Motives Driving Online Shoppers to Consumer-generated Reviews: An Empirical Study on Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) Engagement in Haryana

Abstract

Online shopping has grown rapidly across India, including in Haryana. This growth has led to an explosion of consumer-generated review content that shapes purchase decisions in ways that traditional marketing cannot replicate. Electronic word of mouth (eWOM) is broadly understood as evaluative content posted by consumers on digital platforms and has become a central feature of the modern e-commerce landscape. Existing studies have explored why consumers rely on online reviews during their purchasing process. However, research on the motivations of online shoppers in Haryana remains limited so leaving an important gap in the literature. This study addresses this gap by investigating the motives that drive online shoppers in Haryana to read eWOM. Grounded in Uses and Gratifications Theory and the Information Adoption Model, the study employed an exploratory, descriptive and quantitative research design. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire from 609 online shoppers selected using a multistage purposive sampling technique across six high-literacy districts of Haryana, India. The data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis with principal component analysis and Varimax rotation. Five motivational dimensions were identified and explaining 68.945% of the total variance and are named: Decision Support, Risk Reduction, Information Seeking, Social Influence and Hedonic Motivation. Among these Decision Support emerged as the strongest motive followed by Risk Reduction and Information Seeking, while Social Influence and Hedonic Motivation were relatively less influential. The findings provide valuable insights for e-commerce platforms and marketers in designing review systems and customer engagement strategies that better address consumers' information needs during online purchase decisions.