Do cultural orientations moderate the effect of online review features on review helpfulness? A case study of online movie reviews

Juan Kong and Chen Lou

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2023, vol. 73, issue C

Abstract: The perceived helpfulness of online product reviews plays a critical role in consumers’ decisions in e-commerce. In this context, based on the literature on information processing and cultural effects, this study explored the role of review features in the perceived helpfulness of online movie reviews. A cross-cultural investigation (i.e., China cf. the United States (US)) was employed to identify high-vs. low-context cultural orientation and uncertain avoidance orientation as moderators. The results reveal that review length, timeliness, title sentiment, and emotional expressions are significant predictors of helpfulness for consumer reviews in China and the US. In addition, cultural differences between the two countries, that is, high-vs. low-context culture and uncertainty avoidance, moderated the relationships between review length, timeliness, title sentiments, and review helpfulness.

Keywords: Cultural orientation; High-low context culture; Uncertainty avoidance; Sentiment analysis; Electronic word-of-mouth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:73:y:2023:i:c:s0969698923001212

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103374

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