What Factors Sustain the Production of Online Reviews? Role of Community Feedback and Differences in Individual Motivation

Abstract

Online reviews have become an important part of the retailing environment. However, comparatively little is known about why ordinary consumers voluntarily produce reviews, sometimes in substantial volume over a long period. We examine the role of social facilitation, in the form of community feedback, as well as differences in individual motivation. For this purpose we constructed an archive of data on Yelp restaurant reviewers and also surveyed a separate sample of reviewers. In a longitudinal analysis we find that receiving positive feedback on reviews increases the probability that a novice reviewer will continue to produce reviews, but has no detectable effect on established reviewers. The survey indicated that the most productive reviewers may also have a distinct motivation, which is to publish their writing and gain an audience or public presence for themselves. In turn, the most productive reviewers are also less likely to produce extremely positive or extremely negative reviews (raves and rants). Implications for how retailers should respond to consumer reviews in light of these differences in motivation are discussed.

Keywords: online reviews, motivation, feedback, self-determination theory, Yelp

JEL Classification: D64, H41, M3