管理科学与工程系学术讲座

题  目：“I” or “You”: The Role of Perspective Taking in Online Reviews* 

主讲人：Han Zhang, (Scheller College of Business, Georgia Institute of Technology)

时  间：2017年6月6日 上午10:00- 12:00

地  点: 同济大厦A楼308教室 

报告内容摘要

Online reviews are pervasive and important in the digital age. However, people may write reviews from completely different perspectives: from their self-interests or from future readers’ viewpoint. The present paper examines how taking the perspective of future review readers (prospective consumers) influences these readers’ perception of review helpfulness. Despite the widely shared view that perspective taking leads to positive outcomes, we propose that perspective taking can also negatively affect review helpfulness perceptions. This potential mixed-effect nature of perspective taking in online reviews has not been investigated theoretically or empirically. Drawing on the perspective taking and persuasion literature, we develop a theoretical framework emphasizing both positive and negative mechanisms through which reviewers’ perspective taking influences consumers’ perceived review helpfulness. Results of an archival analysis using Apple’s App Store, a follow-up survey, and an experiment provide consistent support for our hypotheses. Our findings challenge the predominant view of the positive effect of perspective taking, reveal its opposing mechanisms, and provide important implications for product/service providers, review platforms and reviewers. 

Key words : Online Reviews, Persuation, e-commerce 

报告人简介 

Prof. Han Zhang is a Professor in Information Technology Management (ITM) and Steven A. Denning Professor of Technology & Management. He received his Ph.D. in Information Systems from the University of Texas at Austin. He currently serves as the Faculty Director of the Steven A. Denning Technology & Management (T&M) Program. He was the ITM Area Coordinator from 2007 to 2012 and he served as the Faculty Director of the Executive MBA Program from 2013 to 2016. Dr. Zhang held the Helen and John Taylor Rhett, Jr. Term Professorship from 2008 to 2012. He is also an affiliate research faculty member of the Center for Research in Electronic Commerce at the University of Texas at Austin.