Reason and reaction: the dual route of the decision-making process on Facebook fan pages
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Reason and reaction: the dual route of the decision-making process on Facebook fan pages Aikaterini Manthiou & Liang Rebecca Tang & Robert Bosselman
Received: 11 June 2013 / Accepted: 7 February 2014 # Institute of Information Management, University of St. Gallen 2014
Abstract This study aimed to investigate the dual routes of consumers’ decision-making processes on behavioral change toward purchase on Facebook fan pages using the Prototype Willingness Model. The two routes are: 1) a reasoned path (beliefs, attitude, subjective norms, behavioral intention, and behavioral change); and 2) a social reaction path (attitude, subjective norms, prototype image, behavioral willingness, and behavioral change). Data were collected via online surveys completed by 1,131 Facebook fan page users. The results of data analysis confirmed that the dual routes of decision making occur simultaneously. Both the cognitive (information source, social interaction ties, fan page design characteristics) and affective (entertainment) components of belief influence consumer attitudes toward Facebook fan pages in the reasoned path route. The dual routes of consumers’ decision-making processes on Facebook fan pages have significant impacts on behavioral change toward brand purchase. The study provides a foundation for future research investigating Facebook as a marketing tool, and suggests strategies for fan page designers.
Keywords Prototype willingness model . Theory of reasoned action . Facebook fan pages Responsible Editor: Jan Marco Leimeister A. Manthiou (*) Department of Marketing, NEOMA Business School, 1 Rue Du Marechal Juin, BP 215, 76825 Mont-Saint-Aignan, France e-mail: [email protected] L. R. Tang : R. Bosselman Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA L. R. Tang e-mail: [email protected] R. Bosselman e-mail: [email protected]
JEL Classifications M31 . Marketing
Introduction Social media is defined as “a second generation of Web development and design, that aims to facilitate communication, secures information sharing, interoperability, and collaboration on the World Wide Web” (Paris et al. 2010, p. 531). Social media exists in a variety of forms and serves diverse purposes. Among them, Facebook is currently the world’s most successful social networking website with more than 800 million users (Carlson 2011). Facebook was originally created for individuals’ social and entertainment purposes, and is now also widely used as a marketing platform for businesses (Lin and Lu 2011). Businesses’ Facebook fan pages can serve as virtual brand communities and can attract consumer attention, enhance brand attractiveness, and build relationships with consumers (Ulusu 2010). Many businesses in the hospitality industry have realized the importance of Facebook as a marketing tool and seek to take advantage of this opportunity (Lin and Lu 2011). Recently, restaurant Facebook fan pages were cited as having the highest rates of member participation in the United
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