOM as Moderator

Consumers often try to find information whenever possible when looking to buy
new products to reduce the risks associated with the decisions they make [39]. People are
willing to listen to WOM, and it will impact their decision-making process as a function
of their evaluation of what they perceived [30,37]. Although several source characteristics
impact the effectiveness of WOM, the relationship closeness to the source is the most
significant one [87]. Nonetheless, weak-tie eWOM is an important information source
that helps consumers make their purchase choices [31]. Currently, it is an easy process for
consumers to get information from different sources thanks to social media platforms on
the internet [25]. Therefore, W-tie contributes to the flow of information, as it offers access
to new information. Usually, consumers rely on weak ties when the number of choices
increases [23], and they increase their knowledge after receiving recommendations from
strong ties [31].
The authors of [31] argued that W-tie can influence the power of S-tie, as well as
perceived value. They proposed that W-tie can reduce the effect of S-tie, resulting in a nega-
tive moderation effect. In other words, when consumers receive conflicting information
between S-tie and W-tie, they become dissonant and uncomfortable regarding the dissim-
ilarity of opinions, thus reducing the effect of W-tie recommendations. Their empirical
findings revealed that the W-tie had a negative effect on the relationship between the S-tie
and purchase intention. In contrast, they found that the W-tie had a positive moderation
effect between the indirect effect of perceived value and purchase intention.
Other researchers have also studied the moderating effect of social ties on consumer
behavior; for example, the authors of [28] found that social ties strengthen the influence
of a price change communicated by WOM on information dissemination. In addition, the
role of tie strength moderates the relationship between customers’ involvement and WOM
influence [29]. Furthermore, the authors of [27] found that social ties moderate the effect
of WOM receptiveness (the degree of consumers relying on WOM in decision making)
and intention to go to movies. On the other hand, tie strength does not always have a
moderation effect, as the authors of [88] found that tie strength does not moderate the
relationship between WOM source components (expertise, trust, and message richness)
and purchase intention.

Hypothesis 11a. W-tie moderates the effect of S-tie on perceived value.

Hypothesis 11b. W-tie moderates the effect of S-tie on perceived enjoyment.

Hypothesis 11c. W-tie moderates the effect of S-tie on purchase intention.

Hypothesis 11d. W-tie moderates the effect of celebrity eWOM on perceived value.
 Hypothesis 11a. W-tie moderates the effect of S-tie on perceived value.

Hypothesis 11b. W-tie moderates the effect of S-tie on perceived enjoyment.

Hypothesis 11c. W-tie moderates the effect of S-tie on purchase intention.

Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 7 of 20
Hypothesis 11d. W-tie moderates the effect of celebrity eWOM on perceived value.

Hypothesis 11e. W-tie moderates the effect of celebrity eWOM on perceived enjoyment.
Hypothesis 11e. W-tie moderates the effect of celebrity eWOM on perceived enjoyment.
Hypothesis 11f. W-tie moderates the effect of celebrity eWOM on purchase intention.
Hypothesis 11f. W-tie moderates the effect of celebrity eWOM on purchase intention.
Hypothesis 11g. W-tie moderates the effect of perceived value on customers’ purchase intentio
Hypothesis 11g. W-tie moderates the effect of perceived value on customers’ purchase intentions.
Hypothesis 11h. W-tie moderates the effect of perceived enjoyment on customers’ purchase
W-tie moderates the effect of perceived enjoyment on customers’ purchase intentions.
Hypothesis 11h.tentions.

2.5. Conceptual Framework

2.5. Conceptual Framework
The research modelThe was developed
research model wason the basis ofon
developed thethe
work
basisofof[31]
the while adding
work of two adding tw
[31] while
more variables found in the literature: celebrity eWOM as an independent variable and
more variables found in the literature: celebrity eWOM as an independent variable a
perceived enjoyment as theenjoyment
perceived mediatoras (see
theFigure 1). (see Figure 1).
mediator

Weak-tie eWOM

Perceived Value

Strong-tie eWOM

Purchase
Intention

Celebrities eWOM

Perceived
Enjoyment

Figure 1. ResearchFigure
model.1. Research model.

3. Methodology3.and Analysis
Methodology and Analysis
There are 6.84 million social
There are 6.84media
millionusers
socialinmedia
Jordan, which
users accounts
in Jordan, for accounts
which 61.5% offorthe61.5% of t
Jordanian population. The most popular social media platform in Jordan is Facebook, with
Jordanian population. The most popular social media platform in Jordan is Facebook, w
5.5 million users5.5
(43.8% females
million and 56.3%
users (43.8% females males) [89]. males)
and 56.3% Any adult has adult
[89]. Any the authority to
has the authority to b
buy products in products
Jordan, and this study aims to test eWOM sources on purchase intention.
in Jordan, and this study aims to test eWOM sources on purchase intentio
Therefore, the population
Therefore,of
thethe study is any
population adult
of the studywho hasadult
is any access to has
who the access
internetto and has
the internet and h
an account on any ansocial media
account platform.
on any social media platform.
This study employed a quantitative research approach by developing an online self-
administrative questionnaire on Google Docs and utilizing convenience sampling and
snowball techniques. The URL was distributed on two widely used social media platforms
(Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram) before asking peers to fill out the questionnaire
(convenience sampling), as well as share the URL with their peers to get more responses
(snowball sampling). In addition, the questionnaire was split into two sections. The
first section covered demographic data, and the second section covered items related to
the variables. Thirty-two items covering six variables from the literature were used to
develop the model, and they were translated into Arabic. Thereafter, colleagues checked
the questionnaire to ensure that the terminologies were correct and easy to understand.
To reduce the nonresponse error, all fields were made mandatory prior to submitting
the questionnaire and by comparing the characteristics of the sample with those of the
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 8 of 20

population. The data collection was carried out in the period from February 2022 until the
end of May 2022. After collecting all data, 726 questionnaires were found to be complete.
Thereafter, both SPSS and AMOSv23 were used to validate the data and test the hypotheses.
Table 1 shows the demographic data of the respondents.

Table 1. Demographics of respondents.

Gender Frequency Percentage Monthly Income in JOD Frequency Percentage

Male 401 55.2% ≤400 114 15.7%
Female 325 44.8% 401–799 209 28.8%
Marital Status Frequency Percentage 800–1199 186 25.6%
Single 253 34.8% 1200–1599 133 18.3%
Married 442 60.9% ≥1600 84 11.6%
Divorced 31 4.3%
Age Groups Frequency Percentage Educational Qualification Frequency Percentage
17–24 years 145 20.0% Diploma or less 193 26.6%
25–29 years 276 38.0% Bachelor’s degree 417 57.4%
30–39 years 139 19.1% Master’s degree 78 10.7%
≥40 years 166 22.9% PhD 38 5.2%

3.1. Convergent Validity

To ensure the model’s convergent validity, the threshold values in [90] were followed.
Five items that cross-loaded into more than one latent variable were eliminated (Enj3, Enj5,
Pval 5, Pval6, and Pval7) before reconducting the factor loading analysis. As shown in
Table 2, all values met the criteria of factor loadings >0.6, composite reliability >0.7, and
average variance extracted (AVE) >0.5.

Table 2. Convergent validity results.

