Electronic Word-of-Mouth in the Digital Marketplace: A Conceptual Framework of Online Reviews, Consumer Trust, and Purchase Decisions among Generation Z
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59971/meta-journal.v3i6.479Keywords:
Electronic Word-of-Mouth, Consumer Trust, Generation Z, Online Reviews, Purchase DecisionsAbstract
This conceptual paper develops a framework explaining how electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) influences Generation Z purchase decisions in digital marketplaces, with consumer trust as the central mediating mechanism. Recent evidence indicates that online reviews are not merely informational cues; their effects on buying behavior are transmitted primarily through trust formation. Across contemporary digital commerce settings, review credibility, source trustworthiness, argument quality, and information quality consistently predict eWOM effectiveness, while review valence and volume serve as more context-sensitive heuristics. Generation Z is particularly relevant because its shopping journey is often cross-platform, beginning with discovery through peer content, influencers, or livestreams and concluding in marketplace or e-commerce transactions. Building on these patterns, the paper proposes a conceptual model in which online review credibility, valence, volume, reviewer cues, and platform cues shape consumer trust, which in turn drives purchase intention and purchase decisions. The framework further proposes that platform architecture, authenticity controls, social proof sensitivity, and perceived risk moderate these relationships. The contribution lies in integrating eWOM, trust, and Gen Z platform behavior into a single explanatory structure suitable for subsequent empirical testing. This paper offers theoretical implications for information adoption and trust-transfer perspectives, and practical implications for marketplace designers, marketers, and review platform managers seeking to cultivate credible digital environments for Generation Z consumers.
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