“When you write review” matters

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 1273-1291 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hengyun Li ◽  
Zili Zhang ◽  
Fang Meng ◽  
Ziqiong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Influence ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Temporal Distance ◽  
Online Review ◽  
Electronic Word Of Mouth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
The Stability

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how prior reviews posted by other consumers affect subsequent consumers’ evaluations and to what extent the review temporal distance can increase or reduce the social influence of prior reviews. In this study’s restaurant context, review temporal distance refers to the duration between dining time and review time of a dining experience.Design/methodology/approachThe data of paired online restaurant reservations and reviews are analyzed using Ordered Logit Model. Two robustness checks are conducted to test the stability of the main estimation results.FindingsThe empirical results demonstrate that consumers’ restaurant evaluation is socially influenced by both the prior average review rating and number of prior reviews; review temporal distance has a direct negative effect on consumers’ restaurant evaluation; and review temporal distance increases the social influence of prior reviews.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that online review matters. Both restaurants and the online review platforms should encourage consumers to share their experiences and post online reviews immediately after their consumption.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature on electronic word-of-mouth, social influence and psychological distance. First, the bi-directional nature of social influence on electronic word-of-mouth for experience-oriented product is documented. Second, for the first time, this study examines how review temporal distance could affect the social influence on consumers’ restaurant evaluation.

scholarly journals Prosumer motivations for electronic word-of-mouth communication behaviors

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 280-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica B. Fine ◽  
John Gironda ◽  
Maria Petrescu
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Consumer Satisfaction ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Online Review ◽  
Electronic Word Of Mouth ◽  
Communication Behaviors ◽  
Content Type

Purpose “Prosumers” (combining “producer” and “consumers”) describes consumers’ ability to openly share their product/service experiences and thereby drive sales and digital marketing. Understanding what motivates active prosumers to engage in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and share or review their hotel experiences online can help organizations empathize with consumers and use their messages to co-create value. Identifying prosumers’ motivators can enable companies to properly target them as resources for review or consumer feedback studies. This paper aims to investigate the influence of motivators (intrinsic and extrinsic), service quality and age on consumers’ eWOM communication behaviors. Design/methodology/approach A panel of 204 travelers was surveyed regarding their hotel travel experiences, propensity to write online reviews, preferred review-writing platform, motivations for writing reviews and impressions of service quality. To test the hypotheses, a multivariate regression analysis was performed with eWOM as the dependent variable. Differences in eWOM as a function of preferred review platform were also tested using ANOVA, with a multiple comparison analysis that underlines the differences between prosumers who prefer different types of review platforms and their eWOM behaviors. Findings Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, as well as service reliability, had a significant influence on eWOM behavior, while service tangibility had a negative relationship. Additionally, prosumers’ engagement in eWOM about their hospitality experience differed according to their preferred review platform. Research limitations/implications The findings of the analysis underline the importance of consumer motivations and of satisfaction with service quality in the context of digital review behavior. For marketing and hospitality research, this shows the benefits of including not only individual characteristics and demographics when analyzing review behavior but also elements such as perceptions of service quality. Given the differences in how the dimensions of service quality affect consumers’ engagement in online review behavior, this represents a very important topic for research and can be included in future studies that analyze the consumer review behavior model. Practical implications Regarding the implications for practitioners, this study highlights the important role played by consumer satisfaction with service in the hospitality industry and its effect on their involvement in online reviews. Managers should be focused constantly on offering great service to their guests, while, at the same time, offering them motivations to engage in posting positive reviews about their vacation. Moreover, as the results of this study imply that various dimensions of service quality have a different impact, managers should focus especially on the aspects that consumers consider important and constantly include in their reviews, such as the tangibles dimension. The results of this study also have the potential to provide to businesses more information to improve the social aspects of vacationing, which can not only improve perceptions about service quality but can also have a positive influence on consumers’ motivations. Originality/value This paper develops a better understanding of what motivates people to engage in the eWOM communication behavior of writing online hotel reviews, by showing the effect of consumer motivations and service quality variables on prosumers’ engagement in online review behavior.

scholarly journals Analisis Pengaruh E-WOM, Online Review, dan Kualitas Informasi terhadap Minat Beli di Market Place Tokopedia

Prologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 127
Author(s):  
Julian Andrew ◽  
Rezi Erdiansyah
Keyword(s):  
Information Quality ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Online Review ◽  
Electronic Word Of Mouth ◽  
Market Place ◽  
Purposive Sampling ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Data Collection Technique

