Dissertation summary business administration a research on determinants influencing the acceptance of electronic word of mouth of consumers in ho chi minh city

According to the author's understanding, in Vietnam, there is no research on the factors affecting information acceptance eWOM takes into consideration the effects of information overloa

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

LAC HONG UNIVERSITY

DINH HUNG

A RESEARCH ON DETERMINANTS INFLUENCING THE ACCEPTANCE OF ELECTRONIC WORD OF MOUTH OF CONSUMERS IN HO CHI MINH CITY

DONG NAI - 2020

This dissertation is completed at LAC HONG UNIVERSITY

1 Science Supervisor: Assoc Prof DOAN THANH HA

The dissertation can be found at the library:

- Library of Lac Hong University

- National library

CHAPTER 1 – RESEARCH OVERVIEW

1.1 THE REASONS FOR CHOOSING THIS TOPIC

In the process of making buying decision, the source of information that consumers often use is consulting from relatives or friends (Hennig-Thurau et al., 2004) The direct way of communication to consult on goods is called traditional word-of-mouth (WOM) WOM is seen as a reference channel for goods of value to consumers and they believe in this source of information rather than information from advertising WOM information is usually only spread

in a small group and has a narrow scope of influence In WOM communication, the form of communication is face to face interaction and the source of information is relatives or friends, so consumers can easily accept WOM information Previous studies have shown a relate between purchase intent and WOM information acceptance (Glynn Mangold, Miller & Brockway, 1999; Allsop, Bassett & Hoskins, 2007)

The statistics around the world show that before buying, consumers view information related to goods on average at 10.4 different sources; 92% of consumers read reviews of goods before making a purchase; 63% of consumers buy from websites that have additional user reviews; Consumer goods reviews have 12 times more confidence than product descriptions provided by the producer (Charlton, 2015) In Southeast Asia, on average, 88% of consumers place the greatest trust in recommendations from family and friends In Vietnam, this figure is a bit larger, at 89%, in addition, about 70% believe in eWOM information circulated online (Nielsen, 2015)

Compared to WOM, eWOM is easier to spread and has a much larger influence, due to the above The Internet allows people to send eWOM information online in various forms and at low cost However, different from WOM, eWOM information is generated and spread by anyone and therefore consumers need other grounds for acceptance receive eWOM information (Cheung & Thadani, 2010) Previous studies on the issue of Electronic Oral Transmission -

eWOM shows that the Acceptance of eWOM information is the most important factor affecting the intention of purchasing goods of Consumers (Duhan, D Johnson, S Wilcox, 1997; Li & Zhan, 2011; Fan et al , 2013) Therefore, the research Factors affecting the acceptance of eWOM information are increasingly urgent need

In essence, eWOM information is non-commercial advertising information and therefore the communication eWOM is the process of convincing recipients of eWOM information to believe in and use eWOM to support the decision-making process purchase of goods (Babić Rosario et al., 2016) In addition, according to research by

Greenwald (1968) shows that there are relationship between the acceptance of informational content and persuasion through communication Effectiveness of thecommunicative persuasion can be measured by the acceptability of the information content

Due to the easily-generated and contagious nature of eWOM information, consumers may encounter the information overload effect when referencing too much information eWOM However, there is little research on the effects of the information overload to eWOM information acceptance (Luo et al., 2013) A consequence of information overload is that the consumer may rely on other signals of eWOM information rather than on the content of the eWOM information in reference - it could be ratings or consumer consensus of a certain commodity review Information about ratings or consensus reflects the influence aspect of eWOM (Cheung et al., 2009; Chou, Wang & Tang, 2015)

On the other hand, due to the high persuasion of eWOM information, market makers are inclined to using fake eWOM information (called fake eWOM) makes consumers mistakenly refer to it aseWOM information is generated by

a particular consumer The presence of fake eWOM information increases the exposure skepticism and reduce consumer confidence when consulting eWOM information before making a purchase So how consumers react to eWOM information when they suspect it is a fake eWOM information? Will they accept receive fake eWOM information if the content of this information is sometimes high quality? However, there is little research available on the effect of eWOM information skepticism on the adoption of eWOM information (Sher & Lee, 2009)

Studies on eWOM information in Vietnam often focus on examining the effect of eWOM comes to purchase intent, purchase decision or brand image (Vo & Ky, 2015; Le, 2017; Anh, 2018; Nam & Giao, 2019; Khoa, 2019) Studies on eWOM's information acceptance only consider the effects of the acceptance of eWOM information to purchase intent (Chi & Nghiem, 2018; Tuan, 2020), to brand trust (Thao & Tam, 2017)

