Altruism in eWOM: propensity to write reviews on hotel experience

Abstract

This research tests the relationship between aspects of customer influenceability at the time of booking a hotel with the propensity to write a review in electronic word-of-mouth communication. A valid sample of 739 online questionnaires was obtained. An Exploratory Factor Analysis was conducted in order to reduce the dimensions of the two critical variables, and a measurement model was built. Then a Path analysis was carried out. The novelty of this research lies in measuring the evolution from being a passive eWOM reader to a proactive eWOM writer. Results indicate a relationship between being influenced by reading reviews and the propensity to write reviews. The most important underlying motivation to write a review is altruistic. Managers should try to identify the most responsive customers and encourage them to write reviews on altruistic grounds. This study effectively validated the impact of being responsive to reading reviews on the inclination to, in turn, write them. Findings contribute to the evolving research landscape in eWOM within the hospitality and tourism sector, offering practical insights for industry practitioners to formulate more effective strategies in soliciting and managing customer reviews.