Digital consumer engagement in a social network: A literature review applying TCCM framework

Abstract

Nowadays, digital consumer engagement has proliferated like never before. Consumers can now interact with a business, company, or brand through technology, making it easier for them to communicate and create a relationship with the brand. Drawing on the Theory-Context-Characteristics-Methods (TCCM) framework, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the dominant theories, contexts (i.e., industries and countries), characteristics (i.e., key variables and their relationships), and methods (i.e., research approaches and analysis techniques) covered by previous studies concerning Digital Consumer Engagement in the social network domain. In all, 221 articles were considered for the systematic review using the Scientific Procedures and Rationales for Systematic Literature Reviews (SPAR-4-SLR) approach. The present study found that the User and Gratification Theory has been prominently referenced in the relevant literature that was reviewed. The study concludes, among other things, that further research is needed in the context of social media platforms such as Weibo, LinkedIn, and others. Though the literature covers a variety of countries, with Asian countries making the greatest contribution, there is still a need for future studies to include the context of Africa and Australia. Further, future research must focus on industries such as automotive, telecommunications, and retail, as well as B2B and B2C contexts, all of which have received less attention from researchers so far. Finally, we used the TCCM framework to identify certain promising areas that future research can explore.