Exploring the undercurrents in affiliate eWOM: Interaction of cosmetic and functional homophily through a mixed-methods approach

Ruchika Sharma, Pratibha Singh and Amresh Kumar
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Ruchika Sharma: Delhi School of Business, New Delhi, India
Pratibha Singh: T A Pai Management Institute, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka, India
Amresh Kumar: Indian Institute of Management Bodh Gaya, Bodh Gaya, India

Australian Journal of Management, 2026, vol. 51, issue 3, 930-958

Abstract: Affiliate Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) has become a trusted and reliable source of information, especially in the ever-growing beauty and personal care industry. This paper boards on a comprehensive investigation to unknot the intricate dynamics of affiliate eWOM in the context of beauty and personal care products in India by integrating Signalling Theory and Theory of Selective Exposure. The study utilizes a combination of qualitative analysis, field surveys and experimental studies to examine and validate proposed hypotheses. Through qualitative research, two significant factors – cosmetic and functional homophily – have been identified, adding valuable insights to the current eWOM literature. Also, information quality, rating, helpfulness and number of reviews, user-generated videos and photos along with cosmetic and functional homophily are found to significantly impact the customer’s actual purchase. However, ranking and recency of reviews have no significant contribution to the stated relationship. This research is first of its kind to analyse affiliate eWOM cues in the case of cosmetics e-commerce. It also uncovers two novel concepts–cosmetic and functional homophily. JEL Classification: M3

Keywords: Cosmetic homophily; eWOM; experimental study; field survey; functional homophily (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:ausman:v:51:y:2026:i:3:p:930-958

DOI: 10.1177/03128962251355314

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