The Impact of Cultural Dispositions on the Word of Mouth Behaviors in Social Network Sites : The Case of Korean and Chinese Consumers

With the explosive popularity of social networking sites(SNSs), SNSs are transforming the ways consumers interact with their peers, obtain product-related information, and make purchase decisions. So it is crucial to understand how electronic word of mouth(eWOM) behaviors in social networking sites(SNSs) are affected by the variations in cultural dispositions in the respective countries. This article investigates the impacts of cultural dispositions on consumers' electronic word of mouth (eWOM) behaviors in social networking sites (SNSs) in Korea and China. Specifically, cultural dispositions such as uncertainty avoidance and extraversion are examined as potential predictors of eWOM behaviors in SNSs. The results suggest that consumers' cultural dispositions play significant roles in affecting consumers’ eWOM behaviors in SNSs in Korea and China, although the results are contradictory between two countries. This research is expected not only to enrich theoretical knowledge about eWOM behaviors in SNSs in Korea and China, but also to broaden international marketers' view to develop eWOM diffusion strategies in SNSs in Korea and China.