| Abstract [eng] |
The importance of social networks on the Internet is constantly increasing, thus more and more consumers and companies make use of them. In order to reach their goals and communicate with consumers, companies employ social media, which includes platforms such as blogs, social networks like Facebook and many more. The use of these means depends on the company’s financial resources. Social media is unique: consumers can use it to communicate to one another, which supplements traditional communication, which is conducted by word of mouth. There is no doubt that communication among consumers highly determines consumers’ ability to receive and react to the information provided by the company – this is how consumers’ decisions are conditioned. When assessing the influence that social media has on changes in communication, the profound importance of social media cannot be ignored, since this type of media is based on consumers, who share their information on goods and services; therefore, it becomes an inherent part of marketing. Research object of the thesis: the impact that communication among consumers has on the individual consumer’s behaviour in the virtual environment. Aim of the thesis: to theoretically and empirically substantiate the impact of communication among consumers on individual consumer’s behaviour in the virtual environment. Tasks of the thesis: 1. To review the issues related to the impact of communication among consumers on individual consumer’s behaviour. 2. To analyse consumers’ behaviour in virtual environment. 3. To analyse theoretical aspects of the role of consumers in communication of companies. 4. To carry out theoretical studies of factors that determine the involvement of consumers in communication among themselves. 5. To prepare a conceptual model of the impact of communication among consumers on individual consumer’s behaviour in virtual environment. 5 6. To carry out an empirical assessment of the conceptual model of the impact of communication among consumers on individual consumer’s behaviour in virtual environment. The five hypotheses formulated in the research were confirmed after carrying out a consumers’ survey. It was proven that the factor of the social agent mostly effects consumer’s inclination to communicate with other consumers, while consumer’s intent of buying is strongly affected by the attitude that is influenced by consumers’ communication among themselves. Information communication among consumers has a greater impact on consumer’s approach towards the item and also strongly effects consumer’s intent of buying it. It was determined that informative communication among consumers has a greater impact on consumer’s intent of buying an item compared to normative communication. |
