Online Review Manipulation in Resort Hotels

Abstract

This study, conducted to determine the attitudes and behaviors of resort hotel managers towards online review manipulation, reveals why and how online review manipulation practices are applied in hotels. A quantitative research approach and descriptive research design were adopted, and a questionnaire was applied to the managers of 42 hotel businesses operating in Bodrum. Frequency analysis results indicated that hotel managers can manipulate online reviews to protect the business's reputation, gain an advantage over competitors, manage the pressure of tour operators and avoid compensation payments. The strategies applied are offering guests various monetary incentives (i.e., free late check-out) to prevent negative reviews, asking staff to write fake reviews as a guest or asking guests to write positive reviews, writing fake reviews against rival hotels, and paying high commission fees to online platforms. The results were discussed concerning the literature and the hotel industry. The fact that this is one of the pioneering studies examining the issue of online review manipulation from the perspective of resort hotels reveals the originality and contribution of this research to the existing literature.

Keywords

• Online review platforms
• online customer reviews
• online review manipulation
• online review manipulation strategies
• resort hotel businesses.

Resort Otellerde Çevrim İçi Yorum Manipülasyonu

Abstract

Resort otel yöneticilerinin çevrim içi yorum manipülasyonuna yönelik tutum ve davranışlarını belirlemek amacıyla yürütülen bu araştırmada, otellerde çevrim içi yorumları manipüle edici uygulamaların neden ve nasıl yapıldığı ortaya koyulmaktadır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda nicel araştırma yaklaşımı ve betimsel araştırma tasarımı benimsenmiş, Bodrum’da faaliyet gösteren 42 otel işletmesinin yöneticilerine anket uygulanmıştır. Frekans analizi yoluyla ulaşılan sonuçlar otel yöneticilerinin; işletmenin itibarını korumak, rakiplere üstünlük sağlamak, tur operatörlerinin baskısını yönetebilmek ve tazminat ödemeleriyle karşılaşmamak için çevrim içi yorum manipülasyonu yapabildiklerini göstermektedir. Bu kapsamda uygulanan stratejiler ise olumsuz yorumları engellemek için misafirlere çeşitli parasal teşviklerin (ücretsiz geç çıkış vb.) sunulması, personelden bir misafir gibi sahte yorum yazmasının veya misafirlere olumlu yorum yazdırmasının istenmesi, rakip otellerin aleyhine sahte yorumların yazılması ve çevrim içi platformlara yüksek komisyon bedellerinin ödenmesidir. Araştırmanın sonuçları mevcut literatürle ilişkilendirilerek tartışılmış ve otelcilik sektöründeki güncel durum üzerine bir değerlendirme yapılmıştır. Çevrim içi yorum manipülasyonu konusunu resort oteller perspektifinden inceleyen öncü çalışmalardan olması, bu araştırmanın özgünlüğünü ve literatüre katkısını ortaya koymaktadır.

Keywords

• Çevrim içi yorum platformları
• çevrim içi müşteri yorumları
• çevrim içi yorum manipülasyonu
• çevrim içi yorum manipülasyonu stratejileri
• resort otel işletmeleri.

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