Influence of online consumer reviews on tourists' information search and their attitude change
Abstract
Many studies on general marketing and consumer behavior suggest in the literature that online customer reviews influence consumer information search behaviors and the market success of products. Yet little academic effort has been exerted in the tourism and hospitality context to test claims about the instrumental role of online public reviews on tourists who read them in a pre-purchase stage while searching for tourism product information prior to making decisions. Given the research gap, the overall initiative of this dissertation is to examine how and to what extent online consumer reviews influence potential tourists’ information search outcomes and their attitude change toward a tourism product. Two studies were conducted in a controlled experimental setting to approach the given issue in a more systematic way. ^ Using the cognitive fit theory as a theoretical framework, the first study developed a research model to understand how the interplay between consumer information search goals and online information relevancy could influence consumers’ perceptions of information search outcomes. The results show that providing a detailed review of the tourism product is effective for task-directed information seekers. The practical implications of these results for the website designers of online customer reviews suggest they should develop web-based tools to effectively organize and customize review contents by detailed categories that will allow readers to meet their individual information search goals. ^ Applying the interface involvement and persuasion theories, the second study has two research purposes. First, it attempts to examine the effect of online consumer reviews on changing a consumer’s attitude toward a tourism product, compared to the effect of online personal reference sources and online advertisements. Then, it aims to understand how three online information media interplays with message factors (visual format and message framing) influence consumer attitude changes. Major findings indicate that the online consumer review is a comparatively effective information source for changing tourists’ attitudes when compared with the other two media types. In regards to the interactions with the two message factors, empathetic persuasiveness is the most influential aspect causing attitude change in the case of a negative product review, and its impact was more prominent for online consumer reviews. Moreover, females tend to be more empathetic towards a negative review and are more likely to be persuaded by it. Conversely, information involvement is a critical factor that influences attitude change in the cases of positive online consumer reviews and online advertisements. Visual format also plays a supportive role in the effects of media and message framing on changing tourists’ attitudes. Managerial implications for the display strategies for each negative and positive online review contents are discussed. ^
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Xinran Y. Lehto, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Information Science|Recreation
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