According to the author's understanding, in Vietnam, there is no research on the factors affecting information acceptance eWOM takes into consideration the effects of information overload, the influence of society and the skeptical of accepting eWOM information With the aim of evaluating the current research on the problem acceptance eWOM information to fill gaps in research, contribute to new knowledge, the author chooses the topic “A Research on

Determinants Influencing the Acceptance of Electronic Word of Mouth of Consumers in Ho Chi Minh City” is a

research topic for our thesis

1.2 LITERATURE REVIEW

The review of the empirical studies of the thesis will review the studies applying the Information Adoption Model - IAM Research on IAM often appears in the documents one of the following three kind of forms:

- Using the original Information Adoption Model – IAM

- Editing the IAM model (for example adding Moderator variables, changing the causal variables within original IAM model)

- Building integrated models (combined with other theories or models)

Also, there has been only a handful of studies on skepticism about eWOM, for example researchs of Sher & Lee, (2009); Wang & Chien (2012)

1.2.1 Studies applied the original IAM Model

1.2.2 Studies modified the IAM Model

1.2.3 Studies integrated the IAM Model with other theories or models

1.2.4 Studies on skepticism

1.2.5 General comments on related studies

1.2.6 Identifying research opportunities on the issue of accepting eWOM information

As Internet-based interactive systems developed, so did the problem of online communication However, previous studies on information acceptance have not underestimated the impact of social networks to the consumer's acceptance of information and thus does not fully reflect the influencing factors

In addition, according to the author's understanding so far, there are not many studies on the behavior of users when information overloaded – the situation of users accessing too much eWOM information so they can be affected

by information overload - the incoming information volume is much larger than the user can process/receive In that situation, the user has difficulty in processing information to make a purchase decision because there are too many selectively, this could lead to them ignoring useful information and only processing/reading low-quality information and reducing the usefulness of the eWOM information, as a result consumers are more likely to make buying decisions not as optimal as expected

In addition to the positive element of generating eWOM information for users, abuse this information can have negative effects Specifically, companies may themselves generate fake eWOM credentials for promotion encourage users to buy goods and when discovered, the goods can be boycotted or not as reliable as before However, there are not many studies investigating the factors related to the existence of fake eWOM information Therefore, the dissertation will focus on understanding these factors to add to knowledge about the cause accept eWOM information Thereby, understand to the understanding of the consumer buying behavior to support businesses effectively implement

online marketing Therefore, the content in the next section is about these aspects are underestimated and suggest a model that might reflect better

1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Through the results of the literature review, the author found that previous studies on eWOM in Vietnam have not has research and evaluation of factors related to the existence of fake eWOM information (Fake eWOM); the fake eWOM can increase consumer skepticism about this kind of useful information and if businesses abuse this kind of information, consumers will no longer believe in real eWOM information So, the thesis will focus on researching factors related to skepticism in order to supplement general understanding why do consumers accept eWOM information, the proposed research question is as follows:

Question 1 : Determine the relationship between informational factors, normative factors and the factors of

skepticism to the acceptance eWOM information of consumers in Ho Chi Minh City?

After determining the relationship between informational factors, normative factors and factors of skepticism to the acceptance eWOM information of consumers in Ho Chi Minh City, the next issue is the degree of impact of these factors to the eWOM information acceptance The measure of the impact of the factors is equal empirical evidence as a basis for being able to draw administrative implications related to research issues Hence, the question recommended follow-up studies are as follows:

Question 2 : Measuring the impact of the relationship between information factors, social factors and factors of

skepticism about eWOM information acceptance of consumers in Ho Chi Minh City?

Quantitative research results measure the impact of information factors, normative factors and factors of skepticism about eWOM information acceptance of consumers in Ho Chi Minh City will be used as the basis for proposing administrative implications for the business The problem is what administrative implications can be proposed based on the results research Therefore, the next research question is suggested as follows:

Question 3 : What are the administrative implications to propose based on the research results?

