Motivations Promoting Electronic Word-of-Mouth in Slow Bar Coffee Businesses in Khon Kaen Province

Abstract

This research aimed to: (1) study the general information and service usage behavior of customers of slow bar coffee businesses in Khon Kaen Province; (2) examine the motivations for using the services and engaging in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) regarding slow bar coffee businesses in Khon Kaen Province; and (3) analyze the motivations that promote electronic word-of-mouth about slow bar coffee businesses in Khon Kaen Province. The sample consisted of 400 customers of slow bar coffee businesses in Khon Kaen. The research instrument was an online questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings revealed that most respondents were male, aged between 18 - 25 years, students, with an average monthly income of 9,001 - 15,000 baht. They frequented the coffee businesses 1–2 times per week and spent less than 100 baht per visit. The overall motivation to use the services of slow bar coffee businesses was rated at a high level. When considering each aspect individually, all dimensions were rated highly: perceived quality (= 4.36), sense of atmospheric immersion (= 4.14), and feeling of a slower pace of life (= 4.02), respectively. The level of electronic word-of-mouth among customers of slow bar coffee businesses was also high, (= 4.13). The results of multiple regression analysis using the Enter method indicated that perceived quality, atmospheric immersion, and the feeling of a slower pace of life significantly influenced the motivation to engage in electronic word-of-mouth at statistical significance levels of 0.001 and 0.05. These three independent variables together explained 54.1 % of the variance in the dependent variable (R² = 0.541).