Latent Variable Item Loading (CR) (AVE) Mean SD

Enj1 0.92
Enj2 0.911
1. Perceived enjoyment Enj4 0.887 0.948 0.786 4.322 1.048
Enj6 0.857
Enj7 0.831
Cel1 0.871
Cel2 0.877
2. Celebrities eWOM Cel3 0.883 0.941 0.763 4.147 1.267
Cel4 0.87
Cel5 0.854
Wtie1 0.865
Wtie2 0.837
3. Weak-tie eWOM Wtie3 0.856 0.925 0.712 4.031 1.096
Wtie4 0.836
Wtie5 0.818
Stie1 0.782
Stie2 0.801
4. Strong-tie eWOM Stie3 0.792 0.906 0.658 5.080 1.465
Stie4 0.826
Stie5 0.854
Pval1 0.911
Pval2 0.91
5. Perceived value Pval3 0.89 0.944 0.809 4.866 1.394
Pval4 0.877
Int1 0.908
6. Purchase intention Int2 0.912 0.947 0.857 5.077 1.452
Int3 0.911
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 9 of 20

For the assurance of no multicollinearity between variables, the variance inflation

factor (VIF) and factor correlation matrix were applied. The range of VIF values for all
variables was 1.1–1.39. In addition, all correlation values between variables in the factor
correlation matrix were <0.7, as shown in Table 3.

Table 3. Factor correlation matrix.

Factor 1 2 3 4 5 6
1. Perceived enjoyment 1.000
2. Celebrities eWOM 0.476 1.000
3. Weak-tie eWOM 0.324 0.426 1.000
4. Strong-tie eWOM 0.246 0.245 0.240 1.000
5. Perceived value 0.438 0.287 0.248 0.172 1.000
6. Purchase intention 0.587 0.495 0.357 0.328 0.368 1.000

3.2. Discriminant Validity

The procedure described in [91] was used to check for discriminant validity. Table 4
demonstrates that all correlation values were smaller than the square root of the AVE values,
indicating that the model had appropriate discriminant validity.

Table 4. Discriminant validity.

AVE 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 Perceived enjoyment 0.786 0.887
2 Celebrities eWOM 0.763 0.490 0.873
3 Perceived value 0.809 0.440 0.295 0.9
4 Weak tie eWOM 0.712 0.330 0.432 0.251 0.844
5 Strong tie eWOM 0.658 0.251 0.244 0.174 0.242 0.811
6 Purchase intention 0.857 0.606 0.508 0.380 0.367 0.332 0.926

3.3. Model Fit

The authors of [92] proposed using chi-square, RMSEA, SRMR, and CFI to test the
model’s goodness of fit. Table 5 shows that all values met the thresholds, indicating a good fit.

Table 5. Model fit indices.

Measure Estimate Threshold

CMIN 360.023 -
DF 309 -
CMIN/DF 1.165 1–3
CFI 0.99 >0.90
SRMR 0.02 <0.08
RMSEA 0.015 <0.06

3.4. Structural Model and Hypothesis Testing

Figure 2 shows the structural model produced by AMOS. Furthermore, (Table 6)
shows the direct-effect hypothesis-testing results. All hypotheses (H1–H8) presented
a p-value > 0.05. Celebrities eWOM had a greater effect than S-tie on perceived value,
perceived enjoyment, and purchase intention. In addition, perceived enjoyment (β = 0.376)
had a greater effect on purchase intention than perceived value (β = 0.108). The R2 value
of purchase intention was 0.49, indicating that 49% of purchase intention was explained
by variables in the model. Purchase intention is a sophisticated topic, with many other
variables (not included in the model) influencing it.
 shows the direct-effect hypothesis-testing results. All hypotheses (H1–H8) presented a p-
value > 0.05. Celebrities eWOM had a greater effect than S-tie on perceived value, per-
ceived enjoyment, and purchase intention. In addition, perceived enjoyment (β = 0.376)
had a greater effect on purchase intention than perceived value (β = 0.108). The R2 value
of purchase intention was 0.49, indicating that 49% of purchase intention was explained
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 10 of 20
by variables in the model. Purchase intention is a sophisticated topic, with many other
variables (not included in the model) influencing it.

Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 11 of 20

Figure 2.
Figure 2. Structural model
model for
for hypothesis
hypothesis testing.
testing.
value, perceived enjoyment, or purchase intention, as all p-values were >0.05. Therefore,
hypotheses
Table
Table H11.a,
6.6. Direct
Direct H11.b,
effectof
effect and H11c
ofhypothesis
hypothesis were rejected.
testing.
testing.
Hypothe-
Table 7. Moderation hypothesis testing. Estimate p
Estimate p Hypothesis
sis result
Result
H1 Strong-tie eWOM → Purchase intention 0.132 *** Hypothe-
√√
H1 Strong-tie eWOM → Purchase intention Estimate *** p
0.132
H2 Strong-tie eWOM → → Perceived Perceived enjoyment 0.123 0.123 *** *** sis
√ result
√
H2 Strong-tie eWOM enjoyment
H11a
H3 S-tie ×eWOM
Strong-tie W-tie → → Perceivedvalue
Perceived value −0.045
0.082 0.224
0.04 √ √x
H3
H11b Strong-tie eWOM
S-tie × W-tie → → Perceived
Perceived value
enjoyment 0.0820.02 0.040.545 x
H4 Celebrities eWOM → Purchase intention 0.205 *** √√
→→ Perceived
H4
H11c Celebrities eWOM
S-tie × eWOM
W-tie → Purchase intention
Purchaseenjoyment
intention 0.205
−0.012 *** 0.691 x
H5 Celebrities 0.388 *** √√
H5
H6 Celebrities
Celebrities eWOM eWOM ×
→
Celebrities eWOM →→ Perceived Perceived enjoyment 0.388 *** √
H11d Perceivedvalue
value 0.209
0.089 ***
0.016 √ √
H6
H7 Celebrities
Perceived W-tie
eWOMvalue → → PerceivedPurchasevalue
intention 0.209 0.108 *** *** √
Celebrities eWOM × √
H8
H7
H11e Perceived
Perceivedenjoyment
value → →→ Purchase
Purchase intention
intention
Perceived enjoyment 0.1080.376 ***
0.074 *** 0.029 √√
Note: *** p ≤ 0.001. W-tie √
H8 Perceived enjoyment → Purchase intention 0.376 ***
Celebrities eWOM ×
Note: ***
H11f p ≤ 0.001. → Purchase intention 0.084 0.011 √
Table 7 shows W-tie
the interaction effect of W-tie with the variables of the study on the
intended
H11gTable variables.
Perceived
7 showsvalue the × W-tie →effect
Theinteraction
interaction between
PurchaseS-tie
of W-tie and W-tie
intention
with did not affect
0.086
the variables the the
of 0.003 perceived
study on √ the
intendedPerceived
variables.enjoyment
The interaction
× between S-tie and W-tie did not affect the perceived
H11h → Purchase intention 0.105 0.002 √
value, perceived enjoyment,
W-tie or purchase intention, as all p-values were >0.05. Therefore,
hypotheses H11.a, H11.b, and H11c were rejected.
In
In contrast,
contrast, thethe interaction
interaction of
of celebrity
celebrity eWOM
eWOM and and W-tie
W-tie had
had an
an effect
effect on
on perceived
perceived
value,
value,perceived
perceivedenjoyment,
enjoyment,and andpurchase
purchaseintention,
intention,as allp-values
asall p-valueswere
were<0.05.
<0.05. As
As shown
shown
in
in Figure
Figure 3, 3, W-tie
W-tie strengthened
strengthened the the positive
positive relationship
relationship between
between celebrity
celebrity eWOM
eWOM and and
perceived value (β = 0.89); thus, hypothesis H11d
perceived value (β = 0.89); thus, hypothesis H11d was accepted.was accepted.