As the people's shopping habits via online starts to emerge, the e-commerce industry in Indonesia has also developed. In 2018, it was noted that 11.9% of Indonesian people were shopping online. However, in the midst of the vastness of online platforms with millions of items found in online storefronts, consumers need more information as their reference to arousing buying interest. As one of the biggest e-commerce players in Indonesia, Tokopedia provides features that enable sellers and consumers to exchange information regarding the items. In Tokopedia, prospective buyers can see electronic word of mouth messages, online reviews, and other additional information about the items that are known to be very influential in generating buying interest. This study uses a quantitative approach with an explanatory type in which the research seeks to find the effect of electronic word of mouth, online review, and the quality of information on buying interest of Jakarta students in Tokopedia e-commerce. The data collection technique used was purposive sampling by distributing questionnaires to 100 samples via online. Based on this research’s results, it was found that electronic word of mouth, online review, and information quality affect buying interest of students in Jakarta by 46% while the other 54% were influenced by other factors not examined in this study.Seiring dengan munculnya kebiasaan berbelanja masyarakat melalui online, industri e-commerce di Indonesia pun turut berkembang. Pada tahun 2018, tercatat bahwa sebanyak 11,9% orang di Indonesia melakukan kegiatan belanja secara online. Namun, di tengah luasnya platform online dengan jutaan barang yang terdapat di etalase online membuat konsumen membutuhkan informasi yang lebih sebagai bahan referensi dalam menimbulkan minat beli. Tokopedia merupakan pelaku e-commerce terbesar di Indonesia menyediakan fitur-fitur yang memungkinkan penjual dan konsumen untuk menulis dan bertukar informasi seputar barang tersebut. Di dalam Tokopedia, para calon pembeli dapat melihat pesan electronic word of mouth, online review, dan informasi-informasi tambahan lainnya seputar barang-barang yang dijual yang diketahui sangat berpengaruh dalam memunculkan minat beli. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan jenis eksplanatif dimana penelitian berusaha menemukan pengaruh e-WOM, kualitas informasi, dan online review terhadap minat beli mahasiswa Jakarta pada e-commerce Tokopedia. Teknik pengumpulan data yang digunakan adalah purposive sampling dengan menyebarkan kuesioner kepada 100 sampel secara online. Penelitian menemukan bahwa electronic word of mouth, online review, dan kualitas informasi berpengaruh terhadap minat beli pada mahasiswa di Jakarta sebanyak 46%, sedangkan 54% dipengaruhi oleh faktor-faktor lain yang tidak diteliti pada penelitian ini.

To follow others or be yourself? Social influence in online restaurant reviews

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 1067-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hengyun Li ◽  
Fang Meng ◽  
Miyoung Jeong ◽  
Zili Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Influence ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Positive Influence ◽  
Cognitive Effort ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Product Service ◽  
The Social ◽  
Restaurant Reviews ◽  
Influence Process ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Online reviews are often likely to be socially influenced by prior reviews. This study aims to examine key review and reviewer characteristics which may influence the social influence process. Design/methodology/approach Restaurant review data from Yelp.com are analyzed using an ordered logit model and text mining approach. Findings This study reveals that prior average review rating exerts a positive influence on subsequent review ratings for the same restaurant, but the effect is attenuated by the variance in existing review ratings. Moreover, social influence is stronger for consumers who had a moderate dining experience or invested less cognitive effort in writing online reviews. Compared to reviewers classified by Yelp as “elite,” non-elite reviewers appear more susceptible to the social influence of prior average review rating. Practical implications This study provides guidelines for mitigating the social influence of prior reviews and improving the accuracy of online product/service ratings, which will eventually enhance business and the reputation of online review platforms. Originality/value The findings from this study contribute to the electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) literature and social influence literature in terms of the bidirectional nature of social influence on eWOM.

scholarly journals Mobile word of mouth (m-WOM): analysing its negative impact on webrooming in omnichannel retailing

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Flavian ◽  
Raquel Gurrea ◽  
Carlos Orús
Keyword(s):  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Product Category ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to analyse the influence of mobile word of mouth (m-WOM), received at the physical store, which “challenges” the consumer's preferences in a webrooming experience. The impacts of the social relationship between the sender and the receiver of the m-WOM and product category (electronics versus fashion accessories) are examined.Design/methodology/approachAn online experiment was carried out which manipulated the presence and type of challenging m-WOM, and product category, in a 3 × 2 between-subjects factorial design. The participants were 204 consumers recruited through a market research agency. Their perceptions about the helpfulness of the m-WOM, and their product preferences and choices, were analysed.FindingsReceiving in-store m-WOM was perceived as helpful by webroomers and affected their preferences and choices. For electronics online reviews posted by anonymous customers were more influential than friends' opinions, whereas the opposite was the case with fashion accessories. The trustworthiness and expertise of the m-WOM source may explain the effects of m-WOM.Practical implicationsm-WOM entails challenges and opportunities for retailers in the omnichannel era. The findings suggest that allowing customers to access m-WOM may be beneficial; however, retailers must consider the type of m-WOM that may be most suitable for their businesses. Recommendations for referral and review sites are also offered.Originality/valueThis study examines the impact of challenging m-WOM on shopping experiences, combining online, mobile and physical channels. The results revealed the importance of the information source and product category in the determination of consumers' perceptions of helpfulness, preferences and choice.

