Are Senders of eWOM Biased? The Role of Personality and Collectivism

The transmission of biased eWOM reduces the usefulness of online reviews to consumers and, if negative, is likely to affect a brand's image adversely. This research aims to investigate how traits, attention-seeking, and taking-the-lead make senders of eWOM subject to either the positivity or negativity bias, and how the cultural value of collectivism refines this relationship. A sample of 345 Chinese consumers was formed, and the data from an online survey was analysed using PLS-SEM. Results show that the attention-seeking trait makes Chinese people more susceptible to the negativity bias; however, a collectivistic culture weakens such a relationship. The taking-the-lead trait makes Chinese people more susceptible to the positivity bias, and a collectivistic culture strengthens this relationship. Our findings of the personality-culture nexus make a novel contribution to the eWOM literature.

International Journal of Tourism Research

International Journal of Tourism Research

28

1522-1970

N/A

3

25