The effects of altruistic and egoistic motivations on online reviews writing frequency

Purpose. The increasing importance of online reviews in hospitality and tourism has been widely assessed. A specific stream of research has addressed the motivations to write online reviews, highlighting the effects of both altruistic and egoistic motivations. In fact, some guests write reviews mainly for altruistic reasons such as the desire to help others, not only other customers but also the firms (hotels and restaurants in particular). Other guests post reviews mainly for egoistic motives such as to relive the experience but also to wreak revenge on hotels/restaurants. However, up to now the effects of these different motivations on online reviews writing behaviour have not been fully explored. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to fill this gap by examining the effects of altruistic and egoistic motivations on the frequency of writing online reviews. Methodology. Data were collected through a questionnaire-based survey among a sample of Italian hotels’ and restaurants’ guests. A convenience sampling technique was used. Data were then analysed through a linear regression. Findings. The results reveal that not all altruistic and egoistic motivations have significant effects. In detail, helping other customers (altruistic motivation), enjoyment and wreak revenge on hotels/restaurants (egoistic motivations) influence the frequency of writing online reviews. Practical implications. The research presents practical implications for hotel and restaurant managers. In particular, to increase the number of online reviews for their hotels or restaurants, managers should focus on guests’ willingness to help others but not on the willingness to help the hotel or the restaurant. Originality/value. The analysis of the literature showed the absence of evidence about the effects of altruistic and egoistic motivations on the frequency of writing online reviews. This is an attempt to fill this gap.