4
Percieved Value

y = 0.636x + 2.224
3
Moderator
y = 0.304x + 2.366 Low Weak-tie Ewom
2
High Weak-tie Ewom
1
Low Celebrities Ewom High Celebrities Ewom

Figure3.
Figure 3. Interactive
Interactive effect
effect of
ofW-tie
W-tieand
andcelebrity
celebrityeWOM
eWOMon
onperceived
perceivedvalue.
value.

As shown in Figure 4, W-tie strengthened the positive relationship between celebrity

eWOM and perceived enjoyment (β = 0.074); thus, hypothesis H11e was accepted.

5
 3
Low Weak-tie Ewom

Percieved
y = 0.304x + 2.366
2
High Weak-tie Ewom
1
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 Low Celebrities Ewom High Celebrities Ewom 11 of 20

Figure 3. Interactive effect of W-tie and celebrity eWOM on perceived value.

As
As shown in Figure 4, W-tie strengthened
strengthened the positive relationship
relationship between celebrity
eWOM
eWOM and
and perceived
perceived enjoyment
enjoyment (β(β = 0.074); thus, hypothesis H11e was accepted.

Percieved Enjoyment
4.5
4
3.5 y = 0.996x + 1.679
Moderator
3
y = 0.728x + 1.735 Low Weak-tie Ewom
2.5
2 High Weak-tie Ewom
1.5
1
Low Celebrities Ewom High Celebrities Ewom

Figure 4. Interactive effect of W-tie and celebrity eWOM on perceived enjoyment.

Table 7. Moderation hypothesis testing.

Estimate p Hypothesis Result

H11a S-tie × W-tie → Perceived value −0.045 0.224 x
H11b S-tie × W-tie → Perceived enjoyment 0.02 0.545 x
H11c S-tie × W-tie → Purchase intention −0.012 0.691 x
√
H11d Celebrities eWOM × W-tie → Perceived value 0.089 0.016
√
H11e Celebrities eWOM × W-tie → Perceived enjoyment 0.074 0.029
√
H11f
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 eWOM × W-tie
Celebrities → Purchase intention 0.084 0.011 12 of 20
√
H11g Perceived value × W-tie → Purchase intention 0.086 0.003
√
H11h Perceived enjoyment × W-tie → Purchase intention 0.105 0.002
Figure 4. Interactive effect of W-tie and celebrity eWOM on perceived enjoyment.

As
As shown
shown in
in Figure
Figure 5,
5, W-tie
W-tie strengthened
strengthened thethe positive
positive relationship
relationship between
between celebrity
celebrity
eWOM and purchase intention (β = 0.84); thus, hypothesis H11f was accepted.
eWOM and purchase intention (β = 0.84); thus, hypothesis H11f was accepted.

5
Purchase Intention

4.5
4
3.5 y = 0.618x + 2.204 Moderator
3
y = 0.306x + 2.41 Low Weak-tie Ewom
2.5
2 High Weak-tie Ewom
1.5
1
Low Celebrities Ewom High Celebrities Ewom

Figure 5.
Figure 5. Interactive
Interactive effect
effect of
of W-tie
W-tieand
andcelebrity
celebrityeWOM
eWOMon
onpurchase
purchaseintention.
intention.

As
As shown
shownininFigure
Figure6, 6,
W-tie strengthened
W-tie strengthenedthe positive relationship
the positive between
relationship perceived
between per-
value
ceivedand purchase
value intention
and purchase (β = 0.86);
intention (β =thus, hypothesis
0.86); H11g was
thus, hypothesis accepted.
H11g was accepted.

4
ention

y = 0.362x + 2.588 Moderator

3
 1
Low Celebrities Ewom High Celebrities Ewom

Figure 5. Interactive effect of W-tie and celebrity eWOM on purchase intention.

Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 12 of 20

As shown in Figure 6, W-tie strengthened the positive relationship between per-
ceived value and purchase intention (β = 0.86); thus, hypothesis H11g was accepted.

Intention
4

Purchase Intention
y = 0.362x + 2.588 Moderator
3
y = 0.07x + 2.764
Low Weak-tie Ewom
Purchase 2

1
Low Perceived Value High Perceived Value
Figure6.6.Interactive
Figure Interactiveeffect
effectofofW-tie
W-tie and
and perceived
perceived value
value on purchase
on purchase intention.
intention.

As
Asshown
shownin in
Figure 7, W-tie
Figure strengthened
7, W-tie the positive
strengthened relationship
the positive between perceived
relationship between per-
enjoyment and purchase intention (β = 0.105); thus, hypothesis H11h was accepted.
ceived enjoyment and purchase intention (β = 0.105); thus, hypothesis H11h was accepted.

5
4.5
4
Intention
Purchase Intention

yy == 0.968x
0.968x ++ 1.679
1.679
3.5 Moderator
3 Low Weak-tie Ewom
yy == 0.56x
0.56x ++ 2.029
2.029
2.5
Purchase

High Weak-tie Ewom

2
1.5
1
Low Percieved
Low Percieved Enjoyment
Enjoyment High Percieved
High Percieved Enjoyment
Enjoyment

Figure7.7.Interactive
Figure Interactiveeffect
effectofof W-tie
W-tie and
and perceived
perceived enjoyment
enjoyment on purchase
on purchase intention.
intention.

The results of the direct effects revealed that S-tie and celebrity eWOM had a sig-
nificant influence on purchase intention. Bootstrapping analysis with a 95% bootstrap
confidence interval (Table 8) revealed significant indirect effects of celebrity eWOM on pur-
chase intention through perceived value (lower level (LL) = 0.008, upper level (UL) = 0.047,
p < 0.05), S-tie on purchase intention through perceived enjoyment (LL = 0.014,
UL = 0.083, p < 0.05), and celebrity eWOM on purchase intention through perceived
enjoyment (LL = 0.112, UL = 0.225, p < 0.05). Thus, hypotheses H9b, H10a, and H10b were
accepted. Nonetheless, both perceived value and perceived enjoyment could be considered
partial mediators of these relationships because the relationships between the indepen-
dent variables and purchase intention were statically significant. On the other hand, S-tie
had a nonsignificant influence on purchase intention through perceived value (LL = 0,
UL = 0.021, p > 0.05); thus, hypothesis H9a was rejected.

Table 8. Mediation hypotheses.

