The role of conflicting online reviews in consumers’ attitude ambivalence

Abstract

The extant literature overlooks conflicting online hotel reviews from the perspective of online and offline factors and their effect on attitude ambivalence, which determines consumer behavior. The present study fills this research gap using the heuristic–systematic model of information processing and examines: (1) how conflicting customer star ratings (i.e. heuristic cues) and opinions about hotel attributes (i.e. systematic cues) engender attitude ambivalence, (2) how offline interpersonal informational influence moderates the relationship between conflicting reviews and attitude ambivalence, and (3) relational impact on purchase intentions. The data collected from 382 inbound tourists in Beijing, China reveal the positive effect of conflicting star ratings and opinions about hotel attributes on attitude ambivalence, which lowers consumers’ purchase intentions. This study also finds a significant role of offline interpersonal informational influence as a moderator. Theoretical implications are provided, and findings have strategic managerial implications with the acknowledgement of limitations and directions for future scholars.