Investigating the impact of gender differences on alleviating distrust via electronic word-of-mouth

• Published in: Industrial management + data systems 2017-04, Vol.117 (3), p.620-642
• Main Authors: Liu, Fei, Xiao, Bo, Lim, Eric T.K, Tan, Chee-Wee
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acceptance tests; Bias; Cognitive dissonance; Conflict resolution; Consumers; Expected utility; Females; Gender aspects; Gender differences; Hypotheses; Mathematical models; Perceptions; Restaurants; Sample size; Studies; Technology utilization; Trust; Web 2.0; Websites; Word of mouth advertising
• ISSN: 0263-5577; 1758-5783
• DOI: 10.1108/IMDS-04-2016-0150

Purpose By delineating electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) into numerical rating and opinionated review, the purpose of this paper is to advance a research model that articulates how the provision of e-WOM can aid in alleviating consumers’ distrust of online service providers, a key determinant in the former’s adoption of the latter. The authors also endeavor to uncover the role gender plays in moderating the aforementioned relationship between e-WOM and distrust. Design/methodology/approach The research model was validated via a field survey administered on 115 college students and faculty members, who had been exposed to a custom-developed online restaurant review website. SmartPLS 2.0.M3 was employed to verify both the measurement and structural properties of the research model. Findings Distrust reduces male consumers’ perceptions of usefulness and ease of use toward an online service provider while increasing their adoption intention. For their female counterparts, distrust reduces both perceived ease of use and adoption intention for an online service provider. Additionally, for male consumers, only opinionated review aids in alleviating distrust. Conversely, both numerical rating and opinionated review aid in alleviating the distrust of female consumers. Moreover, in contrast to their female counterparts, male consumers are less susceptible to the influence of cognitive dissonance between numerical rating and opinionated review. Research limitations/implications This study integrates distrust with the technology acceptance model (TAM) in an attempt to gain a deeper appreciation of technology acceptance behavior. Furthermore, this study builds on the confirmation bias theory to delineate e-WOM into numerical rating and opinionated review in order to better explicate variations in how males and females react to these two distinct forms of e-WOM. Consistent with the cognitive dissonance theory, the distinction between numerical rating and opinionated review enables further exploration of the impact of cognitive dissonance between these two forms of e-WOM on male and female consumers’ distrust of online service providers. Finally, this study unveils contrasting conflict resolution strategies adopted by male and female consumers to cope with cognitive dissonance in e-WOM. Practical implications Findings from this study yield prescriptions for practitioners in terms of how e-WOM can be harnessed to alleviate consumers’ distrust of online service provider. Wh