1.4 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

1.4.1 General Objective

Study the impact of information factors, normative factors, and factors of skepticism on consumers's perceptions on different aspects of information, affecting the consumer's acceptance of eWOM information in Ho Chi Minh City Proposals for using eWOM information to develop information channels on the multimedia such as social networks, business websites, consumer consulting sites, to do effective online marketing is based on an understanding of the nature of the eWOM and reasons for accepting this information

1.4.2 Specific Objective

Objective 1 : Identify the relationship between informational, normative, and skeptical factors to the eWOM

information acceptance of consumer in Ho Chi Minh City

Objective 2 : Measure the impact level of relationships between information factors, normative factors and

skeptical factors of the eWOM information acceptance of consumers in Ho Chi Minh City

Objective 3 : Propose administrative implications for business managers and government officers on the basis

of research results on the influence of information factors, normative factors and skeptical factors of the eWOM information acceptance of consumers in Ho Chi Minh City

1.5 SUBJECT OF THE STUDY, SURVEY SUBJECTS AND SCOPE:

- Subject of study: the acceptance of eWOM information of consumers in Ho Chi Minh City and the influences of

informational factors, normative factors, and the factors of skepticism on the eWOM information acceptance of

consumers in Ho Chi Minh City

- Survey Subjects: Consumers used to search for information on goods reviews on the Internet before buying goods in

Ho Chi Minh City

- Scope of the research:

+ About content: Identifying informational factors, normative factors, and skeptical factors affecting the eWOM

information acceptance of consumers in Ho Chi Minh City and how these factors impact on the eWOM information acceptance of consumers

+ About space: Study consumers within Ho Chi Minh City

+ About time: time to conduct qualitative research, take samples for quantitative survey from April 2019 to September

Qualitative research is conducted in 2 steps:

Step 1 Qualitative research is done by reviewing previous studies to detect factors affecting the eWOM information acceptance, using inference methods to build models research

The qualitative research in Step 1 results in the recommended model and the draft scale of the factors that influence the eWOM information acceptance of consumers in Ho Chi Minh City

Step 2 Qualitative research is done by the method of interviewing academic experts (linguistic experts, business administration specialists, psychologists); and method of group discussion with industrial experts (consumer representatives, online marketing experts, website administrators with consulting section user) to clarify research variables and to modify the scale

Qualitative research in Step 2 results in formal research model and preliminary scale of factors affects the acceptance of eWOM information in Ho Chi Minh City, this result is input to continue quantitative research steps

1.6.2 Quantitative research

The quantitative study aims to quantify the impact of these factors on the eWOM information acceptance variable and intermediate effects Shows the statistical values, the reliability of the scale and the suitability of the model's data research, confirming the reliability of qualitative research

Quantitative research is conducted in 2 steps:

Step 1 With interview data collected from about 50, the thesis will test the reliabilityreliability of the scale (using Cronbach's Alpha coefficient) Use Likert scale with 5 levels to measure observed variables SPSS software is used to perform these tests

The quantitative study in Step 1 resulted in a formal scale of factors that influence the acceptance of eWOM information in Ho Chi Minh City

Step 2 After the formal scale is available, data are collected from the online questionnaires of about 500 respondents is used to perform a formal measurement of the scale by assessing the reliability of the scale (using a system Cronbach's Alpha number), test convergence by Exploratory Factor Analysis - EFA, test measurement model using Confirmation Factor Analysis - CFA The next step is to test the structural model by the method of Structural Equation Modeling - SEM All these operations are done by SPSS – AMOS application

The quantitative study in Step 2 resulted in quantifying the effects of the factors that influence the acceptance of eWOM information in Ho Chi Minh City

The thesis will use these quantitative results to present administrative implications along with suggesting future research directions

1.7 THESIS STRUCTURE

Chapter 1: Research overview

Chapter 2: Theoretical basis and research model

Chapter 3: Research method

Chapter 4: Research Results and Discussion

Chapter 5: Conclusion and administrative implications

CHAPTER 2 THEORETICAL BASIS AND RESEARCH MODEL

2.1 SOME RELATED CONCEPTS

WOM – Word Of Mouth

eWOM – Electronic Word Of Mouth

eWOM Information Adoption

2.2.1 Cognitive Dissonance Theory - CDT

Cognitive Dissonance Theory (CDT) proposed by Festinger (1968) According to this theory, persuaded directly by a communicator is not the only way to change attitudes either behavior Attitude changes can also occur indirectly when an individual realizes that the present attitude conflicts with new information or when the individual's behavior is inconsistent with their beliefs

