Mobile Network Experiences Eliciting Electronic Word-Of-Mouth Motivations: The Moderating Role Of UTAUT Factors

Improvements in information technology and the advent of different ways of sharing information online has given rise to electronic word-of-mouth(e WOM).The rapid growth of social media platforms has provided mobile network subscribers with wide-ranging prospects to relay their views,feelings and beliefs concerning products and services with reduced time and cost online.e WOM has become very valuable to mobile network service providers as a result of the rising prominence of online reputation from reviews.Understanding which experiences will influence subscribers to engage in e WOM is crucial for mobile network providers since they can use that as a competitve advantage because e WOM is less costly,appeals to consumers and can create favorable brand and company image.To explain why a subscriber will use technology or social media platform to engage in e WOM activities,this research has employed the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology(UTAUT).Using Facebook,Twitter,and Instagram as social media platforms,this study contributes to the literature by examining how mobile network experiences(social,economic,technical and efficiency)in Ghana,UTAUT factors(performance expectancy,effort expectancy,social influence,and facilitation conditions)drives electronic word-of-mouth(e WOM)motivations in an integrative way.In addition,this study explored the moderating effect of the UTAUT factors on the relationship between mobile network experiences and e WOM motivation.Data was collected through questionnaire developed based on thorough literature review and elicitation interviews.After validating dimensionalities and psychometric characteristics,validity and reliability of the measurement items through exploratory and confirmatory,factor analysis,this research tested for causal relationships hypothesized between the proposed scales using structural equation modelling.The findings in this research revealed that subscribers efficiency-related experience had the most substantial impact on e WOM motivations whiles performance expectancy direct effect in defining subscribers' motivations for engaging e WOM was significant.However,the performance expectancy of the social media platform had a strong moderating impact on the link between efficiency,economic,and technical related experiences and e WOM motivation.Moreover,although the moderating impact of social influence on the relationship between technical related experience and e WOM motivation was insignificant,technical related experience interacted with facilitating conditions and mutually impacted e WOM motivation in some form.Finally,effort expectancy established neither moderating impacts nor direct significance.This implies that the network providers should foster e-marketing by providing excellent efficiency and technical related mobile network experiences with preference given to efficiency related experiences.The managers should institute a useful consumer generated media platform(CGM)to make information search by subscribers very easy and beneficial to enhance e WOM engagement opportunities.The study provides additional insights for study and practice.