Literature Review

Abstract

Research Question -- What factors would influence the young blog reader trust blogger’s recommendation between UK and Shanghai?

Purpose --- the blog is an active arena for the communication between bloggers and blog readers. Determinants of affects in the blog have not been well documented. This paper aims to investigate some factors impact on young blogger reader’ trust attitude on the blog.

Findings --- after literature reviews, the results confirms that social influence, culture, bloggers’ information quality and reputation would influence blog readers’trust attitude.

Originality/ Value--- this paper advances the understanding of the affects of social influence on blog readers’ perception as well as the importance of information quality and reputation of bloggers. Specifically social influence includes not only macro factor like group of peer but also micro factor which is own culture.

Keywords--- blogger, social influence, blog readers, culture, reputation

Paper type--- Research paper

Introduction

The network of blogs is playing a significant role in creating trends, sharing experiences and opinion as well as spreading information via world- of- mouth (Johnson and Kaye, 2004). The blogging phenomenon is made up of culture, political, entertainment and technological circumstances (Herring et al, 2004; Johnson and Kays, 2004). Research showed that males were more likely to use online databases than females in the late 1990s (Porter et al, 2001), however females quickly come up. So Porter argued that people’s increasing in power could be affected by knowledge and using emerging communications tools that they maybe had in his or her organization (Porter et al, 2001). Furthermore, bloggers provide commentary on their lived experiences, values and attitudes and contain pictures and video (Woodside et al, 2008). In fact, after people using products and services they frequently blog their comments that has become social phenomenon in young people’s life. In addition, according to survey data (Wegert, 2010), 81% of consumers would seek advices before purchasing through a social site like blog and 74% of those who receives such advices and opinions would be influenced in making a purchase. In one word, blogging has become a critical factor before making a purchasing decision.

　　A preponderance of blog- related studies examined the aim of bloggers or the intention of using blogs. Comparatively, few studies have focused on the factors influenced blog readers in accepting and trusting blogger’s advice and recommendation. As online transactions are not face-to-face, consumers want to better understand products with reliable and useful