"The pass-along effect: investigating word-of-mouth effects on online survey procedures"
Loading...
Authors
Norman, Andrew T.
Russell, Cristel Antonia
Issue Date
2006-07
Type
Article
Language
en_US
Keywords
Internet survey methodologies , Online surveys , Email surveys , Pass-along effect , Computer-mediated communication
Alternative Title
Abstract
Email petitions to complete online surveys may be forwarded beyond the intended sample. We term this phenomenon the pass-along effect and investigate it as a factor that can influence the nature and size of survey samples in an online context. We establish the pass-along effect as a form of word-of-mouth communication and draw from the literature in this area to present and test a model of factors that influence the occurrence
of this effect. The results of two studies provide empirical support for the existence
and impact of the pass-along effect. Among the factors that lead to this effect are
involvement and relationship with the survey topic, size of a participant’s social network,
and tie strength. The appropriateness of employing pass-along respondents as well
as other implications for online sampling and survey research are discussed.
Description
Andrew T. Norman is a professor of marketing in the College of Business and Public Administration at Drake University. He can be contacted at andrew.norman@drake.edu
Citation
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11(4), article 10. http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol11/issue4/norman.html
Publisher
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, School of Business Administration
License
Journal
Volume
Issue
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
1083-6101