International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

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Homophily, Source Credibility, and Tie Strength During Covid-19 Movement Control Order (MCO) in Malaysia

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This study intends to investigate the influence of electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) in consumer review websites and social media by analysing its effects on expectations and beliefs around the Covid-19 pandemic infectious diseases. According to a previous study, users view information on social media as the primary resource for gaining a broad perspective. However, relatively few research examine people’s opinions during global health emergencies and their reactions to online content. This study examined a research model of a framework for online social networking that incorporates tie strength, homophily, and source credibility. Approximately 209 persons responded to an online survey. The findings demonstrated that all hypotheses were accepted. There was a strong relationship between the factors tie strength, homophily, source credibility and people’s perceptions toward e-WOM content. The effectiveness of e-WOM has dramatically altered people’s perceptions of online information. This demonstrated that most respondents comprehended the suggestion provided on the social networking site to remain indoors to ensure a flattening of the positive case graph. Most respondents responded that they depended on authentic online content throughout the pandemic, indicating that e-WOM delivery during the pandemic was deemed adequate. The results of this study imply that efforts should be made to improve the public’s perception of the strength of ties and homophily with social media/websites. The public, who is perpetually concerned about the possibility of catching an infectious disease, could feel less nervous if relevant, credible web content were developed.
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