VOlUME 05 ISSUE 04 April 2026
1Ndukwe-Tochi Chinwe Chosen, 2Prof. Agu. G. Agu, 3Esi-Ubani Chidiadi Obinna, 4Agbaraeveoh Roseline Chinasa
1Department of Marketing Abia State University
2Department of Marketing
3Department of Marketing Abia State University
4Department of Accounting Abia State University
DOI : https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i4n35Google Scholar Download Pdf
ABSTRACT
This paper examines how online reviews affect smartphone purchases among university students in Abia State, Nigeria, paying attention to the features of reviews, namely valence, quality, credibility, and volume. The research design was survey research, where 247 students of Abia State University were surveyed by applying a convenience sampling method. The analysis of the collected data was performed using the Spearman rank correlation coefficient. The study shows that there are strong correlations between all of the review features and consumer betting behavior. Particularly, the tone of online reviews (review valence) and credibility were determined to affect purchase intentions most of all, and high-quality reviews helped to increase consumer trust as well. Review volume was observed to have a positive relationship with perceived reliability of the product, especially in markets which consumers have perceived high levels of risk, like in the smartphone market in Abia state. The findings support the realization of how the dynamics of online reviews affect the buying patterns in emerging markets and give suggestions to smartphone marketers. They recommend that smartphone companies promote thorough, authoritative, and favorable commentary on major online shopping websites to increase consumer trust. The way forward in future studies should be the identification of the psychological elements mediating the influence of online reviews on consumer behaviour, especially in emerging economies.
KEYWORDS:eWOM, smartphone buying decision, online reviews, consumer behaviour
REFERENCES
1) Abedi, E., Ghorbanzadeh, D., & Rahehagh, A. (2019). Influence of eWOM Information on Consumers’ Behavioral Intentions in Mobile Social Networks. Journal of Advances in Management Research, 17(1), 84–109. https://doi.org/10.1108/jamr-04-2019-0058
2) Agbeyangi, A., & Suleman, H. (2024). Advances and challenges in low-resource-environment software systems: A Survey. Informatics,
3) Akdim, K. (2021). The influence of eWOM. Analyzing its characteristics and consequences, and future research lines. Spanish Journal of Marketing-ESIC, 25(2), 239–259.
4) Alrubaian, M., Al-Qurishi, M., Alamri, A., Al-Rakhami, M., Hassan, M. M., & Fortino, G. (2018). Credibility in online social networks: A survey. IEEE Access, 7, 2828–2855.
5) Anderson, E. T., & Simester, D. I. (2014). Reviews without a purchase: Low ratings, loyal customers, and deception. Journal of Marketing Research, 51(3), 249–269.
6) Casaló, L. V., Flavián, C., Guinalíu, M., & Ekinci, Y. (2015). Avoiding the dark side of positive online consumer reviews: Enhancing reviews' usefulness for high risk-averse travelers. Journal of Business Research, 68(9), 1829–1835.
7) Chakraborty, U. (2019). The Impact of Source Credible Online Reviews on Purchase Intention. Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, 13(2), 142–161. https://doi.org/10.1108/jrim-06-2018-0080
8) Chen, J., Kou, G., & Peng, Y. (2018). The dynamic effects of online product reviews on purchase decisions. Technological and Economic Development of Economy, 24(5), 2045–2064.
9) Chen, T., Samaranayake, P., Cen, X., Qi, M., & Lan, Y.-C. (2022). The impact of online reviews on consumers’ purchasing decisions: Evidence from an eye-tracking study. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 865702.
10) Enahoro, M. A., Lim, F. P. C., & Olawade, D. B. (2021). THE NIGERIAN TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY: THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE. International Journal of Future Generation Communication and Networking, 14(1), 45–58.
11) Filieri, R. (2016). What makes an online consumer review trustworthy? Annals of Tourism Research, 58, 46–64.
12) Filieri, R., Lin, Z., Pino, G., Alguezaui, S., & Inversini, A. (2021). The role of visual cues in eWOM on consumers’ behavioral intention and decisions. Journal of Business Research, 135, 663–675. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2021.06.055
13) Firdaus, F., Martini, M., Sulistiyaningsih, S., & Effendi, M. (2023). The role of consumer trust as an intervening variable in purchasing decisions in Lazada e-commerce: A study of Indonesian society. International Conference On Digital Advanced Tourism Management And Technology,
14) Forgas, J. P. (1994). The role of emotion in social judgments: An introductory review and an Affect Infusion Model (AIM). European Journal of Social Psychology, 24(1), 1–24.
15) Furner, C. P., Drake, J. R., Zinko, R., & Kisling, E. (2022). Online review antecedents of trust, purchase, and recommendation intention: A simulation-based experiment for hotels and AirBnBs. Journal of Internet Commerce, 21(1), 79–103.
16) Gough, O., & Nurullah, M. (2009). Understanding what drives the purchase decision in pension and investment products. Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 14(2), 152–172.
17) Grewal, L., & Stephen, A. T. (2019). In mobile we trust: The effects of mobile versus nonmobile reviews on consumer purchase intentions. Journal of Marketing Research, 56(5), 791–808.
18) Guo, J., Wang, X., & Wu, Y. (2020). Positive emotion bias: Role of emotional content from online customer reviews in purchase decisions. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 52, 101891.
19) He, S. X., & Bond, S. D. (2015). Why is the crowd divided? Attribution for dispersion in online word of mouth. Journal of consumer research, 41(6), 1509–1527.
