Online Review Antecedents of Trust, Purchase, and Recommendation Intention: A Simulation-Based Experiment for Hotels and AirBnBs

Abstract

Although the influence of trust on purchase intention is well studied in e-commerce, the emergence and rapid growth of the sharing economy has renewed the relevance of this relationship. Though the sharing economy lacks the institutional assurance mechanisms inherent in traditional industries, consumers must rely on trust to inform their selection decisions more so than before. In this study, the influence on trust of four consumer characteristics and accommodation type (whether an accommodation is a hotel or an AirBnB) are evaluated. Findings reveal that disposition to trust, education, uncertainty avoidance, and the accommodation type variables influence trust. Findings also support relationships between trust and both purchase intention and recommendation intention. These findings carry implications for sharing platform developers as well as e-commerce researchers.