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What moderates the influence of extremely negative ratings? The role of review and reviewer characteristics

Author

Listed:
  • Raffaele Filieri
  • Elisabetta Raguseo

    (Polito - Politecnico di Torino = Polytechnic of Turin)

  • Claudio Vitari

    (MTS - Management Technologique et Strategique - EESC-GEM Grenoble Ecole de Management)

Abstract

Online customer reviews (OCRs) are increasingly used by travelers to inform their purchase decisions. However, the vast amount of reviews available nowadays may increase travellers' effort in information processing. In order to facilitate traveller's decisions, social commerce organizations must help travellers rapidly identify the most helpful reviews to reduce their cognitive effort. Academic literature has often documented that negative reviews are judged as helpful by consumers. However, extremely negative reviews are not always perceived as such. This study is the first that unveils what factors moderate the influence of extremely negative reviews on review helpfulness. The study has adopted a sample of 7,455 online customer reviews of hotels to test hypotheses. Findings show that reviews with extremely negative ratings are more likely to be helpful when the review is long and easy to read and when the reviewer is an expert or discloses his identity (geographical origin).

Suggested Citation

  • Raffaele Filieri & Elisabetta Raguseo & Claudio Vitari, 2018. "What moderates the influence of extremely negative ratings? The role of review and reviewer characteristics," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) halshs-01923196, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:gemptp:halshs-01923196
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2018.07.013
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/halshs-01923196
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    References listed on IDEAS

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