I Feel Good! Perceptions and Emotional Responses of Bed & Breakfast Providers in New Zealand Toward Trip Advisor

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to segment the perceptions of Bed & Breakfast (B&Bs) providers in relation to user-generated content (UGC) and to identify their felt emotions in response to customers’ online positive and negative comments. A survey of B&B providers in New Zealand revealed the existence of four clusters of perceptions (Neutrals, Detesters, Supporters, and Apprehensives). The identified clusters are not different on their business characteristics but felt a wide range of emotions in response to UGC reviews. The four clusters differ significantly more in their emotional responses to reading positive rather than negative online reviews. Implications for management of online reviews by B&B providers as well as their well-being are suggested.

本研究旨在细分住宿与早餐（B&B）提供方对用户生成内容（UGC）的看法，并确定他们对客户的积极和消极在线评论的感受。对新西兰B&B提供方的调查显示，存在四组感知人群（中立者、厌恶者、支持者和欣赏者）。这些细分群体在业务特征上并没有差异，但对 UGC 的评论却有完全不同的情绪感受。这四个群体在看到积极（而不是消极）的在线评论时的情绪反应差异明显。研究结果对于B&B提供方管理在线评论及其利弊有重要参考意义。

KEYWORDS:

• B&B operators
• felt emotions
• New Zealand
• segmentation
• UGC perceptions