Cognitive dissonance theory is used in the thesis to study the motivation of the generating eWOM information

of consumers

2.2.2 Social Communication Theory

The theory of social communication proposed by Hovland (1948) How an individual communicates his or her ideas to others and persuade them to accept the point of view? An early point is that the approach is convincing it is most effective to present logical arguments to people how they would benefit from a change of attitude

Social communication theory is used in the thesis to study the causes of the acceptance of eWOM information and is used to build the reference framework for the study

2.2.3 Theory of Reasoned Action – TRA and Theory of Planned Behavior- TPB

The combination model of TRA and TPB is the most general model to help guide the model building process research on eWOM acceptance (Figure 2.6) The bottom line of the TRA and combination model TPB for the acceptance of information is beliefs - the result of the influence of background factors According to the author's comment, the research on information acceptance problem has partly based on the outcome model TRA and TPB and social communication theory to interpret and build research models emotionally However, it is not clear how the real nature of the construction process is

Theories TRA and TPB are used in the thesis as a basis for comparison with experimental models related to the acceptance of eWOM information

2.2.4 Elaboration of Likelihood Model - ELM

Thoroughly evaluated prospect theory by Petty & Cacioppo (1986) According to this theory, one communicates persuasion can trigger some of the related experiences, memories, emotions, and thoughts that the individual uses for processing message Hence, what an individual thinks about when they receive a compelling message and how they apply the thoughts, feelings and memories for message analysis are very important The ELM theory shows how where attitudes are formed and changed and behavioral actions are formed during information processing receive

The ELM theory is used in the thesis to study the recipient's information acceptance process information using the pre-condition factors of acceptance, including those of quality information and factors of the reliability of the information source

2.2.5 Dual Process of Conformity Theory

The theory of Dual Process of Conformity proposed by Deutsch & Gerard (1955) According to this theory, in some social situations, can cause us to change our mind, even when we feel such a change of opinion is wrong The objective of Deutsch & Gerard (1955) when proposing the theory is to study two types of social influences: informational effects and normative effects

Because of the theory of Dual Process of Conformity explains the individual's process of adapting to the additional information depends on two influences, which are Informational Influence and NormativeInfluence should this theory be used in the thesis to explain the influence of social groups on the acceptance of eWOM information

2.2.6 Technology Acceptance Model - TAM

Technology Acceptance Model - TAM proposed by Davis (1986) The acceptance of users for technology is an important research area today Various models have been proposed to explain and predict the adoption of a technology system, among which the Technology Acceptance Model - TAM proposed by Davis (1986) is a model that attracts the most attention of the research community, especially the researchs related to Information Systems

The detailed study of the TAM model building process reinforces the thesis's viewpoint about how to proceed with building an information-accepting model - that is using two prisms, one prism is the composite model TRA and TPB, another prism is Social communication theory

2.2.7 Information Adoption Model - IAM

The Information Adoption Model proposed by Sussman & Siegal (2003) IAM model is found to be the most suitable model for the eWOM information acceptance study because it allows evaluate for both types of signal - the information itself and the source of the information And so the thesis will use the Information Adoption Model - IAM does original model with reference to extended TAM model (Wixom et al , 2005), and Cognitive Dissonance Theory and awareness to expand the IAM model into a research model of the thesis

2.3 SUMMARY OF FACTORS RELATED TO THE eWOM COMMUNICATION PROCESS

The overall assessment of the relevant studies of the thesis is built on the basis of Social Communication Theory (Hovland, 1948) and inherited the approach of Cheung & Thadani (2012) According to this theory, basically social communication consists of 4 components as follows:

- Sender (Communicator)

- Information (Stimulus)

- The receiver

- Response

2.3.1 Factors related to the Senders

2.3.2 Factors related to Information

2.3.3 Factors related to the Receivers

2.3.4 Factors related to the eWOM information response

2.4 DETAIL REFERENCE FRAMEWORK

Summary of Tables 2.2, 2.3, 2.4 and 2.5 we have a detailed Reference Framework

2.5 APPROACH TO MODEL BUILDING

The research model of the thesis is built by expanding the IAM model based on applying twomain framework

is Ajzen's Theory of Reasonable Action - TRA and Theory of Planned Behavior - TPB (1985) theory and the Social Communication Theory of Hovland (1948) to analyze experimental research models Through the prism of TRA-TPB

we see the causal relationships of the concepts to be studied, through the prism of the theory of Social Communication,

we can see the concepts that need to be added to the research model of the thesis Based on this, the thesis will present the argument about the nature of the proposed extended relations in the model

