The role of online consumer reviews regarding restaurant visit in-tention - An analysis of different review related factors

Abstract: As previous literature suggests, a large share of individuals uses online consumer reviews in their decision-making process. This has sparked the rise of several rating platforms where con-sumers can access information about restaurants in which they plan to dine in. However, little is known about the effect of different review factors in the restaurant industry. This paper, therefore, aimed to identify the role of several online consumer review factors, namely review valence, volume, variance, and timeliness on an individual’s intention to visit a restaurant. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) serves as a theoretical framework, whereby the four factors were hypothesized to affect attitude and intention towards visiting a restaurant. Based on pre-vious literature and the TPB, 9 hypotheses were formulated, and the research model was formed. To collect data to test the hypotheses, a questionnaire was constructed, using measure-ment scales from previous literature. 237 responses were collected out of which 228 qualified for further analysis. Data was assessed via EFA, and CFA and the model was tested using struc-tural equation modeling (SEM). In line with the TPB, attitude towards visiting a restaurant had a significant positive effect on an individual’s intention to visit a restaurant. Concerning the review-related factors, only the distribution of reviews (variance) had a significant impact on both attitude and intention towards visiting a restaurant. Leading to the support of two out of 9 hypotheses and the need for further research in the field of online consumer reviews.