Indirect Path Estimate Lower Upper p

H9a S-tie→perceived value→purchase intention 0.009 0 0.021 0.053
H9b Celebrities eWOM→perceived value→purchase intention 0.025 0.008 0.047 0.001
H10.a S-tie→perceived enjoyment→purchase intention 0.047 0.014 0.083 0.005
H10.b Celebrities eWOM→perceived enjoyment→purchase intention 0.164 0.112 0.225 0.001
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 13 of 20

4. Discussion
This study investigated how strong-tie, weak-tie, and celebrity eWOM work together
to affect consumers’ purchase intentions by studying the moderation effect of the W-
tie and the mediation effect of perceived value and perceived enjoyment on consumers’
purchase intentions. Currently, social media platforms play a pivotal role in all aspects of
our lives, and consumers rely heavily on the recommendations and experiences of their
peers and even strangers. Accordingly, brands spend billions of dollars on celebrities
for access to their followers by promoting products and services [93]. The empirical
results supported numerous hypotheses, and all the direct relationships in the model were
supported. Specifically, our findings demonstrate that the S-tie has a significant effect on
perceived value. Consumers share many common characteristics with their strong ties,
usually hold a soft spot for them, and often consider them to be trusty advisors. This, in
turn, affects their judgment regarding the perceived value of most products and services.
These results are in line with previous studies in various contexts [31,94–97]. A study
conducted by [31] found that the S-tie affects perceived value. Likewise, the authors of [94]
found that eWOM C2C conversations affect perceived value. In addition, similar results
from the study by [95] noticed that eWOM between social ties on social commerce platforms
affects platform customers’ perceived value. In another context, the authors of [96] found
that eWOM significantly affected tourists’ perceived quality in Indonesia. Furthermore,
the authors of [97] found that eWOM affected customers’ perceived value in the altruistic
service context.
Our findings showed that the S-tie affects perceived enjoyment. We believe that when
consumers hear positive or negative experiences about products and services from their
S-tie circle, either as direct online conversations or by reading reviews or ratings, they will
begin to imagine how their experience will be when consumption occurs. The results of
this research are aligned with similar results from previous studies. In a social commerce
context, a study conducted by [98] found that eWOM affects perceived enjoyment. Similar
results were found by [48] when they studied the influence of eWOM on purchase inten-
tions in the Taiwanese laptop industry. Additionally, the authors of [45] found that eWOM
accurately affects the future enjoyment of consumption for different product categories,
especially when there are similarities between the sender and receiver. Furthermore, in
the luxury hotel industry, [99] found that eWOM has a significant predictive effect on
perceived enjoyment for Generation Y customers. However, the authors of [100] had con-
tradictory results, as they found that positive eWOM does not predict perceived enjoyment.
Nevertheless, they found that eWOM quality, such as in-depth reviews, had an impact on
perceived enjoyment.
Another finding showed that the S-tie significantly affects purchase intentions. Con-
sumers seek advice from trusted peers to reduce the risks associated with potential pur-
chases. As previously mentioned, closeness, and trust between individuals and their
S-tie peers will affect their judgment regarding products and services, as it will affect
their purchase intention. Previous studies regarding eWOM in general terms, regard-
less of tie strength, showed mixed results regarding the effect of eWOM on purchase
intentions. Research conducted by [99], they found that eWOM does not affect purchase
intention in luxury hotels. Moreover, eWOM does not affect the purchase intentions of
organic food products [101]. In contrast, eWOM was found to affect purchase intentions
(e.g., [102–104]). Additionally, S-tie has been found to affect purchase intentions in several
studies [19,25,31,105].
Furthermore, the findings showed that celebrity eWOM significantly affects perceived
value. Consumers have an affinity for and admiration for celebrities. Consequently, the
brand messaging that celebrities share becomes more credible, which leads to a higher
perception regarding product value. The results of this study are in line with previous stud-
ies [76,106,107]. Additionally, celebrity eWOM significantly affects perceived enjoyment.
Celebrities’ messages trigger consumers to develop emotional engagement and imagine
how they will enjoy the experience with those products or services, as supported by previ-
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 14 of 20

ous studies [64,108,109]. Moreover, celebrity eWOM significantly affects purchase intention.
The attraction that consumers hold for celebrities will drive them to attempt to mirror
celebrities they admire, which includes endorsed products and services. This, in turn, will
lead to the intention to buy such products to impersonate the celebrity. Surprisingly, these
results contradict what the authors of [110] found when they studied the packaged coffee
market. Their results highlighted that celebrities’ endorsements did not directly affect
purchase intention. Likewise, another study conducted by [111] for Vanilla Hijab found
that celebrities’ endorsements did not affect purchase intention directly. However, in both
studies, they found that celebrities’ endorsements affected other important antecedents
of purchase intention, such as brand loyalty, brand attitude, and brand credibility. Still,
many studies have found that celebrities’ endorsements have significant effects on purchase
intention [107,108,112–114]. Interestingly, from a statistical point of view, the results of
this research showed that the effect of celebrity eWOM was considerably higher than that
of S-tie. For instance, when comparing the β-values for their effect on perceived value,
celebrities eWOM β = 0.209, while S-tie β = 0.82. When comparing their effect on perceived
enjoyment, celebrities eWOM β = 0.388, while S-tie β = 0.123. Lastly, for their effect on
customers’ purchase intention, celebrities eWOM β = 0.209, while S-tie β = 0.132. These
results come as no surprise, as consumers view celebrities as role models. The authors
of [61] argued that the celebrity conveying the brand’s message affects purchasing behavior,
especially for younger consumers.
Another aim of the study was to test whether perceived value and perceived enjoyment
mediated the relationships between the independent and dependent variables of the model.
The results showed that not all hypotheses were accepted. Both variables have a significant
direct effect on purchase intention. When consumers value brand offerings and perceive
that they will enjoy their future consumption, this, in turn, will increase their purchasing
intent. These results are similar to those of previous studies, as the authors of [11,31,115,116]
found that perceived value is an important variable in predicting purchase intention.
Furthermore, previous studies have revealed that perceived enjoyment has an effect on
purchase intention [64,108,109]. When it comes to the mediation effect results, perceived
value only mediated the impact of celebrity eWOM on purchase intentions. In other words,
perceived value did not successfully convey the effect of S-tie on purchase intentions,
contradicting the results of [31], which found that perceived value mediates the relationship
between S-tie and purchase intention. Furthermore, the authors of [117] did not find that
perceived value mediates the relationship between celebrity endorsement and purchase
intention. On the other hand, perceived enjoyment mediated both relationships. This
result is in line with the results of [118]. They found that hedonic enjoyment mediates the
relationship between eWOM and purchase intention.
The final aim of the study was to test the moderation effect of W-tie on eight proposed
hypotheses. The results showed that W-tie did not moderate the relationship of S-tie with
regard to perceived value, perceived enjoyment, and purchase intention. Thus, consumers
who value S-tie eWOM do not have their intentions swayed by what is written on social
media platforms. This result also contradicts the findings in [31], which indicated that
W-tie negatively moderates the relationship between S-tie and purchase intention. This
contrast may stem from differences between Jordanian and Chinese cultures. On the other
hand, W-tie moderated the relationship between celebrity eWOM and perceived value,
perceived enjoyment, and purchase intention, as well as the relationship between perceived
value and perceived enjoyment and purchase intention. These results are in line with
those of [31], which found that W-tie moderates the relationship between the mediation
effect of perceived value and purchase intention. Our results indicate that the effects of
celebrity eWOM, perceived value, and perceived enjoyment depend on the level of W-tie.
When W-tie is high, the effect becomes stronger, and vice versa; when W-tie is low, it
will reduce the effect of celebrity eWOM on perceived value, perceived enjoyment, and
purchase intention due to internal conflicts and dissonance. The same applies to the effects
of perceived value and perceived enjoyment with regard to purchase intention.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 15 of 20