2.5.1 Informational influence on the eWOM information acceptance

In the online environment, individuals can create and spread reviews for some of the most commodities without revealing your true identity Therefore, the recipients of the information can determine the reliability of the intentions subjectively differ and proactively accept or reject information received If the consumer thinks that reviews posted by individuals have a high degree of trust, they will feel about the usefulness of the ratings than reviews posted

by individuals who they deem to have low credibility (Cheung, Lee & Cheung, 2014).The thesis proposes research hypothesis H1 as follows:

H1: Information quality has a positive impact on perception of the usefulness of eWOM information (H1+)

In the online environment, there are many different reviews and comments on a number of goods with many degrees quality If the recipient perceives a rating as high quality, that individual's perception about the usefulness of that rating is higher than a rating that is not of high quality (Cheung, Lee & Cheung, 2014) The thesis proposes research hypothesis H2 as follows:

H2: The reliability of the information source has a positive impact on perception of the usefulness of eWOM information (H2+)

According to Sussman & Siegal (2003) when an individual assesses information is useful and reflects properly

in fact, they can accept this information, and the individual may intend to use this information as a basis for making a decision to buy goods In an online environment, if individuals find eWOM information useful, they are more likely to

be accept this eWOM information That is to feel the usefulness of the information eWOM can use as the basis to predict the acceptance of eWOM information (Chou, Wang & Tang, 2015) Article, the thesis proposes the hypothesis H3 is as follows:

H3: Perception of the usefulness of eWOM information has a positive impact on the eWOM information acceptance (H3+)

Thang đo các nhân t Ch t l ng thông tin, tin c y c a ngu n tin, C m nh n s h u d ng c a thông tin và

Ch p nh n thông tin eWOM đ c k th a t nghiên c u c a Sussman & Siegal (2003); Chou, Wang & Tang (2015)

Scales of factors Quality of information, Reliability of sources, Perception of the usefulness of information andAccept the eWOM information inherited from Sussman & Siegal (2003); Chou, Wang & Tang (2015)

2.5.2 Influences of information overload on the eWOM information acceptance

According to research by Malhotra, Jain & Lagakos (1982) and reference to the Elaboration Likelihood Model

- ELM by Petty & Cacioppo (1986), when an individual references too much information, the individual can be overwhelmed of information In order to be able to process information effectively, that individual may use signals other than content of information to choose the necessary information In case of information overload, individuals feel that the information is easy to use usefulness is more difficult to choose from Therefore, the thesis proposes research hypothesis H4 as follows:

H4: Perception of the ease of use has a positive impact on perception of the usefulness of eWOM information (H4+)

According to Davis (1986), when an individual judges a technology that is easy to use, they can accept this technology Develop Davis's (1986) ideas in an online environment, if the individual testify the information easy to use, they are more likely to accept this information Means the sense of ease of use of the information possible used as a basis for predicting the acceptance of eWOM information The thesis proposes research hypothesis H5 as follows:

H5: Perception of the ease of use has a positive impact on the eWOM information acceptance (H5+)

The scale of perceived the ease of use of information inherited from Davis (1986) research, refer to the studies

of Luo et al (2013); Gottschalk & Mafael (2017) and re-adapted suitable for the eWOM information acceptance research context

2.5.3 Normative influences on the eWOM information acceptance

Commodity reviews also help consumers narrow down the search space and consider only the highly ranked eWOM information (Cheung et al , 2009) Results are when people receiving information about ratings of reviews for goods, they will be easier to process information received without this information Therefore, the thesis proposes research hypothesis H6a as follows:

H6a: Information of eWOM rating has a positive impact on perception of the ease of use (H7a+)

Also according to research by Cheung et al (2009), the rating information of the goods shows that level of acceptance for the current eWOM information the recipient is consulting Applying the theory of Dual Process of Conformity to the online information context, when communicating with eWOM a high rating, recipients will appreciate the reliability of the information rather than the rated eWOM information lower Therefore, the thesis proposes research hypothesis H6b as follows:

H6b: Information of eWOM rating has a positive impact on perception of the reliability of eWOM information (H7b+)

