Using Customer Review Systems to Support Purchase Decisions

Abstract

Online reviews have emerged as influential sources of information which greatly affect customers’ pre-purchase decision. Some studies have found that culture impacts online reviews, but many aspects of online review usage are still not well-understood. This study seeks to understand: What factors influence the usage of online reviews and consumers’ intention to use online reviews influenced by culture? This study collects data from U.S. and Thai consumers to examine what factors affect user attitudes and intentions. Structural Equation Modeling is used to analyze the data and the findings reveal that most of the proposed factors influence online review adoption for these two nationalities. One significant difference was found between the respondents of the two countries. The results should help online businesses gain a better understanding of these factors, and thus direct their efforts to develop features which positively influence online review usage.