4.1. Theoretical and Practical Contribution

This research examined how different sources of eWOM (e.g., S-tie, celebrity eWOM,
and W-tie) interact to affect customers’ purchase intentions by studying the moderation
effect of W-tie and the mediation effect of perceived value and perceived enjoyment on con-
sumers’ purchase intentions. Most studies have measured tie strength (i.e., strong/weak)
as one construct. The versus characteristics of these two constructs were considered in
almost all studies. Past studies have combined tie strengths at the same level of the model,
either as an independent variable (e.g., [19–25]) or as a moderation variable (e.g., [26–30]) in
different contexts. In their methodology, different groups (e.g., strong-tie groups and weak-
tie groups) were studied, or one group was exposed to different scenarios (e.g., strong-tie
or weak-tie eWOM) before comparing the results. This research delivers new knowledge to
the body of literature regarding the mechanism of eWOM sources by considering S-tie and
W-tie separately. The results showed that W-tie moderated the positive impact of celebrity
eWOM, indicating how brands may manage their efforts to increase the value of their
products and services to consumers.
From a statistical point of view, the results revealed a stronger effect of celebrity eWOM
than S-tie on consumers; thus, brands should utilize them in their marketing strategies.
However, the impact of the S-tie on consumers must not be neglected. Easy access to the
internet is resulting in stronger social influence than ever before, and marketers should be
aware that consumers are relying on eWOM information that aids their decision-making
processes. Marketers should have a presence wherever their customers are on the internet.
This does not necessarily apply solely to official brand pages and forums, but rather to
all third-party accounts, pages, and platforms where consumers are online. This will
offer brands the opportunity to better understand their customers and adjust their future
offerings. Additionally, brand managers should make it easy for consumers to be in touch
with comments or questions. Neglecting will increase negative eWOM and damage brand
value. On the contrary, sincerely listening to customers’ complaints and finding ways to
solve their problems will change negative views into positive ones. In addition, marketers
should drive customers to boost positive experiences through comments and reviews.
Running simple contests and rewarding customers who review is an adequate approach to
obtaining help from customers and giving them a reason to share their brand experiences.
It is necessary for any organization to be sustainable in business. Therefore, brands
should improve the customer experience and retention. Although technology provides
consumers with various ways to communicate and learn about products and services,
it also gives brands the opportunity to monitor and evaluate consumers’ conversations,
comments, and feedback posted on the internet. Harvesting this opportunity will ensure
that brands can achieve favorable long-term results.

4.2. Limitations and Future Research

All studies have their own set of limitations that should be acknowledged. First,
this study did not consider a specific product category in the market, and different cate-
gories may produce different results. Second, we studied perceived value as an aggregate
construct, despite its many sub-dimensions, such as price, quality, emotional value, and
social value. Third, the results of the study cannot be generalized due to the sampling
method applied.
Future research could conduct a multigroup analysis according to gender and age
group. Gender differences play a pivotal role in different aspects of consumer behavior,
ranging from information processing to purchase intentions [119]. Moreover, gender
differences impact decision making [120]. In a recent systematic review [121], it was
concluded that there are more differences than similarities between genders in the online
context. Furthermore, age is also an important element in purchase decisions [122], with
variations in engagement and motivation according to age [123]. However, studies have
revealed that the effects of age differences vary according to context [124].
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 16 of 20

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, R.N.; Formal analysis, L.A.-M.; Investigation, R.N.;

Methodology, R.N. and L.A.-M.; Project administration, P.B. and O.L.E.; Supervision, Pelin Bayram,
O.L.E. and L.A.-M.; Writing—original draft, R.N.; Writing—review & editing, L.A.-M. All authors
have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement: The study was reviewed and approved by Business Faculty
Research Ethics Committee of GIRNE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY (protocol code 2021-22- Summer-
0010, Approval Date: 15 August 2021).
Informed Consent Statement: Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.
Acknowledgments: The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable
comments, which have helped improve the presentation of this article.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References
1. Ho, H.; Ito, K. Consumption-oriented engagement in social network sites: Undesirable influence on personal well-being. Eur. J.
Mark. 2019, 53, 1355–1377. [CrossRef]
2. Melumad, S.; Inman, J.J.; Pham, M.T. Selectively emotional: How smartphone use changes user-generated content. J. Mark. Res.
2019, 56, 259–275. [CrossRef]
3. Shareef, M.A.; Kapoor, K.K.; Mukerji, B.; Dwivedi, R.; Dwivedi, Y.K. Group behavior in social media: Antecedents of initial trust
formation. Comput. Human Behav. 2020, 105, 10622. [CrossRef]
4. Godey, B.; Manthiou, A.; Pederzoli, D.; Rokka, J.; Aiello, G.; Donvito, R.; Singh, R. Social media marketing efforts of luxury
brands: Influence on brand equity and consumer behavior. J. Bus. Res. 2016, 69, 5833–5841. [CrossRef]
5. Lin, H.C.; Bruning, P.F.; Swarna, H. Using online opinion leaders to promote the hedonic and utilitarian value of products and
services. Bus. Horiz. 2018, 61, 431–442. [CrossRef]
6. Xiong, Y.; Cheng, Z.; Liang, E.; Wu, Y. Accumulation mechanism of opinion leaders’ social interaction ties in virtual communities:
Empirical evidence from China. Comput. Human Behav. 2018, 82, 81–93. [CrossRef]
7. Knoll, J.; Matthes, J. The effectiveness of celebrity endorsements: A meta-analysis. J. Acad. Mark. Sci. 2017, 45, 503–508. [CrossRef]
8. Noor, N.M.; Noranee, S.; Zakaria, M.F.; Unin, N.; Suaee, M.A. Online shopping: The influence of attitude, subjective norm
and perceived behavioral control on purchase intention. In Proceedings of the International Conference on E-Business and
Applications, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 25–27 February 2020; pp. 33–36.
9. Adapa, S.; Fazal-e-Hasan, S.M.; Makam, S.B.; Azeem, M.M.; Mortimer, G. Examining the antecedents and consequences of
perceived shopping value through smart retail technology. J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 2020, 52, 101901. [CrossRef]
10. Hsu, C.L.; Lin, J.C. Effect of perceived value and social influences on mobile app stickiness and in-app purchase intention. Technol.
Forecast 2016, 108, 42–53. [CrossRef]
11. Wu, J.; Zhang, L.; Lu, C.; Zhang, L.; Zhang, Y.; Cai, Q. Exploring tourists’ intentions to purchase homogenous souvenirs.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 1440. [CrossRef]
12. Nguyen, D. Understanding Perceived Enjoyment and Continuance Intention in Mobile Games. Master’s Thesis, Aalto University
School of Business, Helsinki, Finnland, 2015.
13. Han, M.C. The impact of anthropomorphism on consumers’ purchase decision in chatbot commerce. J. Internet Commer. 2021, 20,
46–65. [CrossRef]
14. Brown, J.J.; Reingen, P.H. Social ties and word-of-mouth referral behavior. J. Consum. Res. 1987, 14, 350–362. [CrossRef]
15. Barnes, S.J.; Pressey, A.D. Who needs cyberspace? Exam. Driv. Needs Second Life 2011, 21, 236–254.
16. Adler, P.S.; Kwon, S.W. Social capital: Prospects for a newconcept. Acad. Manag. Rev. 2002, 27, 17–40. [CrossRef]
17. Marsden, P.V.; Campbell, K.E. Measuring tie strength. Soc. Forces 1984, 63, 482–501. [CrossRef]
18. Reinikainen, H.; Munnukka, J.; Maity, D.; Luoma-aho, V. You really are a great big sister’–parasocial relationships, credibility, and
the moderating role of audience comments in influencer marketing. J. Mark. Manag. 2020, 36, 279–298. [CrossRef]
19. Wang, J.C.; Chang, C.H. How online social ties and product-related risks influence purchase intentions: A Facebook experiment.
Electron. Commer. Res. Appl. 2013, 12, 337–346. [CrossRef]
20. Wen, C.; Tan, B.C.; Chang, K.T.T. Advertising effectiveness on social network sites: An investigation of tie strength, endorser exper-
tise and product type on consumer purchase intention. In Proceedings of the ICIS 2009, Phoenix, AZ, USA, 15–18 December 2009.
21. Ma, L.; Zhang, X.; Ding, X.; Wang, G. How social ties influence customers’ involvement and online purchase intentions. J. Theor.
Appl. Electron. Commer. Res. 2020, 16, 395–408. [CrossRef]
22. Li, M.; Xu, D.; Ma, G.; Guo, Q. Strong tie or weak tie? Exploring the impact of group-formation gamification mechanisms on user
emotional anxiety in social commerce. Behav. Inf. Technol. 2021, 1–30. [CrossRef]
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 17 of 20