According to Wathen & Burkell (2002) perception of eWOM information reliability is the level of individual perception of truthfulness and reliability of information Recipients often rate the reliability of the information before accepting that information In the context of online information, according to research by Cheung et al (2009); Chou, Wang & Tang(2015), when recipients of eWOM information perceive eWOM information to be highly reliable they are more likely to accept this information That is the sense of reliability of information that can be used as a basis to predict eWOM information acceptance The thesis proposes research hypothesis H7 as follows:

H7: Perception of the reliability of eWOM information has a positive impact on the eWOM information acceptance (H8+)

The conceptual scales of eWOM information rating and perception of eWOM information reliability are inherited from Cheung et al (2009); Chou, Wang & Tang (2015); Durmaz & Yüksel (2017)

2.5.4 Influences of skepticism on eWOM information acceptance

The eWOM information that is not generated by the user is called fake eWOM The common fake eWOM information is to conceal the true identity of the writer (Ahmad & Sun, 2018), and make recipients eWOM information

is mistakenly believed the information they received was generated by a consumer Results are when users perceived senders have a high degree of anonymity they tend to lose trust in eWOM information received and vice versa as the identity of the sender, the more likely the recipient will appreciate the eWOM information received The thesis proposes research hypothesis H8 as follows:

H8: Perception of identity transparency has a negative impact on perception of the reliability of eWOM information (H9-)

Besides, according to the Cognitive Dissonance Theory (Festinger, 1968), the dissonance often occurs after

consumers used to purchase Consumers tend to overstate the advantages of the goods they have used and a disadvantages of other similar goods that they do not use This happens because they feel unsettled when given that real product I used is not good When they do, they find ways to reduce the feeling of uncertainty by exaggeratingly assertiveYou are correct in your choices, such as by writing reviews, product experience with contentignore the downsides of the product This is one of the reasons consumers are skeptical of people's motives send eWOM information The thesis proposes research hypothesis H9 as follows:

H9: Perception of sender motivation has a negative impact on perception of the reliability of eWOM information (H10-)

The empirical studies have been reviewed in Section 2.3 - Summary of related studies using scales confidence level for consumer advertising information is no longer appropriate with the context of eWOM information The scale

of skepticism by Zhang, Ko & Carpenter (2016) is a more appropriate and used scale in the dissertation's research on the effect of skepticism on the acceptance of eWOM information Hence, the conceptual scale sense of transparency of the sender's identity and motive sense are inherited from Zhang's research, Ko & Carpenter (2016)

2.5.5 Proposed research model

Source: Author proposed Figure 2.25 – Proposed research model

CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODS

3.1 RESEARCH PROCESS

3.2 RESEARCH DESIGN

3.2.1 Design of Qualitative Research

Qualitative research aims to find research gaps, build research models and design scales concepts Specifically, qualitative research of the thesis is done in 2 steps as follows:

Step 1: Based on the research Objectives, the dissertation will be done by reviewing the related studies to

determine the affecting factors the acceptance of eWOM information in Ho Chi Minh City; define research concepts and measurement variables Qualitative research Step 1 results in a research model and draft scales

Qualitative Research Step 2 aims to assess the factors influencing the acceptance of eWOM information were identified in Step 1; Adjust research concepts, edit / add measurement variables (in the field generate new variables) Qualitative research Step 2 was conducted by interviewing academic experts (major in Business Administration, Linguistics, Psychology); Focus group discussions with industry experts (website administrator, consumer representative, expert in online marketing field)

3.2.1.1 Objective:

The expert interview helps to adjust the model in the optimal direction and adjust the scale to suit reality of Vietnam The group discussion helps to redefine the interview questions that are easy to understand, simple and appropriate for the context needed research or not (the context of searching for pre-purchase evaluation information)

3.2.1.2 Subject and expert interviewing method:

Subjects to interview academic experts: lecturers in linguistics, business administration, psychology of the University of Foreign Languages and Informatics of HCM City (HUFLIT), University of Economics and Finance (UEF), University of Technology (HUTECH), University of Education of HCM City

Method of organizing interviews: two weeks before the interview, the interviewees are suggested their abilities

If they agree, the author will formally send an invitation with the basic contents of the interview, in which note the content of the interview is background theory assessment, model correction (for lecturers of Business Administration) and editing metrics (for Linguistics and Business Administration and Psychology faculty) The interview is implement each object individually

3.2.1.3 Subject and method of group discussion:

Group discussion subjects: industry experts such as website administrators, managers of companies with positions online business capabilities, experts in the field of online marketing, consumers have consulted commodity reviews before buying

