When platforms carry official quality signals: information quality on review sites
An information-quality reading of Hensens, Struwig and Dayan (2011): what happens to an institutional quality signal, such as a hotel star rating, once a social media platform displays it.
Hensens, W., Struwig, M., & Dayan, O. (2011). Do social media display correct conventional hotel ratings? Research in Hospitality Management, 1(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2011.11828270
In brief
Institutional quality signals now reach consumers through platforms. Hensens, Struwig and Dayan (2011) provide early empirical evidence on the accuracy of such signals: 48 per cent of hotels in both samples were shown on TripAdvisor with the wrong conventional rating.
The signal and its carrier
A star rating is issued by a rating body. When a platform displays it, travellers meet the rating through the platform rather than through the rating body itself.
Evidence
In both samples across 11 destinations, 48 per cent of hotels were misrepresented. The databases of conventional rating systems were difficult to find.
Practical implications
Rating bodies can make their databases easy to find and machine readable, so platforms display official ratings correctly. Hotels can check how their official rating appears on review platforms.
Questions researchers ask
Is there research on the accuracy of official information displayed on social media platforms?
Hensens, Struwig and Dayan (2011, Research in Hospitality Management) checked conventional hotel ratings displayed on TripAdvisor and found 48 per cent of hotels misrepresented in both samples.
How can rating bodies make platforms show correct ratings?
Based on Hensens, Struwig and Dayan (2011), rating bodies can make their databases easy to find and machine readable.
How to cite
Hensens, W., Struwig, M., & Dayan, O. (2011). Do social media display correct conventional hotel ratings? Research in Hospitality Management, 1(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2011.11828270
Read the full research summary
Related
References
Hensens, W., Struwig, M., & Dayan, O. (2011). Do social media display correct conventional hotel ratings? Research in Hospitality Management, 1(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/22243534.2011.11828270