Extreme Negative Rating and Review Helpfulness: The Moderating Role of Product Quality

Raffaele Filieri (), Claudio Vitari () and Elisabetta Raguseo
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Raffaele Filieri: Audencia Business School
Claudio Vitari: AMU - Aix Marseille Université
Elisabetta Raguseo: Polito - Politecnico di Torino = Polytechnic of Turin

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Abstract: Contrasting findings about the role of extremely negative ratings are found in the literature, thus suggesting that not all extremely negative rating reviews (ENRR) are perceived as helpful by consumers. In order to shed light on the most helpful ENRR, we have drawn on negativity bias and the signaling theory, and we have analyzed the moderating role of product quality signals in the relationship between ENRR and review helpfulness. The study is based on the analysis of 9,479 online customer reviews, posted on TripAdvisor.com, pertaining to220 French hotels. The findings highlight that ENRR is judged as being more helpful when the hotel has been awarded a certificate of excellence, and when the average rating score and the hotel classification are higher. On the basis of the results of this study, we recommend that managers of higher category hotels, with a certificate of excellence and with higher average score ratings, pay more attention to extreme negative judgements.

Keywords: electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM); extreme negative ratings; review helpfulness; signaling theory; negativity bias; third-party product signals (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020-05-05
Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03026840
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Published in Journal of Travel Research, 2020, ⟨10.1177/0047287520916785⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03026840

DOI: 10.1177/0047287520916785

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