Avoiding the dark side of positive online consumer reviews: Enhancing reviews' usefulness for high risk-averse travelers

Luis V. Casaló, Carlos Flavián (), Miguel Guinalíu and Yuksel Ekinci

Journal of Business Research, 2015, vol. 68, issue 9, 1829-1835

Abstract: The influence of positive online consumer reviews on a traveler's decision making remains unclear. To better understand the perceived usefulness of online reviews, this study conducts two experiments using positive and negative online consumer reviews. Study results suggest that high risk-averse travelers find negative online reviews more useful than positive reviews. For positive online reviews, high-risk averse travelers feel expert reviewers' postings, travel product pictures, and well-known brand names enhance usefulness of the positive online reviews. These findings offer interesting implications for both marketing theory and practice.

Keywords: Online consumer reviews; Expertise; Risk aversion; Usefulness (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (30)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:68:y:2015:i:9:p:1829-1835

DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.01.010

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