Lamb, Yasmin, Cai, Wenjie ORCID: 0000-0002-1505-7240 and McKenna, Brad (2020) Exploring the complexity of the individualistic culture through social exchange in online reviews. International Journal of Information Management, 54:102198. ISSN 0268-4012 (doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102198)

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Abstract

Online reviews have reshaped visitor economies. However, there is a lack of research regarding the motivations of visitors to write online reviews as most existing research disregards the cultural differences between individuals. This research investigates the motivations of museum visitors from individualistic cultures to write online reviews with the critique of Hofstede (1980) through the lens of Social Exchange Theory (SET). This study utilises the netnography methodology. One hundred and eleven detailed TripAdvisor reviews and ten email interviews were collected. Theoretically, we contribute to SET by developing a two-dimensional framework which indicates 1) that the complexity and heterogeneity of individualist culture were identified in the dimension of social exchange between the service provider and the visitors through online reviews; and 2) American and British visitors share similar individualist culture in the second dimension of social exchange between peers in online reviews. Practically, this research can benefit the online reputation management and expectation management for visitor attractions, with the goal of improving their visitor offerings and to minimise negative reviews.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	cultural dimensions, service expectations, online reviews, British Museum, motivations, social exchange theory
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General)
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Business Faculty of Business > Department of Marketing, Events & Tourism Faculty of Business > Tourism Research Centre
Last Modified:	09 Jan 2022 01:38
URI:	http://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/28760

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