KOREASCHOLAR

Also known as information richness theory, the media richness theory has kindled much research on media selection and yet has received limited attention in the context of consumer-generated media, despite being concerned with reducing uncertainty and resolving equivocality. As El-Shinnawy and Markus (1997) observed, distinct differences exist among traditional media and the new media with regards to their ability to support the four elements of the richness construct (i.e. capacity for immediate feedback, ability to convey multiple types of cues, language variety and personal focus). Nonetheless, individuals’ perceptions of how ‘rich’ a medium is might still influence their choice of the medium for specific tasks. Giving the growing use of TripAdvisor for the task of travel planning, it is thus important to assess how travel consumers perceive the ‘richness’ of this medium. This study therefore investigates the potential role of media richness theory in explaining CGM usage by segmenting travel consumers based on their perceived media richness of TripAdvisor and profiling them to improve our understanding of their conative responses to CGM. Data were collected using a Web-based survey of American travel consumers. After data screening, 524 valid responses remained for the analysis. The data analysis process involved three key stages: (1) clustering travel consumers into homogenous groups based on the raw scores of the perceived media richness indicators (2) validating the cluster solution, and (3) profiling the resultant clusters against relevant variables. Findings reveal three clusters which differentiate travel consumers by the degree of their perceived media richness of the TripAdvisor platform. The resultant segments differ by respondents’ prior experience with TripAdvisor as well as by their attitudes and willingness to employ TripAdvisor for future travel planning. Among others, the findings advance our understanding of the media richness theory in the context of consumer generated media. The study represents a valuable contribution to the scant literature on media richness in the new media environment. Given the need to improve customer engagement in an era of customer-to-customer interactions, the findings throw light on the potential role of perceived media richness which has often been ignored in CGM research. The measurement index could as well serve as a basis for future research in this field. Generalisability of empirical findings may be limited by the ephemeral nature of the technical features of C-2-C platforms.

• Julian K. Ayeh(United Arab Emirates University, UAE)