Publicação
From eWOM to Brand Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Trust in Shaping Purchase Intention in E-Commerce
| datacite.subject.fos | Ciências Naturais::Ciências da Computação e da Informação | |
| datacite.subject.sdg | 09:Indústria, Inovação e Infraestruturas | |
| datacite.subject.sdg | 12:Produção e Consumo Sustentáveis | |
| datacite.subject.sdg | 16:Paz, Justiça e Instituições Eficazes | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Neves, Maria de Fátima dos Santos Trindade | |
| dc.contributor.author | Shoaib, Areeb | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-06-26T13:02:55Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-06-26T13:02:55Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2026-06-22 | |
| dc.description | Dissertation presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Data Driven Marketing, specialization in Digital Marketing and Analytics | |
| dc.description.abstract | E-commerce has evolved beyond simple online transactions and is increasingly shaped by recommendation systems, AI-driven personalization, online reviews, influencer content, and social commerce features. While these optimization mechanisms aim to improve the shopping experience, they also raise concerns related to privacy, risk, credibility, and transparency. This study examines how consumer perceptions of optimized e-commerce environments influence Trust, Purchase Intention, and Brand Loyalty. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS was employed to examine the relationships between platform perceptions, trust-building factors, and consumer behavioral outcomes. The results show that the model explains 61.2% of the variance in Trust, 70.7% in Purchase Intention, and 46.7% in Brand Loyalty, with 8 of 10 direct hypotheses supported. Electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) credibility emerged as the strongest predictor of Trust, which, in turn, strengthened Purchase Intention and indirectly contributed to Brand Loyalty. Performance Expectancy and Social Norm did not significantly influence consumer behavior. Overall, the findings suggest that technological optimization alone is insufficient; rather, consumers must perceive digital environments as credible, trustworthy, and low-risk for these mechanisms to translate into behavioral outcomes. The study highlights the importance of trust-building practices, transparent communication, and credible information for professionals working in e-commerce, marketing, user experience (UX), and digital strategy. | eng |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10362/204109 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject | E-Commerce | |
| dc.subject | Trust | |
| dc.subject | Electronic Word-of-Mouth (eWOM) | |
| dc.subject | Purchase Intention | |
| dc.subject | Brand Loyalty | |
| dc.subject | Digital Consumer Behavior | |
| dc.title | From eWOM to Brand Loyalty: The Mediating Role of Trust in Shaping Purchase Intention in E-Commerce | eng |
| dc.type | master thesis | |
| dspace.entity.type | Publication | |
| thesis.degree.name | Mestrado em Marketing Analítico, especialização em Digital Marketing and Analytics |