23. Broeder, P.; van Hout, A. When friends recommend: Online purchasing behavior of Russian and Dutch people when prompted
by recommendations from Facebook friends. Russ. J. Commun. 2019, 11, 191–203. [CrossRef]
24. Bilal, M.; Jianqiu, Z.; Dukhaykh, S.; Fan, M.; Trunk, A. Understanding the effects of eWOM antecedents on online purchase
intention in China. Information 2021, 12, 192. [CrossRef]
25. Sun, L.; Wang, T.; Guan, F. How the strength of social ties influences users’ information sharing and purchase intentions. Curr.
Psychol. 2021, 1–15. [CrossRef]
26. Shen, G.C.C.; Chiou, J.S.; Hsiao, C.H.; Wang, C.H.; Li, H.N. Effective marketing communication via social networking site: The
moderating role of the social tie. J. Bus. Res. 2016, 69, 2265–2270. [CrossRef]
27. Thomas, A.T.; Joseph, A.K. Role of tie strength in word-of-mouth receptiveness and movie promotion: Evidence from Indian
motion picture industry. J. Tianjin Univ. Sci. Technol. 2021, 54, 556–573.
28. Schneider, S.; Huber, F. The diffusion of price-related word-of-mouth: A study exploring the role of market mavens and social
ties. J. Relatsh. Mark. 2022, 21, 50–80. [CrossRef]
29. Qonitah, U.; Nuraeni, S. Analysis of tie strength and purchase decision involvement towards word-of-mouth influence in service
business. KnE Soc. Sci. 2020, 1064–1079. [CrossRef]
30. Keng, C.-J.; Chen, Y.-H.; Huang, Y.-H. The influence of mere virtual presence with product experience and social virtual product
experience on brand attitude and purchase intention: Conformity and social ties as moderators. Chiao Mang. Rev. 2018, 38, 57–94.
31. Wang, J.J.; Wang, L.Y.; Wang, M.M. Understanding the effects of eWOM social ties on purchase intentions: A moderated mediation
investigation. Electron. Commer. Res. Appl. 2018, 28, 54–62. [CrossRef]
32. Hennig-Thurau, T.; Gwinner, K.P.; Walsh, G.; Gremler, D.D. Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: What
motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the Internet? J. Interact. Mark. 2004, 18, 38–52. [CrossRef]
33. Magalhaes, R.; Musallam, B. Investigating electronic word-of-mouth motivations in the middle east: Twitter as medium and
message. J. Electron. Commer. Organ. 2014, 12, 3. [CrossRef]
34. Alsoud, M.; Al-Muani, L.; Alkhazali, Z. Digital platform interactivity and Jordanian social commerce purchase intention. Int. J.
Data Netw. Sci. 2022, 6, 285–294. [CrossRef]
35. Wu, H.L. An integrated framework of mobile apps usage intention. In Proceedings of the Pacific Asia Conference on Information
Systems (PACIS) 2013, Jeju Island, Korea, 18–22 June 2013; p. 134.
36. Torlak, O.; Ozkara, B.; Tiltay, M.; Cengiz, H.; Dulger, M. The effect of electronic word of mouth on brand image and purchase
intention: An application concerning cell phone brands for youth consumers in Turkey. J. Mark. Dev. Compet. 2014, 8, 61–68.
37. Erkan, I.; Evans, C. The influence of eWOM in social media on consumers’ purchase intentions: An extended approach to
information adoption. Comput. Human Behav. 2016, 61, 47–55. [CrossRef]
38. Zhang, J.Q.; Craciun, G.; Shin, D. When does electronic word-of-mouth matter? A study of consumer product reviews. J. Bus. Res.
2010, 63, 1336–1341. [CrossRef]
39. Pitta, D.A.; Fowler, D. Online consumer communities and their value to new product developers. J. Prod. Brand Manag. 2005, 14,
5. [CrossRef]
40. Haythornthwaite, C. The strength and the impact of new media. In Proceedings of the 34th Annual Hawaii International
Conference on System Sciences, Maui, HI, USA, 6 January 2001; p. 10.
41. Wellman, B.; Berkowitz, S.D. Social Structures: A network Approach; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge, UK, 1998.
42. Rogers, E.M. Diffusion of innovations: Modifications of a model for telecommunications. Diffus. Innov. Telekommun. 1995, 9,
25–38.
43. Frenzen, J.; Nakamoto, K.S. Cooperation, and the flow of market information. J. Consum. Res. 1993, 20, 360–375. [CrossRef]
44. Sahlins, M.S.A.E. Stone Age Economics; Aldine Atherton: Chicago, IL, USA, 1972.
45. He, S.; Bond, S. Word of mouth and the forecasting of consumption enjoyment. Fac. Staff Scholarsh. 2013, 23, 464–482. [CrossRef]
46. Billeter, D.; Kalra, A.; Loewenstein, G. Underpredicting learning after initial experience with a product. J. Consum. Res. 2011, 37,
723–736. [CrossRef]
47. Zhao, M.; Hoeffler, S.; Dahl, D.W. The role of imagination-focused visualization on new product evaluation. J. Mark. Res. 2009, 46,
46–55. [CrossRef]
48. Tseng, F.M.; Hsu, F.Y. The influence of eWOM within the online community on consumers’ purchasing intentions-The case of the
Eee PC. In Proceedings of the 2010 International Conference on Innovation and Management, Penang, Malaysia, 7–10 July 2010.
49. Colicev, A.; O’Connor, P.; Vinzi, V.E. Is investing in social media really worth it? How brand actions and user actions influence
brand value. Serv. Sci. 2016, 8, 152–168. [CrossRef]
50. Williams, P.; Soutar, G.; Ashill, N.J.; Naumann, E. Value drivers and adventure tourism: A comparative analysis of Japanese and
Western consumers. J. Serv. Theory Pract. 2017, 27, 102–122. [CrossRef]
51. Holbrook, M.B. Consumption experience, customer value, and subjective personal introspection: An illustrative photographic
essay. J. Bus. Res. 2006, 59, 714–725. [CrossRef]
52. Zainuddin, N.; Russell-Bennett, R.; Previte, J. The value of health and wellbeing: An empirical model of value creation in social
marketing. Eur. J. Mark. 2013, 47, 1504–1524. [CrossRef]
53. Swan, J.E.; Oliver, R.L. Postpurchase communications by consumers. J. Retail. 1989, 65, 516–533.
54. Kim, A.J.; Johnson, K.K. Power of consumers using social media: Examining the influences of brand-related user-generated
content on Facebook. Comput. Human Behav. 2016, 58, 98–108. [CrossRef]
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 18 of 20

