Adoption of online customer reviews : the influence of central and peripheral route factors

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the central route factor of argument quality and the peripheral route factor of perceived source credibility on adoption of online customer reviews of guesthouses. The study made use of a descriptive research design. Data was collected from 306 respondents in Gauteng using a structured questionnaire. The study uncovered that both argument quality and source credibility have a significant influence on perceived information usefulness which in turn exerts positive influence on adoption of online reviews. The findings showed that source credibility had a stronger influence on perceived information usefulness than argument quality. The implications for management of guesthouse establishments include the need for them to understand the importance of high quality online reviews in persuading consumers to choose a guesthouse. Managers can encourage their customers to post their guesthouse experiences online and to do so in a comprehensive manner by covering varied aspects of the service