Journal article
Effects of membership tier on user content generation behaviors: evidence from online reviews
Electronic commerce research, Vol.18(3), pp.457-483
09/2018
DOI: 10.1007/s10660-017-9266-7
Abstract
Online shopping websites typically classify customers into different membership tiers in their customer relationship management systems. This study investigates the effects of membership tiers on user content generation behaviors in the context of an electronic commerce marketplace that has a membership tier program and an online review system. Grounded in theories related to status, our study hypothesizes the effects of membership tiers on user content generation behaviors as well as the helpfulness of the content they generated in the context of online reviews. We collected online data from a world-leading shopping website. The results from our empirical analyses indicate that membership tier has a positive effect on review rating and review delay, whereas it has a negative effect on review depth. Additionally, we tested mediation effects of review rating, depth and delay between membership tiers and review helpfulness, and found that membership tier negatively affected review helpfulness indirectly. Interestingly, reviews posted by high-status customers are perceived as more helpful than those of others when we controlled for review characteristics. This study contributes to research on online product reviews and customer relationship management.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Effects of membership tier on user content generation behaviors: evidence from online reviews
- Creators
- Dongpu Fu - 0000 0001 1521 4747 grid.411923.c School of Information Capital University of Economics and Business 121 Zhangjialukou, Huaxiang Fengtai District Beijing 100070 People’s Republic of ChinaYili Hong - 0000 0001 2151 2636 grid.215654.1 Department of Information Systems, W.P. Carey School of Business Arizona State University Main Campus PO BOX 874606 Tempe AZ 85287-4606 USAKanliang Wang - 0000 0004 0368 8103 grid.24539.39 Department of Management Science and Engineering, School of Business Renmin University of China No. 59 Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District Beijing 100872 People’s Republic of ChinaWeiguo Fan - 0000 0001 0694 4940 grid.438526.e Department of Accounting and Information Systems, Pamplin College of Business Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Pamplin Hall, Suite 3007, Virginia Tech 880 West Campus Drive Blacksburg VA 24061 USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Electronic commerce research, Vol.18(3), pp.457-483
- Publisher
- Springer US
- DOI
- 10.1007/s10660-017-9266-7
- ISSN
- 1389-5753
- eISSN
- 1572-9362
- Grant note
- 71331007 / National Natural Science Foundation of China (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001809) 00791554410262 / Capital University of Economics and Business 15AGL001 / National Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/2018
- Academic Unit
- Business Analytics
- Record Identifier
- 9984083240702771
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