55. Lee, M.; Youn, S. Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) how eWOM platforms influence consumer product judgement. Int. J. Advert.
2009, 28, 473–499. [CrossRef]
56. Minola, T.; Kammerlander, N.; Kellermanns, F.W.; Hoy, F. Corporate entrepreneurship and family business: Learning across
domains. J. Manag. Stud. 2021, 58, 1–26. [CrossRef]
57. Chen, C.C.; Chen, C.W.; Tung, Y.C. Exploring the consumer behavior of intention to purchase green products in belt and road
countries: An empirical analysis. Sustainability 2018, 10, 854. [CrossRef]
58. Bowman, J. Facing advertising reality. Media Asia 2002, 7, 14–15.
59. Gopal, B.S. Conceptual model development for celebrity endorsement in social advertising: The case of source credibility and
celebrity-fan relationship. IUP J. Mark. Manag. 2021, 20, 122–144.
60. Hwang, K.; Zhang, Q. Influence of parasocial relationship between digital celebrities and their followers on followers’ purchase
and electronic word-of-mouth intentions, and persuasion knowledge. Comput. Human Behav. 2018, 87, 155–173. [CrossRef]
61. Haroon, M.Z.; Mirza Amin ul Haq, N. Impact of role model on behavioral and purchase intentions among youngsters: Empirical
evidence from Karachi, Pakistan. J. Manag. Sci. 2015, 2, 243–255.
62. Roy, S. An exploratory study in celebrity endorsements. J. Creat. Commun. 2006, 1, 139–153. [CrossRef]
63. Koufaris, M. Applying the technology acceptance model and flow theory to online consumer behavior. Inf. Syst. Res. 2002, 13,
205–223. [CrossRef]
64. Arviansyah, A.; Dhaneswara, A.P.; Hidayanto, A.N.; Zhu, Y.Q. Vlogging: Trigger to impulse buying behaviors. In Proceedings of
the Twenty-Second Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS), Yokohama, Japan, 26–30 June 2018; Volume 249.
65. Zipporah, M.M.; Mberia, H.K. The effects of celebrity endorsement in advertisements. Int. J. Acad. Res. Econ. Manag. Sci. 2014, 3,
178. [CrossRef]
66. Bennett, D.; Diamond, W.; Miller, E.; Williams, J. Understanding bad-boy celebrity endorser effectiveness: The fantasy-based
relationship, hedonic consumption. Congruency Model 2020, 41, 1–19. [CrossRef]
67. Fitriani, W.R.; Mulyono, A.B.; Hidayanto, A.N.; Munajat, Q. Reviewer’s communication style in youtube product-review videos:
Does it affect channel loyalty? Heliyon 2020, 6, 9. [CrossRef]
68. Kim, M.; Song, D.; Jang, A. Consumer response toward native advertising on social media: The roles of source type and content
type. Internet Res. 2021, 31, 1656–1676. [CrossRef]
69. Lim, W.M.; Ahmed, P.K.; Ali, M.Y. Giving electronic word of mouth (eWOM) as a prepurchase behavior: The case of online group
buying. J. Bus. Res. 2022, 146, 582–604. [CrossRef]
70. Fishbein, M.; Ajzen, I. Belief, Attitude, Intention, and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research; Addison-Wesley: Reading,
MA, USA, 1975.
71. Eagly, A.H.; Chaiken, S. The Psychology of Attitudes; Harcourt Brace College Publishers: New York, NY, USA, 1993.
72. Sweeney, J.C.; Soutar, G.N. Consumer perceived value: The development of a multiple item scale. J. Retail. 2001, 77, 203–220.
[CrossRef]
73. Lee, D.; Trail, G.T.; Kwon, H.H.; Anderson, D.F. Licensed sport merchandise consumption: Psychometric properties of the MVS,
PRS, and PERVAL scales. Sport Mark. Q. 2005, 14, 89–101.
74. McCracken, G. Who is the celebrity endorser? Cultural foundations of the endorsement process. J. Consum. Res. 1989, 16, 310–321.
[CrossRef]
75. Hudha, A.N.; Hidayat, A. Study of consumer attitudes toward television advertising using celebrity endorser. J. Siasat Bisnis
2009, 13, 3. [CrossRef]
76. Parayitam, S.; Kakumani, L.; Muddangala, N.B. Perceived risk as a moderator in the relationship between perception of celebrity
endorsement and buying behavior: Evidence from rural consumers of India. Cogent Bus. Manag. 2020, 28, 521–540. [CrossRef]
77. Chang, C.; Dibb, S. Reviewing and conceptualising customer-perceived value. Mark. Rev. 2012, 12, 253–274. [CrossRef]
78. Kian, T.P.; Boon, G.H.; Fong, S.W.L.; Ai, Y.J. Factors that influence the consumer purchase intention in social media websites. Int.
J. Supply Chain Manag. 2017, 6, 208–214.
79. Reid, R.; Brown, S. I hate shopping! An introspective perspective. Int. J. Retail. Distrib. Manag. 1996, 24, 4–16. [CrossRef]
80. Mehrabian, A.; Russell, J.A. An Approach to Environmental Psychology; The MIT Press: Cambridge, MA, USA, 1974.
81. Woodworth, R.S. Psychology; Rev., Ed.; American Psychological Association: Washington, DC, USA, 1929.
82. Zhang, J.; Jiang, N.; Turner, J.J.; Pahlevan-Sharif, S. The impact of scarcity on consumers’ impulse buying based on the S-O-R
theory. Front. Psychol. 2022, 13, 792419. [CrossRef]
83. Basha, N.K.; Aw, E.C.-X.; Chuah, S.H.-W. Are we so over smartwatches? Or can technology, fashion, and psychographic attributes
sustain smartwatch usage? Technol. Soc. 2022, 69, 101952. [CrossRef]
84. Zheng, X.; Men, J.; Yang, F.; Gong, X. Understanding impulse buying in mobile commerce: An investigation into hedonic and
utilitarian browsing. Int. J. Inf. Manag. 2019, 48, 151–160. [CrossRef]
85. Perumal, S.; Ali, J.; Shaari, H. Exploring nexus among sensory marketing and repurchase intention: Application of S-O-R Model.
Manag. Sci. Lett. 2021, 11, 1527–1536. [CrossRef]
86. Cheng, W.; Tsai, H.; Chuang, H.; Lin, P.; Ho, T. How can emerging event sustainably develop in the tourism industry? From the
perspective of the SOR model on a two-year empirical study. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10075. [CrossRef]
87. Zhang, H.; Liang, X.; Qi, C. Investigating the impact of interpersonal closeness and social status on electronic word-of-mouth
effectiveness. J. Bus. Res. 2021, 130, 453–461. [CrossRef]
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 19 of 20

