Can receiving managerial responses induce more user reviewing effort? A mixed method investigation in hotel industry

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to explore factors contributing to users' reviewing effort in the online review platform and understand the mechanism behind the effect. Based on a mixed method including secondary data analysis and experimental data analysis, the results indicate the following. (1) A user receiving more managerial responses tends to exert more reviewing effort. (2) The number of high-quality user opinions (i.e., expert reviews) for a hotel negatively moderates the influence of the number of managerial responses on user reviewing effort. (3) The sense of reciprocity mediates the influence of the number of managerial responses on future reviewing effort. (4) The mediation process is attenuated amongst users facing numerous high-quality user opinions. This study contributes to the literature of managerial response and online user engagement in the context of travel websites.