Power of Sentiment Expressions on Peer-to-Peer Rental Platforms: A Mixed-Method Approach
研究了Airbnb等点对点租赁平台上房东的情感表达如何影响客人购买意愿和房东绩效，发现情感表达通过信任中介提升绩效，尤其在缺乏高质量负面评论时效果更显著。
Studies have confirmed the ineffectiveness of sentiment expressions generated by sellers in improving guests’ purchasing intentions. However, how sentiment expressions can influence guest behavior and host performance remains unclear, given the relative importance of seller-generated content in peer-to-peer rental platforms. After collecting data from Airbnb and developing empirical models, this study confirmed that hosts’ sentiment expressions largely benefit from their online performance. This case is especially true when their properties did not receive high-quality negative reviews. To further reveal the mechanism behind this effect, we further conducted two experiments. Results show that trust plays an intermediary role in the relationship between hosts’ sentiment expressions and guests’ purchasing intentions. This work contributes to tourism literature and property owners on peer-to-peer rental platforms in practice.