Forms of Bias in Online Reviews and Their Implications for Management of Customer Knowledge

Abstract

This study conducts a systematic literature review to identify forms of user behavioral bias, affecting the generation of content, evaluation patterns, and the impact of online reviews. Furthermore, it indicates the resulting implications for organizations' management of customer knowledge. The authors collected studies dating from 2009 to 2023 in Scopus, where a high dimensionality of bias definitions is observed. As a result of this review, a series of thematic distinctions is proposed, distinguishing sentiment and evaluation asymmetries, motivational factors, as well as on-platform effects that can amplify, adjust, or create biased behaviors. The authors draw analogies with cognitive bias literature regarding cognitive limitations, preconceptions and motives, and contextual adaptations that lead to biased behaviors. Suggested methods and analyses aiming at bias understanding and mitigation are also presented in detail. The authors provide a comprehensive framework of bias-centered management in online review platforms, incorporating customer knowledge flows and practices to monitor and address bias effects.