Method of organizing interviews: a week before the interview, the subjects discussed are suggested abilities, if they agree the author will formally send an invitation with the main content of the discussion, in which note the issue main point of discussion is to edit the observed variables and the subjects do not need to prepare their responses in advance but only need to discuss and express thoughts on the issues raised during the discussion

3.2.1.4 Collection and processing data:

At the end of each interview, collected information will be recorded on A4 paper according to the exact text has been answered

The expert interview questions as well as the group discussion questions are semi-structured questions or ended questions that encourage and direct the respondent to answer the question in terms of thinking and language terms (term) of the individual interviewee (discussion)

open-3.2.1.5 Data analysis:

Information collected from interviews and focus group discussions will be aggregated to serve as a basis for drawing most substantial and substantial conclusions about the issues raised in the interviews and seminars to evaluate and correct the shortcomings of the model and scale of this study

3.2.2 Design of Quantitative research

The quantitative study aims to quantify the impact of these factors on the information acceptability variable eWOM andintermediate effects Shows the statistical values, the reliability of the scale and the suitability of the model's data research, confirming the reliability of qualitative research

Quantitative research is conducted in 2 steps:

Step 1 With data collected from about 50, the thesis will conduct the construction of the main scale by evaluating the reliability of the preliminary scale (Cronbach's Alpha) Likert scale with 5 levels is recommended to measure observed variables The SPSS application is used to perform these assessments

The quantitative results in Step 1 are the formal scale of the factors that influencing the acceptance of eWOM information in Ho Chi Minh City

Step 2 On the basis of the formal scale built in Step 1, we use the data collected from the questionnaire online of about 500 questionnaires to test the formal scale by assessing the reliability of the main scale formula (Cronbach's Alpha), test convergence by exploratory factor analysis (using EFA method), test measurement model using Confirmation Factor Analysis (CFA) Next is to test the structure model by the method of structural equation modeling (SEM) All these tasks are performed by SPSS – AMOS application

The quantitative study in Step 2 resulted in quantifying the effects of the factors influencing the acceptance of eWOM information in Ho Chi Minh City

3.2.2.1 Evaluation of scale reliability

The purpose of assessing the reliability of the scale is to reject observed variables and the scale are not suitable

If the coefficient Corrected Item- Total Correlation correlation of an observed variable is less than 0.3, the observed variable will be eliminated, when Cronbach's Alpha coefficient is less than 0.6, that scale will be disqualified (Nunnally 1975)

3.2.2.2 Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA)

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) method is used to test convergent values and discriminant values of the scale According to Burns & Burns (2008), the indicators to consider when analyzing the EFA method include:

- KMO index (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin): used to check the appropriateness of the results of EFA analysis If the index KMO between 0.5 and 1, the analysis results are consistent with the available data The Bartlett test evaluates the correlation between observed variables If this test is significant (Sig <0.05), the observed variables are correlated in overall

- Factor loadings: use to evaluate the correlation between observed variables and a factor, if the coefficient is greater than 0.5 (Hair, 2006) Factor load factor is used to evaluate the actual significance of the results of EFA analysis Load factor must be at least 0.3; If greater than 0.4 is significant and greater than or equal to 0.5 is of practical significance Difference of weight <0.3 is an acceptable value, but consider needing a content value before removing

- A scale is statistically significant if the total variance extracted > 50% The extraction method is used in the thesis is "Principal Axis Factoring", together with the rotation "Promax"

- Requires Eigenvalue coefficient greater than 1 Therefore, only factors with Eigenvalue coefficient greater than

1 can be retained If this coefficient is less than 1, it will not have a good effect of explaining factor variability

3.2.2.3 Validation of Measurement Model – Confirmatory Factor Analysis - CFA

The testing of measurement model of a latent variable is done by Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) The CFA method allows the evaluation and modification of a measurement model measure of an underlying variable, consisting

of three ratings of Unidimensionality, Validity, and Reliability of the measurement model

3.2.2.4 Validation of Structural Model – Structural Equation Modeling - SEM

If the test measurement model meets the requirements (including unidirectionality, validity and reliability), step analysis is followed by evaluating the Structured Model using path analysis techniques in SEM

Analysis method of SEM uses many other statistical analysis techniques multivariate regression, factor analysis and correlation analysis allow to evaluate the model with complex relationships SEM analysis estimates the factor load

of latent variables in the model, and the causal relationships among potential variables SEM structural model