Electronic word of mouth and hotel performance: A meta-analysis

This study synthesizes existing empirical results about the relationship between electronic word of mouth (eWOM) and hotel performance via meta-analysis and reveals five aspects that explain variations in eWOM elasticities: research setting, data structure, variable measurement, model specification, and research outlet.

Abstract

This study synthesizes existing empirical results about the relationship between electronic word of mouth (eWOM) and hotel performance via meta-analysis. Based on estimates from 25 articles, the average eWOM valence-based elasticity is estimated to be 0.888, whereas the average volume-based elasticity is 0.055. A hierarchical linear model is applied to uncover five aspects that explain variations in eWOM elasticities: research setting, data structure, variable measurement, model specification, and research outlet. The estimation results highlight several significant aspects affecting elasticity, such as year of study, geographic setting, panel data structure, data frequency, performance measurement, control of price variable, and function form. Finally, implications are provided for researchers and hoteliers.