The influence of EWOM characteristics on online repurchase intention

2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (7) ◽  
pp. 1090-1110 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Matute ◽  
Yolanda Polo-Redondo ◽  
Ana Utrillas
Keyword(s):  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Perceived Usefulness ◽  
Integrative Model ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Electronic Word Of Mouth ◽  
Repurchase Intention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Repurchase Intentions ◽  
Positive Direct

Purpose With the expansion of internet as a tool for exchanging information, companies include in their websites a virtual space to share information among users. The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of consumers’ reviews (electronic word-of-mouth quantity, credibility and quality) as antecedents of customers’ online repurchase intentions. Specially, it proposes a model where trust on an online seller and perceived usefulness of a website mediate the influence of electronic word-of-mouth (EWOM) characteristics on repurchase intentions. Design/methodology/approach Structural equation modeling was employed on a sample of 252 online customers. An online questionnaire was aimed at internet users who had previously made an online purchase and read online reviews received from the vendor’s website. Findings Results show that only EWOM quality has a positive direct effect on consumers’ repurchase intention while quantity has a negative influence. Perceived usefulness mediates the influence of all EWOM characteristics on online repurchase intention. EWOM credibility and quality also indirectly influence repurchase intentions through trust on the online vendor. Practical implications This paper outlines ways to improve managerial implications by developing mobile applications or websites where the reviews have an appropriate volume and quality of information. Moreover, it suggests general advice to present online reviews in a useful manner to users who visit these websites. Originality/value This study is one of the first to propose an integrative model that studies in depth the three main EWOM characteristics and customer responses for understanding their repurchase behavior.

How does review disconfirmation influence customer online review behavior? A mixed-method investigation

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 3685-3703
Author(s):  
Hengyun Li ◽  
Fang Meng ◽  
Bing Pan
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Method ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Service Evaluation ◽  
Online Review ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumption Behavior ◽  
The Social ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Fake Reviews ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose With the growing online review manipulation and fake reviews in the hospitality industry, it is not uncommon that a consumer encounters disconfirmation when comparing the existing online reviews with his/her own product or service evaluation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of review disconfirmation on customer online review writing behavior. Design/methodology/approach This study used a mixed-method combining online secondary big data modeling and experimental design. Findings Review disconfirmation influences customers’ emotional responses embedded in the review; a customer who encounters review disconfirmation tends to exert more reviewing effort, manifested by writing longer reviews; negativity bias exists in disconfirmation effects, in that negative review disconfirmation shows more significant and stronger effects than positive review disconfirmation. Practical implications Findings from this study provide important managerial implications for business owners and marketers who attempt to influence online reviews. The study suggests that fictitious online review manipulation might be detrimental to the business. Originality/value This research contributes to two literature streams, including research on the social influence of online consumer reviews, and the relationship between disconfirmation and consumers’ post-consumption behavior, by extending the influence of disconfirmation from the offline context to the online context.

scholarly journals Using the Social Influence of Electronic Word-of-Mouth for Predicting Product Sales: The Moderating Effect of Review or Reviewer Helpfulness and Product Type

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (19) ◽  
pp. 7952
Author(s):  
Sangjae Lee ◽  
Joon Yeon Choeh
Keyword(s):  
Social Influence ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Average Length ◽  
Product Type ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Electronic Word Of Mouth ◽  
The Social ◽  
Review Helpfulness ◽  
Product Sales

The social engagement of eWOM (electronic word-of-mouth) can reduce the threat of adverse selection in e-commerce. As studies that examine the social influence of eWOM are rare, the present work suggests the moderating effect of review or reviewer helpfulness and product type (experience or search goods) on the relationship between eWOM and product sales. The volume of eWOM, which is defined as the multiplication of the average length by the number of reviews, is shown to be moderated by review and reviewer helpfulness and search goods to affect product sales. Review ratings are moderated by reviewer helpfulness, and review extremity is positively (negatively) moderated by search (experience) goods and review helpfulness to affect product sales. As previous studies of differentiated sampling strategies that consider review helpfulness for predicting product sales using eWOM are lacking, this study compares the prediction power of business intelligence methods for different subsamples of products created according to high or low review and reviewer helpfulness levels. The subsample with high review or reviewer helpfulness demonstrates greater prediction performance than the subsample with low review or reviewer helpfulness when eWOM variables are used as predictors of product sales. Hence, preliminary filtering data preprocessing should consider review or reviewer helpfulness as a crucial criterion of the data quality. This will contribute to the sampling or preprocessing strategy used to predict product sales using eWOM.