20) Huang, L., Tan, C.-H., Ke, W., & Wei, K.-K. (2013). Comprehension and Assessment of Product Reviews: A Review-Product Congruity Proposition. Journal of Management Information Systems, 30(3), 311–343. https://doi.org/10.2753/MIS0742-1222300311
21) Iqbal, A., Khan, N. A., Malik, A., & Faridi, M. R. (2022). E-Wom Effect Through Social Media and Shopping Websites on Purchase Intention of Smartphones in India. Innovative Marketing, 18(2), 13–25. https://doi.org/10.21511/im.18(2).2022.02
22) Iqbal, A., Wajidi, E., Khan, M., & Khan, M. J. (2023). Impact of Review Quantity, Review Quality, Reviewer Expertise, Product/Service Rating on Purchase Intention: The Moderating role of Consumer Trust. Journal of Social & Organizational Matters, 2(3), 11–29.
23) Kalba, K. (2008). The adoption of mobile phones in emerging markets: Global diffusion and the rural challenge. International journal of Communication, 2, 31–31.
24) Kennedy, J. P. (2020). Counterfeit products online. The Palgrave handbook of international cybercrime and cyberdeviance, 1001–1024.
25) Khan, S., Sujood, Rehman, A., & Al Rousan, R. (2025). From screen to plate: an investigation of how information by social media influencers influence food tasting intentions through the integration of IAM and TAM models. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Insights, 8(2), 493–512.
26) Le, L. H., & Ha, Q.-A. (2021). Effects of negative reviews and managerial responses on consumer attitude and subsequent purchase behavior: An experimental design. Computers in Human Behavior, 124, 106912.
27) Lee, H. K., Kim, W. B., & Choo, H. J. (2025). Consumers’ engagement in online shopping platform: influences on self-concept and subjective well-being within the platform. Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics.
28) Lei, Y., Ødegaard, F., & Pun, H. (2025). Effect of counterfeits and fake reviews in markets for credence goods. Omega, 131, 103218.
29) Malbon, J. (2013). Taking fake online consumer reviews seriously. Journal of Consumer Policy, 36(2), 139–157.
30) Mallik, S. K., Uddin, I., Akter, F., Rahman, A. S., & Rahman, M. A. (2025). Evaluating the influence of customer reviews and consumer trust on online purchase behavior.
31) Nasiri, M. S., & Shokouhyar, S. (2021). Actual consumers' response to purchase refurbished smartphones: Exploring perceived value from product reviews in online retailing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 62, 102652.
32) Nyagadza, B., Mazuruse, G., Simango, K., Chikazhe, L., Tsokota, T., & Macheka, L. (2023). Sustainable Technology and Entrepreneurship.
33) Öğütcü, G. Ç. r. (2023). The Effect of Customer Reviews and Ratings On Purchasing and Cognitive Dissonance in Online Shopping: An Application in the Clothing İndustry. Marmara Universitesi (Turkey).
34) Prabhala, M., & Bose, I. (2023). Understanding the Relationship Between Reviews, Search and Sales: A Study of the Indian Car Market. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 124(2), 485–508. https://doi.org/10.1108/imds-04-2023-0262
35) Qiu, K., & Zhang, L. (2024). How online reviews affect purchase intention: A meta-analysis across contextual and cultural factors. Data and Information Management, 8(2), 100058.
36) Rachmiani, R., Oktadinna, N., & Fauzan, T. (2024). The Impact of Online Reviews and Ratings on Consumer Purchasing Decisions on E-commerce Platforms. International Journal of Management Science and Information Technology, 4, 504–515. https://doi.org/10.35870/ijmsit.v4i2.3373
37) Shapiro, C. (1982). Consumer information, product quality, and seller reputation. The Bell Journal of Economics, 20–35.
38) Shukla, A. D., & Goh, J. M. (2024). Fighting fake reviews: Authenticated anonymous reviews using identity verification. Business Horizons, 67(1), 71–81. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bushor.2023.08.002
39) Sudaryanto, S., Hanim, A., Rosediana Dewi, I., Kartikasari, A. D., & Rusdiyanto, R. (2025). The mediating effect of customer trust of E-WOM and online customer reviews impacting purchase decision of household electronic products at a marketplace: evidence from Indonesia. Cogent Business & Management, 12(1), 2503093.
40) Sussman, S. W., & Siegal, W. S. (2003). Informational Influence in Organizations: An Integrated Approach to Knowledge Adoption. Information Systems Research, 14(1), 47–65. https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.14.1.47.14767
41) Tjhin, V. U., & Aini, S. R. N. (2019). Effect of E-WOM and social media usage on purchase decision in clothing industry. Proceedings of the 2019 International Conference on E-business and Mobile Commerce,
42) Wang, W., Chen, R. R., & Yang, X. (2023). Examining compulsive use of social media: the dual effects of individual needs and peer influence. Industrial Management & Data Systems, 123(12), 3109–3136.
43) Xu, C., Zhang, Z., & Shen, Y. (2025). Research on the Relationship Between the Credibility of Consumer Online Reviews and Purchase Decisions Under International Law. Journal of Organizational and End User Computing, 37(1). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.4018/JOEUC.385727
44) Zhu, L., Li, H., He, W., & Hong, C. (2020). What influences online reviews’ perceived information quality? The Electronic Library, 38(2), 273–296. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1108/EL-09-2019-0208
Cite this Article:Chosen, N. T. C., Agu, P. A. G., Obinna, E. U. C., & Chinasa, A. R. (2026). Beyond Stars: Role of Online Reviews on Customers’ Purchase Decisions of Smartphones. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCE HUMANITY & MANAGEMENT RESEARCHS, 5(4), 876-885. https://doi.org/10.58806/ijsshmr.2026.v5i4n35