EXPLORING FACTORS DETERMINING SATISFACTION OF GUESTS STAYING WITH AIRBNB: A NETNOGRAPHIC APPROACH

Abstract

With the growth and expansion of the alternative accommodation sector and especially the increasing demand for Airbnb offerings, the competition in the accommodation sector has significantly increased. Although several attempts have been made to identify the factors that determine guest satisfaction in traditional lodging businesses, little is known about the key factors that Airbnb guests appreciate during their stays. Therefore, the key objective of the study is to identify the main factors determining guest satisfaction in Airbnb accommodation businesses. Applying a netnography approach, online reviews posted about Airbnb lists operating in Istanbul were retrieved from ‘Inside Airbnb’ database and content analyzed. The most recent 350 reviews were selected from the total online reviews available (171158). The findings, supported by an Nvivo Word Cloud, suggest that the location of the house/facility, the host's attitude, and the house/room facilities were frequently mentioned and praised by guests. The study adds to the limited literature on satisfaction with Airbnb and provides real-life implications for Airbnb hosts.

Keywords

• Airbnb,Satisfaction factors,Netnography,İstanbul

AIRBNB ARACILIĞIYLA KONAKLAMA YAPAN MISAFIRLERIN MEMNUNIYET DÜZEYLERINI ETKILEYEN FAKTÖRLERIN BELIRLENMESINE YÖNELIK NETNOGRAFIK BIR ARAŞTIRMA

Öz

Alternatif konaklama olanakları son dönemlerde artmaya başlamıştır. Özellikle Airbnb gibi paylaşım ekonomisi kapsamında faaliyet gösteren girişimlere artan talep, konaklama sektöründeki rekabeti ciddi anlamda yoğunlaştırmıştır. Geleneksel konaklama işletmelerinde misafir memnuniyetini sağlayan faktörleri belirleyen birçok araştırma yapılmış olmasına karşın, Airbnb ile konaklama yapan misafirlerin memnuniyetlerini belirleyen faktörler üzerine henüz yeterince araştırma yapılmamıştır. Çalışmanın ana amacı Airbnb ile konaklamayı tercih eden misafirlerin memnuniyet faktörlerini belirlemektir. Bu amaçla, İstanbul’da faaliyet gösteren Airbnb evleriyle ilgili olumlu yorumlar ‘Inside Airbnb’ veri tabanından alınarak netnografi yöntemi ve içerik çözümlemesi tekniğiyle incelenmiştir. İlgili veri tabanında toplam 171158 yorumdan 350 olumlu yorum en güncel olandan başlamak üzere seçilerek analize tabi tutulmuştur. Geleneksel içerik çözümlemesi yöntemiyle elde edilen boyut ve temalar Nvivo 12 kelime bulutu oluşturularak desteklenmiştir. Sonuçlara göre, Airbnb ile konaklayan misafirler, memnuniyetlerini ifade ederken en çok ‘evin konumu’, ‘ev sahibinin tutumu’ ve ‘tesis veya odanın olanakları’ üzerinde yorumlar yapmışlardır. Çalışma, Airbnb misafirlerinin memnuniyet faktörlerini belirleyerek bu alanda gelişen alan yazına teorik katkıda bulunmakta ve Airbnb ev sahiplerine yönelik pratik öneriler sunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Airbnb,Misafir memnuniyet faktörleri,Netnografi,İstanbul

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