How does review disconfirmation influence customer online review behavior? A mixed-method investigation
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 22 October 2020
Issue publication date: 13 November 2020
Abstract
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.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the support of research funds from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (71902169) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Start-up Fund (Project No. 1-BE1X).
Citation
Li, H., Meng, F. and Pan, B. (2020), "How does review disconfirmation influence customer online review behavior? A mixed-method investigation", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 32 No. 11, pp. 3685-3703. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-03-2020-0234
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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