Making Reservations Online: The Impact of Consumer-Written and System-Aggregated User-Generated Content (UGC) in Travel Booking Websites on Consumers’ Behavioral Intentions

Testing the effects of different types of UGC on various consumer behavior outcomes found that when consumer-written and system-aggregated UGC valences matched, consumers indicated greater perceived information value, satisfaction, and future behavioral intention.

Abstract

This study examines how consumer-written and system-aggregated user-generated content (UGC) on travel booking websites jointly influence consumer behavior. The purpose of this research is to test the effects of different types of UGC on various consumer behavior outcomes. Experiment 1 found a significant interaction effect between UGC type (consumer-written versus system-aggregated) and valence (positive versus negative) on product evaluation, perceived information value, and satisfaction. Experiment 2 found a significant interaction between consumer-written and system-aggregated UGC valences. When consumer-written UGC was negative, consumers demonstrated more negative product evaluation and lower buying intention, regardless of system-aggregated UGC valence. When consumer-written and system-aggregated UGC valences matched, consumers indicated greater perceived information value, satisfaction, and future behavioral intention. Trustworthiness partially mediated the effect of the fit between consumer-written and system-aggregated UGC on consumer satisfaction.