Investigating the Effectiveness of Received Offline Word of Mouth: Role of Acquired and Ascribed Homophily

This research examines how similarities in educational and ethnic backgrounds (status homophily), between word of mouth (WOM) participants, influences the effectiveness received offline WOM on recipient’s behavioural intentions. The similarity individuals is conceptualized as acquired homophily, whereas defined ascribed homophily. study employs scenario-based experiments, results suggest that positive negative from homophilous sources more effective influencing purchase re-transmission intentions than recommendations heterophilous sources. expands literature about multidimensional status-homophily construct by providing insights differential influence similar or dissimilar to recipients terms their backgrounds. important both theoretical practitioner perspective recent focus scholarly understanding relationship online homophily e-WOM at expense WOM-homophily relationship.