Dėkingumas kaip moderuojantis faktorius, elektroninės prekybos sąlygomis skatinantis pranešimus "iš lūpų į lūpas"

ENThis article explores whether gratitude and its expression – reciprocity – can encourage the buyer to provide positive feedback not only in case of traditional but also in electronic trading. Sellers working in traditional “offline” environment and communicating with clients face to face have possibilities to establish mutual relationship and to create the relationship based on gratitude, reciprocity and friendliness. This relationship helps to encourage the client to buy more goods, pay more and leave positive feedback about the seller. Since the touchpoints have changed from traditional to electronic, it is important to find out how the developing processes of gratitude and reciprocity work in traditional trading or which elements in this process can be adapted in electronic trading or maybe the new ones can be created. Moreover, it is important to find out if the gratitude and reciprocity can be the factors moderating the positive feedback of clients in e-commerce. The entrepreneurs from countries of Eastern culture, for example China, were especially affected by the lack of reciprocity in e-commerce. In China trade is inconceivable without GuanXi – the system of demonstrated favour – which puts an obligation upon another human being (Gold, 2002; Guan, 2011). Taking into account the need for creating relationship and problems of entrepreneurs working in e-commerce, C. X. Ou et al. (2014) expanded the traditional conception of GuanXi and presented a new conception tailored for e-commerce – Swift Guanxi. It focuses on the rapid relationship development between the buyer and the seller. The article proposes to complement the concept of relationship based on reciprocity with Swift Guanxi elements in e-commerce and it is assumed that it is possible to develop rapid relationship between the buyer and the seller by using the buyer’s gratitude as a measure for reciprocity and positive feedback.The aim of the paper: to determine the potential of gratitude and reciprocity as a moderating factor to encourage WOM under e-commerce conditions. The tasks of the paper: • To discuss the significance and potential of gratitude and reciprocity by encouraging positive feedback in traditional and electronic trading. • Based on the performed study to determine whether gratitude and reciprocity can be the moderating factors. The object of the research: measures to promote gratitude and reciprocity under e-commerce conditions. The research methods: the analysis of existing theoretical models and studies, quantitative analysis using a survey, analysis of statistical data. The research was carried out using the platform of apklausa. lt. During the survey 159 questionnaires were completed. The conclusions of the research: the results of the research explain which measures used in electronic trading create a feeling of gratitude and encourage positive WOM as an expression of reciprocity. Based on the received results, it can be stated that for creating relationship with clients in e-commerce traditional measures to encourage gratitude and reciprocity can be used. The created relationship has influence on willingness to share the positive feedback and the latter does not depend on general person’s tendency to be grateful. Moreover, it should be noted that the elements of Swift Guanxi integrated in e-commerce and creating gratitude and reciprocity encourage positive feedback. However, traditional interactive measures used mainly for communication with clients in e-commerce, are less effective. They ineract as measures encouraging positive feedback through gratitude and reciprocity as the moderating factors.