Abstract
With the proliferation of online Tourism websites, consumers’ Web-based search queries for cues that minimize the uncertainty surrounding brands and the risk associated with corresponding purchase decisions become more commonplace. Yet, despite the recent interest in user-generated online reviews, understanding how various dimensions of ‘the message’ (online review) may affect consumers’ perceptions of a review’s trustworthiness, and whether the latter drives brand attitudes and subsequent booking intentions remains unknown. To fill this gap, a 2x2x2 scenario-based online experiment was designed exposing participants to real user-generated TripAdvisor.com reviews, and an online questionnaire was used to evaluate antecedents and consequents of review trustworthiness. Using PLS-based structural equation modeling (SEM), our findings offer a comprehensive framework of the review characteristics—timeliness, accuracy, and reviewer credibility—that drive overall perceptions of review trustworthiness, brand attitude, and booking intention. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Coursaris, Contantinos K.; Van Osch, Wietske; and Albini, Alice, "What Drives Perceptions of Review Trustworthiness in Electronic Word-of-Mouth: An Experimental Study of TripAdvisor" (2017). CAPSI 2017 Proceedings. 9.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/capsi2017/9