An integrated measure of eWOM usefulness in the leisure travel: conceptualisation, scale development, and validation

Internet access and social media led to an astronomical spike in eWOM. Tourism is an information-intensive industry, and travelers frequently use eWOM for travel decisions. Nevertheless, there is a lack of an integrated scale to measure the eWOM Usefulness for influencing cognitive, affective, and conative attitudes in leisure travel. The present study develops and validates an eWOM usefulness scale using the scientific scale development process to fill the research gap. A two-stage study (study 1: EFA; study 2: Measurement Model Assessment – CFA) confirmed the reliability and validity of the scale. Findings suggested the role of eWOM volume, eWOM valence, argument quality, and source credibility in eWOM usefulness. This study is a forerunner in using the stimulus organism response (SOR) lens to explain eWOM usefulness in leisure travel.