The influence of online consumer reviews on prospective customers of hospitality businesses

Abstract

Consumers often resort to the internet to express their appraisal or dissatisfaction towards the service they receive from a company or brand. This information can be accessed by other internet users who are searching for online consumer reviews. The information they obtain from the internet has been found to have a significant impact on consumer behaviour and purchase decisions. The aim of this study is to analyse the variables which influence prospective customers’ behavioural intention towards online consumer reviews. This study relied on valid and reliable measures from ‘The Theory of Planned Behaviour’ (Ajzen, 1985, 1991) and ‘The Elaboration Likelihood Model’ (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). The data was collected through an online questionnaire that was distributed via social media. The results showed a positive and significant relationship between Attitude, Perceived Behavioural Control, Argument Quality and Source Credibility with the Behavioural Intention of the customer. The relationship between Subjective Norm and Behavioural Intention was found to be weak. Furthermore, this study implies that businesses should engage with their customers by encouraging them to communicate their positive experiences with other online users. Businesses can also use social media to communicate with customers in real-time. Afterwards, the researcher discusses the limitations of her study and makes recommendations for future research in this area.