Beyond the Blurb: The Influence of User-Generated and Firm-Generated User Content on Purchase Intentions: An S-O-R Analysis of the Online Book Community
(2026) BUSN39 20261Department of Business Administration
- Abstract
- Purpose: This thesis investigates the influence of FGUC in comparison to UGC on Purchasing Intention through a direct pathway and an indirect pathway, with the mediating role of UGC Perception and Perceived Authenticity. Additionally, Social Media Usage Levels are studied as a moderating variable on both pathways.
Research Question: To what extent does Firm-Generated User Content (FGUC) influence purchase intentions compared to User-Generated Content (UGC), and how do perceived authenticity and social media usage levels explain and condition this effect?
Methodology: The study uses the S-O-R Framework as the foundation for the research design, utilizing a between-subjects experimental design through an online questionnaire. The... (More) - Purpose: This thesis investigates the influence of FGUC in comparison to UGC on Purchasing Intention through a direct pathway and an indirect pathway, with the mediating role of UGC Perception and Perceived Authenticity. Additionally, Social Media Usage Levels are studied as a moderating variable on both pathways.
Research Question: To what extent does Firm-Generated User Content (FGUC) influence purchase intentions compared to User-Generated Content (UGC), and how do perceived authenticity and social media usage levels explain and condition this effect?
Methodology: The study uses the S-O-R Framework as the foundation for the research design, utilizing a between-subjects experimental design through an online questionnaire. The survey included two versions of an image Stimulus, which were randomly assigned, that provided the participants with a subject on which to answer the questions targeting the Organism and Response dimensions of the study. UGC Perceptions, Perceived Authenticity, and Purchasing Intention were all measured multidimensionally with 3-5 items each using a 1-7 Likert Scale. A sample of 166 respondents was collected and subsequently prepared for analysis, including Correlation, Linear Regression, and PLS-SEM analyses.
Findings/Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that while participants marginally noticed the characteristics of the stimuli, firm influence did not substantially affect their perceptions of the post, with all hypotheses unsupported by the data. The stimulus condition was statistically insignificant in influencing the behavioral response, instead revealing the Organism dimension, consisting of UGC Perception and Perceived Authenticity, as the driving factor in purchasing intention. Further, social media usage levels were shown to have no significant moderating effect on both pathways, indicating that, regardless of daily online presence, both light and heavy users evaluate content using the same cognitive criteria. Surprisingly, age was considered to be a significant contributor to predicting purchase behavior, with older respondents reporting a higher likelihood of sharing recommendations and intending to purchase.
Theoretical and Managerial Contributions: Theoretically, this study deepens the conceptual scope of the S-O-R Framework by validating the consumer’s internal cognitive assessment (O → R) over external stimuli, which demonstrates that contemporary consumer tribes exhibit a high level of digital literacy that eases the coproduction of authenticity over corporate templates. This challenges previous research assumptions regarding consumers' skepticism towards firm intervention. Managerially, the findings justify that B2C industries should adopt FGUC. By designing visually appealing and shareable templates that reduce user creative effort, firms can foster eWOM conversations without encountering authenticity and credibility repercussions. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9242004
- author
- Ribeiro da Silva Boto Branco, Carmo LU and Vitiello, Alessia Luisa LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- BUSN39 20261
- year
- 2026
- type
- H1 - Master's Degree (One Year)
- subject
- keywords
- UGC, FGC, FGUC, UGC Perception, Perceived Authenticity, Social Media Usage Levels, Purchasing Intention, S-O-R Framework, Online Book Community
- language
- English
- id
- 9242004
- date added to LUP
- 2026-06-30 11:11:15
- date last changed
- 2026-06-30 11:11:15
@misc{9242004,
abstract = {{Purpose: This thesis investigates the influence of FGUC in comparison to UGC on Purchasing Intention through a direct pathway and an indirect pathway, with the mediating role of UGC Perception and Perceived Authenticity. Additionally, Social Media Usage Levels are studied as a moderating variable on both pathways.
Research Question: To what extent does Firm-Generated User Content (FGUC) influence purchase intentions compared to User-Generated Content (UGC), and how do perceived authenticity and social media usage levels explain and condition this effect?
Methodology: The study uses the S-O-R Framework as the foundation for the research design, utilizing a between-subjects experimental design through an online questionnaire. The survey included two versions of an image Stimulus, which were randomly assigned, that provided the participants with a subject on which to answer the questions targeting the Organism and Response dimensions of the study. UGC Perceptions, Perceived Authenticity, and Purchasing Intention were all measured multidimensionally with 3-5 items each using a 1-7 Likert Scale. A sample of 166 respondents was collected and subsequently prepared for analysis, including Correlation, Linear Regression, and PLS-SEM analyses.
Findings/Conclusion: The results of the study indicated that while participants marginally noticed the characteristics of the stimuli, firm influence did not substantially affect their perceptions of the post, with all hypotheses unsupported by the data. The stimulus condition was statistically insignificant in influencing the behavioral response, instead revealing the Organism dimension, consisting of UGC Perception and Perceived Authenticity, as the driving factor in purchasing intention. Further, social media usage levels were shown to have no significant moderating effect on both pathways, indicating that, regardless of daily online presence, both light and heavy users evaluate content using the same cognitive criteria. Surprisingly, age was considered to be a significant contributor to predicting purchase behavior, with older respondents reporting a higher likelihood of sharing recommendations and intending to purchase.
Theoretical and Managerial Contributions: Theoretically, this study deepens the conceptual scope of the S-O-R Framework by validating the consumer’s internal cognitive assessment (O → R) over external stimuli, which demonstrates that contemporary consumer tribes exhibit a high level of digital literacy that eases the coproduction of authenticity over corporate templates. This challenges previous research assumptions regarding consumers' skepticism towards firm intervention. Managerially, the findings justify that B2C industries should adopt FGUC. By designing visually appealing and shareable templates that reduce user creative effort, firms can foster eWOM conversations without encountering authenticity and credibility repercussions.}},
author = {{Ribeiro da Silva Boto Branco, Carmo and Vitiello, Alessia Luisa}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Beyond the Blurb: The Influence of User-Generated and Firm-Generated User Content on Purchase Intentions: An S-O-R Analysis of the Online Book Community}},
year = {{2026}},
}