Research On The Influencing Factors Of Online Word-of-mouth Pass Along Intention Of Multinational Corporations In China

The traditional way to spread word-of-mouth(It is called WOM for short in the following context.) is mainly interpersonal communication in offline. The emergence of the Internet and popularization bring online WOM into public view. Because of its good anonymity, convenient and fast interactivity, vast influence, online WOM gets more and more attention from experts, scholars and companies. However, the past research for online WOM mainly focus on the definition of online WOM, the compare between online WOM and traditional WOM, pass along motivation of online WOM, the effects on consumers behavior and decision-making of companies. There is not very many research on the intermediate link of WOM pass along——who influence online WOM diffusion. Further more, the past research did not take some factors of enterprise itself into consideration. In fact, factors of enterprise itself can also influence consumers’ WOM pass along intention.On account of that, we take some factors of multinational corporation in China itself in order to explore which factors influence consumers’ WOM pass along intension for multinational corporation in China.This research fist review a large sum of literature research on WOM and online WOM, then based on those research, we build our theoretical model and launch our empirical study from the following five aspects:source of WOM factors, content of WOM factors, tie-strength of the sender and receiver, factors of receivers and some factors of multinational corporation in China itself.The objects of the survey are mainly university students and company employees. We lead them to answer our questionnaire by lead them to keep a watchful eye on the product discussion area of multinational corporation in China, the related virtual BBS or lead them to recall their experience on this multinational corporation in China. We send out our questionnaires through online and offline and collect283questionnaires in which260is valid. Then we process those questionnaires and analyse them by using SPSS16.0, including descriptive statistical analysis, credibility analysis and validity analysis, correlation analysis, normal distribution test,forced regression analysis and stepwise regression analysis, and come to the following conclusion finally:(1) Website credibility, sender’s specialty, interesting content of WOM, social responsibility of transnational enterprises in China, the reaction speed to adverse WOM, receiver’s self-motivation have a positive impact on receiver’s pass along intention. According to the influence degree from high to low, they are social responsibility of multinational corporations in China, interesting content of WOM, sender’s specialty, the reaction speed to negative WOM, receiver’s self-interest motivation, website credibility.(2) Perceived risk plays a modulatory role between website credibility and receiver’s pass along intention, between social status of multinational corporations in China and receiver’s pass along intention, between social responsibility of multinational corporations in China and receiver’s pass along intention.Finally, based on the research conclusion, we put forward the corresponding suggestions for manager of multinational corporation in China. They include to increase the confidence level of the source of Internet Word of Mouth, to increase interesting substance, to motivate sender’s self-regard throughout propagation process, to take social responsibility actively, to process negative WOM quickly, to reduce consumer’s perceived risk.