Online Discussion Groups as Social Networks:An Empirical Investigation of Word-of-Mouth on the Internet
Alexandre SteyerPRISM – Université Paris I- Pantheon-Sorbonne
Renaud Garcia-BardidiaGREFIGE- IUT Epinal Université Nancy 2
Pascale QuesterFACIREM The University of Adelaide
INTRODUCTION
Social networks play an important part in the diffusion of information among consumers, a process widely referred to as 'word-of-mouth'. How individuals relate to each other within a given market will influence whether information is shared and diffused, often ultimately determining the adoption of innovations by consumers (Goldenberg, Libai, and Muller 2001). The key role played by opinion leaders in this...