Ofrit Kol

Purpose: This study examines age-based differences in how perceived information value is translated into attitudes and usage intentions toward online reviews by comparing young adults and third-age consumers. Drawing on expectancy-value theory, online reviews are conceptualized as value-driven decision-support information, with attitudes serving as mediators between value-based beliefs and usage intention. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from a representative sample of 571 Internet users, including young adults (18–42) and third-agers (65+). Using path analysis, the study examines the relationships among multiple perceived information value dimensions, attitudes toward online reviews, and intentions to use them in purchase-related decision-making across the two age groups. Findings: Results reveal that attitudes and usage intention towards online reviews are significantly higher among young adults than third-agers, who also perceive online reviews as less valuable. Additionally, the research indicates differences in value-driven motivations. For third-agers, economic, hedonic, functional values and credibility are key motivators, reflecting their focus on tangible benefits and trusted information. In contrast, young adults are influenced by psychological, hedonic, and functional values, as well as by credibility, emphasizing the importance of emotionally supportive and enjoyable elements in eWOM. Originality/value: This study advances understanding of age-related differences in online review engagement by showing how expectancy-value mechanisms translate perceived information values into attitudes and usage intention across age groups. The findings provide a theoretically grounded explanation of heterogeneity in value-driven eWOM use, contribute to the online reviews and interactive marketing literature and offer practical implications for aligning digital marketing strategies with age-specific value perceptions.

Advertising research highlights the crucial role of creative strategy in shaping consumer behavior. Yet, limited attention has been paid to how creative appeal and message strategy jointly influence persuasion in social media contexts. This study examines the interactive effects of informational versus transformational appeals and personal versus social-experience message strategies on consumer attitudes and purchase intentions. A 2 (creative appeal) × 2 (message strategy) experimental design was implemented using Facebook post advertisements for a fictitious beer brand. Data was collected from 231 participants randomly assigned to one of four ad conditions. Results show that informational appeals outperform transformational appeals in generating immediate purchase intentions. Attitudes toward the ad and attitude toward the brand mediated these effects, consistent with the Dual Mediation Hypothesis. Moreover, in accordance with the Construal Level Theory, message strategy moderates the relationship: informational appeals were most effective when paired with personal strategies but lost persuasive power under social-experience strategies. These findings advance the theoretical understanding of digital advertising persuasion by explicating how creative appeal and message strategy jointly shape both attitudinal and behavioral responses. Practically, the results suggest that advertisers seeking short-term conversions should combine informational appeals with personal strategies.

This study examines factors influencing teachers' intention to adopt Generative AI technologies in education by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). The proposed comprehensive model incorporates both external factors (exposure to AI information, information credibility, and institutional support) and internal factors (intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy). A survey of 400 teachers reveals that teachers’ exposure to credible AI information positively influences perceptions of Generative AI usefulness, which ultimately impacts their intention to use AI. Importantly, institutional support has both direct and indirect effects on teachers' intention to use AI, with the indirect effect mediated by the internal factors of intrinsic motivation and self-efficacy. This research complements TAM theory by integrating psychological and contextual factors, offering a nuanced framework for understanding Generative AI adoption in educational settings. The findings suggest that for educational leaders and policymakers, developing strategies that allocate resources for infrastructure, technical support, and professional development—such as Generative AI training programs—will be crucial in driving Generative AI adoption among teachers. By addressing both external and internal determinants, this study provides a comprehensive perspective of the dynamics behind technology acceptance in the classroom.

Coronavirus and other prevailing viruses continue to remain a health threat and challenge the efforts of institutions to promote vaccination acceptance. The current study’s aim is to propose a conceptual framework explaining the role of individual motivators (such as self-interest and collective interest) in shaping attitudes toward vaccination while emphasizing the pivotal role of institutional trust as a mediator and gender as a moderator. Data were collected via an online panel survey among Israelis (N = 464), and SEM statistics were used to test the model empirically. The path analysis model supports the positive direct effect of collective interest and the negative effect of self-interest. Additionally, it shows an indirect effect through the mediation effect of institutional trust and gender moderation. Therefore, institutional trust may significantly influence self-interest people’s attitudes toward vaccines. Furthermore, since females process information more comprehensively, their developed trustworthiness in institutions has an increased impact on vaccine acceptance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Purpose: Buying directly from farmers online has become increasingly popular in recent years. This study aims to investigate the effect of the interaction between various consumption values that drive consumers to buy directly from farmers online. The proposed conceptual framework suggests that consumers who buy online directly from farmers are driven by an interaction of weighted individualistic consumption value (i.e. an integration of values such as saving money, getting quality and fresh produce) and collectivistic values (pro-environmental behaviour and ethnocentric perception).Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected using a representative sample of 576 consumers via an online access panel and analysed using AMOS SEM.Findings: A weighted individualistic consumption value affects consumer attitudes and, consequently, consumers' intention to buy agri-food products directly from farmers. Nonetheless, individualistic consumption value is more effective in enhancing attitudes among consumers with high pro-environmental behaviour. Moreover, ethnocentric perception lowers the effect of individualistic consumption value on attitudes and enhances the positive effect of attitudes on buying intention.Originality/value: This study contributes to the literature on consumer online behaviour when buying food products directly from farmers. Its originality lies in the effect of interacting individualistic and collectivistic consumption values to explain consumer motivation for this behaviour.

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the association between the perceived values of information (economic, hedonic, functional, psychological) and the actual use of social networking channels (Instagram/Facebook groups/SNS personal profiles or messaging) for seeking information on accommodations.Design/methodology/approach: 879 respondents aged 18–55, who travel abroad as individual tourists at least once a year and are responsible for their own accommodation choice, were surveyed.Findings: The study shows that all the values of information are more likely to be provided through posting a question on one's profile/messaging options (i.e. friends and relatives), than through Facebook groups and Instagram. The multivariate findings show that different values are associated with different SNS channel choices for seeking information.Originality/value: The study provides an innovative approach to the motivations behind the use of different SNS platforms for travel information search by consumers. It offers practical implications, suggesting how to provide the relevant content on each channel.

The notion of consumer values has been a key factor in understanding consumer behavior and has attracted the attention of various scholars in e-commerce. The aims of this study are to conceptualize a multidimensional construct of consumer information value (CIV) on social network sites (SNS), to examine the construct empirically, and to investigate the nature of its relationships with consumer information search behavior, i.e., the use of information channels on SNS. Quantitative research was conducted using a representative sample of 612 Facebook users. The use of a higher-order construct and structural equation modeling procedures reveals that the following five value constructs—Economic, Psychological, Social, Functional and Hedonic values—are significant facets of the CIV. It suggests that the CIV model is a powerful tool that directly explains consumer information search behavior and has better explanatory power than the sum of its parts.

The COVID-19 vaccine has become a strategic vehicle for reducing the spread of the pandemic. However, the uptake of the vaccine by the public is more complicated than simply making it available. Based on social learning theory, this study examines the role of communication sources and institutional trust as barriers and incentives as motivators of people’s attitudes toward vaccination and actual vaccination. Data were collected via an online panel survey among Israelis aged 18–55 and then analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). Findings show that social media trust negatively mediates the effect of exposure to information on the vaccine on attitudes toward vaccination. However, mass media trust and institutional trust positively mediate this relationship. Incentives were effective motivators for forming positive attitudes and moderating the effect of institutional trust on attitude toward vaccination. This study facilitates a deeper understanding of health communication theory in pandemics and makes important recommendations for practitioners and policy makers.