Culture and Electronic Word of Mouth: A Synthesis of Findings and an Agenda for Research

Abstract This introductory article synthesizes the findings of the five subsequent articles and identifies a promising direction for research on how culture may impact electronic word of mouth (eWOM). The collection of articles in this special issue fills a significant knowledge gap in the marketing literature, capturing the pervasive influence of culture on eWOM motivation, eWOM quality, and eWOM effectiveness, and also the managerial relevance of culture in both the pre-eWOM stage and the post-eWOM stage. The diversity of eWOM platforms manifested in these articles points to the fit between culture and platform design as an important direction for future research. Overall, this special issue is a first step toward enriching theoretical understanding of the multifaceted role of culture in the eWOM process.