88. Arman, H.; Izian, I.; Rong, G.H.; Siti Suhana, A.; Nursyuhadah, A.R.; Ridzuan, M.; Mohamad Naseer, M.N. Perceived value of
advertising message that influence generation y’purchase intention. In Proceedings of the World Marketing Conference 2020,
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 3 March 2020.
89. Kemp, S. Digital in Jordan: All the Statistics You Need in 2021—DataReportal–Global Digital Insights. Available online:
https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2021-jordan (accessed on 11 February 2021).
90. Suh, B.; Han, I. Effect of trust on customer acceptance of Internet banking. Electron. Commer. Res. Appl. 2002, 1, 247–263. [CrossRef]
91. Fornell, C.; Larcker, D.F. Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. J. Mark. Res.
1981, 18, 39–50. [CrossRef]
92. Kline, R.B. Principles and Practice of Structural Equation Modeling; The Guilford Press: New York, NY, USA, 2005.
93. Kambitsis, C.; Harahousou, Y.; Theodorakis, N.; Chatzibeis, G. Sports advertising in print media: The case of 2000 Olympic
Games. Corp. Commun. Int. J. 2002, 7, 155–161. [CrossRef]
94. Gruen, T.W.; Osmonbekov, T.; Czaplewski, A.J. eWOM: The impact of customer-to-customer online know-how exchange on
customer value and loyalty. J. Bus. Res. 2006, 59, 449–456. [CrossRef]
95. Zheng, C.; Yu, X.; Jin, Q. How user relationships affect user perceived value propositions of enterprises on social commerce
platforms. Inf. Syst. Front. 2017, 19, 1261–1271. [CrossRef]
96. Susilowati, C.; Sugandini, D. Perceived value, eWord-of-mouth, traditional word-of-mouth, and perceived quality to destination
image of vacation tourists. Rev. Integr. Bus. Econ. Res. 2018, 7, 312–321.
97. Previte, J.; Russell-Bennett, R.; Mulcahy, R.; Hartel, C. The role of emotional value for reading and giving eWOM in altruistic
services. J. Bus. Res. 2019, 99, 157–166. [CrossRef]
98. Joo, J. Exploring Korean collegians’ social commerce usage: Extending technology acceptance model with word-of-mouth and
perceived enjoyment. J. Digit. Converg. 2014, 12, 147–155. [CrossRef]
99. Lee, H.; Min, J.; Yuan, J. The influence of eWOM on intentions for booking luxury hotels by generation Y. J. Vacat. Mark. 2021, 27,
237–251. [CrossRef]
100. Hadisumarto, A.D. The role of electronic word of mouth, health protocol, perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment to
intention to book of boutique hotel during COVID-19 pandemic. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Business and
Engineering Management (ICONBEM 2021), Virtual, 21–22 August 2021; Volume 177, pp. 110–117.
101. Zayed, M.F.; Gaber, H.R.; el Essawi, N. Examining the factors that affect consumers’ purchase intention of organic food products
in a developing country. Sustainability 2022, 14, 5868. [CrossRef]
102. Asnawati, A.; Nadir, M.; Wardhani, W.; Setini, M. The effects of perceived ease of use, electronic word of mouth and content
marketing on purchase decision. Int. J. Data Netw. Sci. 2022, 6, 81–90. [CrossRef]
103. Choi, J. How consumers engage in & utilize the source of electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM)? Acad. Strateg. Manag. J. 2020, 19,
1–12.
104. Kamil, N.A.I.; Albert, A. The effect of e-wom and brand image towards Sushi Masa consumer purchasing decision. J. Soc. Stud.
2020, 16, 19–34. [CrossRef]
105. Flavian, C.; Gurrea, R.; Orús, C. Mobile word of mouth (m-WOM): Analysing its negative impact on webrooming in omnichannel
retailing. Int. J. Retail Distrib. Manag. 2020, 49, 394–420. [CrossRef]
106. Febina, T.; Noor, Y.L. The effect of celebrity endorsement via perceived value to purchase intention on Instagram. Russ. J. Agric.
Socio-Econ. Sci. 2019, 85, 263–270.
107. Osei-Frimpong, K.; Donkor, G.; Owusu-Frimpong, N. The impact of celebrity endorsement on consumer purchase intention: An
emerging market perspective. J. Mark. Theory Pract. 2019, 27, 103–121. [CrossRef]
108. Silaban, P.H.; Silalahi, A.D.K.; Octoyuda, E.; Sitanggang, Y.K.; Hutabarat, L.; Sitorus, A.I.S. Understanding hedonic and utilitarian
responses to product reviews on youtube and purchase intention. Cogent Bus. Manag. 2022, 9, 2062910. [CrossRef]
109. Kim, E.; Shoenberger, H.; Sun, Y. Living in a material world: Sponsored Instagram posts and the role of materialism, hedonic
enjoyment, perceived trust, and need to belong. Soc. Media Soc. 2021, 7, 20563051211038304. [CrossRef]
110. Iriani, S.S. Do you (still) hire celebrities to increase purchase intention? Int. J. Bus. Ecosyst. Strateg. 2021, 3, 38–45. [CrossRef]
111. Vidyanata, D.; Sunaryo, S.; Hadiwidjojo, D. The role of brand attitude and brand credibility as a mediator of the celebrity
endorsement strategy to generate purchase intention. J. Appl. Manaj. 2018, 16, 402–411. [CrossRef]
112. Gupta, R.; Kishore, N.; Verma, D.P.S. Impact of celebrity endorsements on consumers’purchase intention. Aust. J. Bus. Manag. Res.
2015, 5, 1–15. [CrossRef]
113. Corrêa, S.C.H.; Soares, J.L.; Christino, J.M.M.; Gosling, M.d.; Gonçalves, C.A. The influence of YouTubers on followers’ use
intention. J. Res. Interact. Mark. 2020, 14, 173–194. [CrossRef]
114. Jin, S.V.; Ryu, E. I’ll buy what she’s# wearing’: The roles of envy toward and parasocial interaction with influencers in Instagram
celebrity-based brand endorsement and social commerce. J. Retail. Consum. Serv. 2020, 55, 102121.
115. Sumarliah, E.; Khan, S.Z.; Khan, R.U. Modest wear e-commerce: Examining online purchase intent in Indonesia. Res. J. Text.
Appar. 2022, 26, 90–108. [CrossRef]
116. Escobar-Rodríguez, T.; Bonsón-Fernández, R. Analysing online purchase intention in Spain: Fashion e-commerce. Inf. Syst. E-bus.
Manag. 2017, 15, 599–622. [CrossRef]
117. Shafiq, R.; Raza, I.; Zia-ur-Rehman, M. Analysis of the factors affecting customers’ purchase intention: The mediating role of
perceived value. Afr. J. Bus. Manag. 2011, 5, 10577.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9959 20 of 20

118. Kunja, S.R.; Kumar, A.; Rao, B. Mediating role of hedonic and utilitarian brand attitude between eWOM and purchase intentions:
A context of brand fan pages in Facebook. Young Consum. 2021, 23, 1–15. [CrossRef]
119. Xue, J.; Zhou, Z.; Zhang, L.; Majeed, S. Do brand competence and warmth always influence purchase intention? The moderating
role of gender. Front. Psychol. 2020, 11, 248. [CrossRef] [PubMed]
120. Wu, W.Y.; Quyen, P.T.P.; Rivas, A.A.A. How e-servicescapes affect customer online shopping intention: The moderating effects of
gender and online purchasing experience. Inf. Syst. e-Bus. Manag. 2017, 15, 689–715. [CrossRef]
121. Kanwal, M.; Burki, U.; Ali, R.; Dahlstrom, R. Systematic review of gender differences and similarities in online consumers’
shopping behavior. J. Consum. Mark. 2022, 39, 29–43. [CrossRef]
122. Ajitha, S.; Sivakumar, V.J. The moderating role of age and gender on the attitude towards new luxury fashion brands. J. Fash.
Mark. Manag. Int. J. 2019, 23, 440–465. [CrossRef]
123. Sharma, M.; Gupta, M.; Joshi, S. Adoption barriers in engaging young consumers in the Omni-channel retailing. Young Consum
2019, 21, 193–210. [CrossRef]
124. Bouteraa, M.; Hisham, R.R.I.R.; Zainol, Z. Islamic banks customers’ intention to adopt green banking: Extension of UTAUT
Model. Int. J. Bus. Technol. Manag. 2020, 2, 121–136.