EXAMINING THE INFLUENCE OF ONLINE USER GENERATED CONTENT ON CONSUMER CHOICE: VARIETY SEEKING, LEARNING, AND SHARING

Abstract

User-generated content (UGC) has grown rapidly on the Internet as a result of the pervasiveness of online Web 2.0 technologies and attracts attentions of both practitioners and researchers. This dissertation has two main objectives. First, we examine how online UGC influences individual consumers¿ purchase decisions. We are particularly interested in the impact of online UGC on individual consumers¿ new product exploration and product quality learning. Second, we examine the factors that affect the diffusion of UGC on social media platforms (SMP). We specifically investigate the timing effect of UGC diffusion on SMP by adopting a temporal networks modeling approach. Applying a wide variety of theories and techniques drawing from economics, marketing, information systems, and psychology, we propose and empirically validate the mechanisms through which UGC diffuses on SMP and influences individual consumers¿ new product exploration and learning behavior.