Does construction service provider's response matter? Understanding the influence of anecdotal information on online consumer decisions

Developments in the Built Environment

卷:8

Amro Khasawneh¹  Vivek Sharma²  Sudeep Hegde³  Amal Ponathil³  Kalyan Piratla⁴  Kapil Chalil Madathil⁵ 

[1] Corresponding author. Glenn Department of Civil Engineering, S Palmetto Blvd, Clemson, SC, 29634, Clemson University, USA.;

[2] Department of Industrial Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA;

[3] Glenn Department of Civil Engineering, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA;

[4] Healthcare Engineering Division, Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA;

[5] Planning, Design and the Built Environment, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA;

关键词: Electronic word of mouth (eWOM);    Anecdotal information;    Consumer reviews;    Service provider's response;    Sensemaking;    Decision making;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The home improvement service industry is growing rapidly, and the advancement in technology has made information about service providers, such as customer reviews, accessible with a few clicks. However, the impact of anecdotal information, like reviews and a service provider's response to a review, have not been studied extensively in the home improvement service industry. Using the Data Frame Theory of Sensemaking, this study investigated the combined effect of these two variables on an online consumer's decision. We recruited 360 participants through Qualtrics Research Services to participate in a 4∗3 between-subjects study. The findings suggest that when all reviews were either entirely positive or negative, i.e., consistent information, the service provider's response did not influence the customer's decision. However, when the reviews were inconsistent, the service provider's response was influential. In addition, negative reviews created a lack of trust in the information, which is a potential area for future research.

【 授权许可】

Unknown