Negative online reviews and consumer purchase intentions for search and credence goods

Reactions from users of online shopping platforms in Nigeria

https://doi.org/10.21744/irjmis.v9n3.2082

Authors

  • Bereprebofa Dudutari Dennis Osadebey University, Asaba, Delta State
  • Aloamaka Judith Ifeanyi Dennis Osadebey University, Asaba, Delta State
  • Ndudi Francis Dennis Osadebey University, Asaba, Delta State

Keywords:

credence goods, online reviews, online shopping, purchase intention, shopping platforms

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between negative online reviews and consumer purchase intention. For this study, we used product-brand-related negative online reviews, dealers-related negative online reviews and platform-related online reviews, while the purchase intention of online shoppers was used to proxy consumers' purchase intention. Negative online reviews were considered in the areas of accessibility, reliability, genuineness, integrity, lead time, user-friendliness, security and satisfaction. To achieve the objectives of the study, a sample of 200 users of online shopping platforms spread across three major cities namely Asaba, Warri and Sapele in Delta State, Nigeria was drawn using the convenience sampling technique. Data were analyzed using the multiple regression estimation techniques. The results of the study indicate that negative online reviews have an inverse and significant relationship with consumer purchase intention. Specifically, product/brand-related negative online reviews, dealers-related negative online reviews and platform-related negative online reviews significantly discourage consumers' purchase intention. This study, therefore, recommends that negative reviews should be reduced by organizations managing online shopping platforms.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Ajzen, I. (1991). The Theory of Planned Behavior-Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 50. Ajzen, I.(2002) Perceived Behavioural Control, Self-efficacy, Locus of Control and the Theory of Planned Behaviour. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(4), 665-683.

Basiri, M. E., Kabiri, A., Abdar, M., Mashwani, W. K., Yen, N. Y., & Hung, J. C. (2020). The effect of aggregation methods on sentiment classification in Persian reviews. Enterprise Information Systems, 14(9-10), 1394-1421.

Bian, Q., & Forsythe, S. (2012). Purchase intention for luxury brands: A cross cultural comparison. Journal of Business Research, 65(10), 1443-1451. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.10.010

Bonroy, O., Lemarié, S., & Tropéano, J. P. (2013). Credence goods, experts and risk aversion. Economics Letters, 120(3), 464-467. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2013.05.033

Close, A. G., & Kukar-Kinney, M. (2010). Beyond buying: Motivations behind consumers' online shopping cart use. Journal of Business Research, 63(9-10), 986-992. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2009.01.022

Cui, Y., Niu, J., & Guo, R. (2015). Effects of negative online reviews on consumers’ attitudes and behavioral intentions toward online products. Economic Management Journal, 4(4), 75-83.

Emons, W. (2001). Credence goods monopolists. International Journal of Industrial Organization, 19(3-4), 375-389. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-7187(99)00023-5

Guo, W., Gong, Z., Herrera-Viedma, E., & Li, Q. (2021). Priority weights acquisition of linear uncertain preference relations and its application in the ranking of online shopping platforms. Applied Soft Computing, 105, 107292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asoc.2021.107292

Hussain, S., Song, X., & Niu, B. (2020). Consumers’ motivational involvement in eWOM for information adoption: The mediating role of organizational motives. Frontiers in psychology, 3055.

Jia, Y., & Liu, I. L. (2018). Do consumers always follow “useful” reviews? The interaction effect of review valence and review usefulness on consumers' purchase decisions. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 69(11), 1304-1317.

Keh, H. T., & Sun, J. (2018). The differential effects of online peer review and expert review on service evaluations: the roles of confidence and information convergence. Journal of Service Research, 21(4), 474-489.

Kelley, H. H. (1973). The processes of causal attribution. American psychologist, 28(2), 107.

Kim, E. L., & Tanford, S. (2019). Simultaneous effects of multiple cues in restaurant reviews. Journal of Services Marketing.

Ko, H. C. (2018). Social desire or commercial desire? The factors driving social sharing and shopping intentions on social commerce platforms. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 28, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.elerap.2017.12.011

Lantzy, S., & Anderson, D. (2020). Can consumers use online reviews to avoid unsuitable doctors? Evidence from RateMDs. com and the Federation of State Medical Boards. Decision Sciences, 51(4), 962-984.

Laroche, M., Kim, C., & Zhou, L. (1996). Brand familiarity and confidence as determinants of purchase intention: An empirical test in a multiple brand context. Journal of business Research, 37(2), 115-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/0148-2963(96)00056-2

Li, L. H., & Wang, X. Y. (2018). The effect of online user reviews on customer value creation: From the perspective of price decision. Price Theory and Practice, 150-153.

Mariani, M. M., Borghi, M., & Gretzel, U. (2019). Online reviews: differences by submission device. Tourism Management, 70, 295-298. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2018.08.022

Mizerski, R. W. (1982). An attribution explanation of the disproportionate influence of unfavorable information. Journal of consumer research, 9(3), 301-310.

Nam, K., & Seong, N. (2021). A study on influencing factors for customer satisfaction and the continuing use of social network services in financial industry. Enterprise Information Systems, 15(3), 395-419.

Overby, J. W., & Lee, E. J. (2006). The effects of utilitarian and hedonic online shopping value on consumer preference and intentions. Journal of Business research, 59(10-11), 1160-1166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2006.03.008

Tuárez, D. L. C., Caicedo, R. J., & Plaza, C. L. M. (2022). Tax management supported by mechanisms of technological innovation: Mobile office case. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 6(1), 110–120. https://doi.org/10.53730/ijssh.v6n1.6283

Widodo, A., Daroini, A., Supriyono, S., & Mulyaningtiyas, R. D. (2022). The effect of marketing mix and consumer behavior on the decision to purchase hydroponic vegetables: Study on consumers of P4S Hikmah farm. International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 6(1), 30–41. https://doi.org/10.53730/ijssh.v6n1.3149

Wu, Y., Ngai, E. W., Wu, P., & Wu, C. (2020). Fake online reviews: Literature review, synthesis, and directions for future research. Decision Support Systems, 132, 113280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2020.113280

Xuemei, D., Jingyu, D., Zhihong, X., & Lifang, L. (2016). An empirical study on the impact of online reviews on consumers' purchasing intention. Management Review, 28, 173-183.

Yanhui, Z., & Zongwei, L. (2016). Analysis of the factors that influence online reviews helpfulness: Based on the regulating effect of product Type. Management Review, 28(10), 123.

Zhang, J., & Piramuthu, S. (2018). Product recommendation with latent review topics. Information Systems Frontiers, 20(3), 617-625.

Zhang, K. Z., Zhao, S. J., Cheung, C. M., & Lee, M. K. (2014). Examining the influence of online reviews on consumers' decision-making: A heuristic–systematic model. Decision Support Systems, 67, 78-89.

Zhao, Y., Wang, L., Tang, H., & Zhang, Y. (2020). Electronic word-of-mouth and consumer purchase intentions in social e-commerce. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 41, 100980.

Zhong, M., Qu, X., Chen, Y., Liao, S., & Xiao, Q. (2021). Impact of Factors of Online Deceptive Reviews on Customer Purchase Decision Based on Machine Learning. Journal of Healthcare Engineering, 2021

Published

2022-04-21

How to Cite

Dudutari, B., Ifeanyi, A. J., & Francis, N. (2022). Negative online reviews and consumer purchase intentions for search and credence goods: Reactions from users of online shopping platforms in Nigeria. International Research Journal of Management, IT and Social Sciences, 9(3), 328–339. https://doi.org/10.21744/irjmis.v9n3.2082

Issue

Section

Peer Review Articles