Social ties and word-of-mouth referral behavior

Article Abstract:

This article presents a network analysis of word-of-mouth referral behavior in a natural environment. The relational properties of tie strength and homophily were employed to examine referral behavior at micro and macro levels of inquiry. The study demonstrates different roles played by weak and strong social ties. At the macro level, weak ties displayed an important bridging function, allowing information to travel from one distinct subgroup of referral actors to another subgroup in the broader social system. At the micro level, strong and homophilous ties were more likely to be activated for the flow of referral information. Strong ties were also perceived as more influential than weak ties, and they were more likely to be utilized as sources of information for related goods. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Economic aspects, Social groups

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Purchasing behavior in embedded markets

Article Abstract:

This article explores the concept of market embeddedness and its impact on purchasing behavior in a consumer market. Embeddedness exists when consumers derive utility from two sources simultaneously: from attributes of the product and from social capital found in preexisting ties between buyers and sellers. This framework is applied to the home party method of direct sales. We find that the degree of social capital present, as measured by the strength of the buyer-seller tie and buyer indebtedness to the seller, significantly affects the likelihood of purchase. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Consumer behavior

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The value priority hypotheses for consumer budget plans

Article Abstract:

Utilizing computer modeling, two Massachusetts Institute of Technology professors have created a method for ordering the likelihood of consumer purchases of any particular item, on a scale of value priority, based on utility per dollar paid. They assert that shoppers rank purchases in this way, and then continue to buy until they exhaust their budgets. Field testing compared computer models of utility with 215 actual budget plans. The results support the program's accuracy and the underlying hypothesis.

Case studies, Marketing research, Market research

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