Examining How Electronic Word-of-Mouth Information Influences Customers' Purchase Intention: The Moderating Effect of Perceived Risk on E-Commerce Platforms

The fast expansion of the information technology industry has removed the limitations of time and location for Internet users. Individuals now use electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) while engaging online, especially on community-focused platforms such as e-commerce websites (Shopee, Lazada, TikTok Shop, etc.). This research investigates how eWOM information influences customers' purchase intentions on e-commerce platforms, using the Information Acceptance Model (IACM). Additionally, the research investigates how perceived risk moderates its impacts on the usefulness of information and its acceptance, as well as the connection between acceptance of information and the desire to buy. The proposed model was validated using partial least squares (PLS) via data from 339 respondents interested in eWOM information during online purchases on e-commerce websites in Vietnam. Based on the findings, the usefulness of information was positively impacted by factors such as its quality, credibility, information needs, and attitude towards information. The usefulness of information positively influenced its acceptance. Similarly, the acceptance and attitude towards information positively impacted purchasing intention. Perceived risk performed as a negative moderator in the association involving the usefulness of information and its acceptance, as well as in the link between information acceptance and purchase intention.