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The manager's dilemma: a conceptualization of online review manipulation strategies

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  • Stefan Gössling
  • C. Michael Hall
  • Ann-Christin Andersson

Abstract

Online evaluations are one of the most important innovations in tourism in recent years, often combining a review/rating (business-specific evaluation) and a ranking (inter-business comparison). As online reputation determines economic success, tourism managers may be tempted to manipulate online content. This paper presents the results from a qualitative study involving 20 hotel managers in southern Sweden, and their perspectives on manipulation. Results confirm that there exists a wide range of review manipulation strategies, many of which are difficult to control. Even though only few managers appear to systematically manipulate, online evaluations represent a significant challenge for businesses, as they introduce direct competition and foster consumer judgement cultures. It is postulated that managers will increasingly find themselves in a Prisoner's dilemma, representing a situation where engaging in manipulation is the most rational choice in an increasingly competitive market situation.

Suggested Citation

  • Stefan Gössling & C. Michael Hall & Ann-Christin Andersson, 2018. "The manager's dilemma: a conceptualization of online review manipulation strategies," Current Issues in Tourism, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(5), pages 484-503, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:rcitxx:v:21:y:2018:i:5:p:484-503
    DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2015.1127337
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    Cited by:

    1. Banerjee, Snehasish & Chua, Alton Y.K., 2023. "Understanding online fake review production strategies," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    2. Wen Zhang & Qiang Wang & Jian Li & Zhenzhong Ma & Gokul Bhandari & Rui Peng, 2023. "What makes deceptive online reviews? A linguistic analysis perspective," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Costa Filho, Murilo & Nogueira Rafael, Diego & Salmonson Guimarães Barros, Lucia & Mesquita, Eduardo, 2023. "Mind the fake reviews! Protecting consumers from deception through persuasion knowledge acquisition," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 156(C).
    4. Li, Yuanshuo & Zhang, Zili & Pedersen, Susanne & Liu, Xudong & Zhang, Ziqiong, 2023. "The influence of relative popularity on negative fake reviews: A case study on restaurant reviews," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    5. Mardumyan, Anna & Siret, Iris, 2023. "When review verification does more harm than good: How certified reviews determine customer–brand relationship quality," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 160(C).

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