Building Community, Driving Sales: The Influence of Solidarity in Online University Marketplace
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14456/jlapsu.2024.14Keywords:
Solidarity, Solidarity Discourse, Online University Marketplace, Consumer Behavior, Selling CaptionsAbstract
This research explores how solidarity promotes sales in a Thai online university marketplace and its influence on purchasing decisions. Initiated by alumni in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this marketplace functions as a problem-solving community, enhancing member engagement. By employing Alharbi’s theory of solidarity discourse, the research revealed features of the discourse that reinforce community bonds and advance commercial success, as well as specific marketing strategies related to solidarity. Through a solidarity discourse analysis of 120 online selling captions and a survey of 400 community members on the influence of solidarity and seller status on purchasing decisions, this study delineated the mechanisms through which sellers foster group solidarity. The analysis identified five distinct acts of solidarity discourse (namely commissive, assertive, identifying, regrouping, and persuasive acts), assessed their perceived impacts on purchasing behaviors, and evaluated the influence of seller status. The results indicate varied levels of the influence of solidarity on consumer purchasing decisions, offering insights into the effectiveness of different solidarity strategies in promoting group cohesion and facilitating business objectives. This investigation contributes to the understanding of online community dynamics and their implications for marketing and consumer purchasing decisions on digital platforms.
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Copyright (c) 2024 Kittima Taibanguai, Sumittra Suraratdecha
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