Effect of eWOM review on beauty enterprise: a new interpretation of the attitude contagion theory and information adoption model

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li-Chun Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Word Of Mouth ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Equation Model ◽  
Consumer Attitude ◽  
Electronic Word Of Mouth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Adoption Model ◽  
New Interpretation ◽  
Information Adoption

PurposeThis study developed a new interpretation of the attitude contagion theory, with the information adoption model (IAM) as the theoretical basis. A review of electronic word-of-mouth studies was conducted by using informational and individual determinants to develop an integrated empirical model that identified the antecedents and consequences of consumer attitude toward online reviews.Design/methodology/approachThis study recruited 750 members of Facebook beauty fan pages in Taiwan and used the structural equation model to test research hypotheses.FindingsResults revealed that perceived “ electronic word-of mouth (eWOM) credibility of online reviews” and “product involvement” could be used to explain the effects of attitude toward online reviews. Regarding the attitude contagion effect, the effect of “attitude toward online review” on both “attitude toward a product” and “attitude toward a brand” is stronger than that on “eWOM adoption.”Originality/valueThis paper provides valuable insights into the antecedents, consequences and mediating mechanisms that determine consumer attitude toward online reviews.

The path of support-to-sales: mediating role of seller collaborative information exchange in social commerce

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Li Chen ◽  
Fengxia Zhu ◽  
Murali Mantrala
Keyword(s):  
Information Exchange ◽  
Instrumental Support ◽  
Trade Volume ◽  
Social Commerce ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
The Social ◽  
Source Data ◽  
Negative Effect

Purpose This paper aims to systematically investigate the direct and indirect effects of four types of support – peer instrumental support, peer emotional support, platform business support and platform communication support – on seller trade volume in social commerce. It also aims to uncover the path of support-to-sales of the seller from a platform perspective and provides a more complete picture of the social commerce phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses multi-source data including primary survey data and secondary data on trade volume to test the hypotheses. PROCESS mediation model is used to analyze the multi-source data set. Findings This study finds that the positive effects of peer instrumental support, platform business support and platform communication support on seller trade volume are fully mediated by seller collaborative information exchange. Also, peer emotional support has a significant negative effect on seller trade volume and collaborative information exchange can serve as a buffer to mitigate the negative effect. Research limitations/implications The authors provide new insights into what types of support are or are not conducive to improving transaction volume of individual sellers and highlight the mediating role of seller information exchange in this value generation process in social commerce. These findings advance current knowledge of how seller interactions increase value in social commerce. The chosen research setting may limit the generalizability of the findings of this study. Practical implications This paper offers valuable implications for social commerce platforms on how to better serve their sellers to achieve high growth. Specifically, the findings suggest that platforms should encourage instrumental support and information exchange among peer sellers. In addition, platforms should expand seller support from a single-focus on sellers’ business to a dual-focus on both sellers’ business and socialization in social commerce. Originality/value This paper fulfills an identified need to study how sellers can better derive value from the social interactions and how social commerce platforms can effectively influence transactions, support sales and serve as a selling platform.

Are Hotel Guests Altruistic? How Positive Review Disconfirmation Affects Consumers’ Online Review Behavior

2021 ◽  
pp. 109634802110303
Author(s):  
Hengyun Li ◽  
Fang Meng ◽  
Simon Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Social Influence ◽  
Experimental Research ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Online Reviews ◽  
Positive Deviance ◽  
Online Review ◽  
Altruistic Motivation ◽  
Prior Review ◽  
Concern For Others ◽  
Post Online

The research aims to examine how positive review disconfirmation (i.e., a positive deviance between a hotel consumer’s poststay evaluation and the average review rating by prior consumers) affects subsequent consumers’ willingness to post online reviews and their own review ratings. By employing an experimental research method, this study reveals that positive review disconfirmation increases hotel guests’ willingness to post online reviews, and increases their online review ratings through the mechanism of concern for others, demonstrating an act of altruism. In addition, comparatively the positive review disconfirmation effects are stronger when the variance of prior review ratings is smaller. This study enhances the online review social influence literature, and the consumer’s altruistic motivation of posting online reviews.

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