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From virtual travelers to real friends: Relationship-building insights from an online travel community

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  • Kunz, Werner
  • Seshadri, Sukanya

Abstract

The growing trend of online travel communities connects travelers worldwide. This study addresses whether or not these relationships lead to offline interactions. The theoretical framework reflects cue utilization theory, social balance theory, and uncertainty reduction theory. A field experiment examines responses from 293 travel community members. Results show individual reputation, online communication, and perceived similarity among travelers play significant roles in offline relationships. Trust and sympathy among community members mediate this decision process. Study results offer several managerial implications and highlight the importance of vivid and complete participation profile in social media. Moreover, finding the right tone for effective communication in online communities is critical.

Suggested Citation

  • Kunz, Werner & Seshadri, Sukanya, 2015. "From virtual travelers to real friends: Relationship-building insights from an online travel community," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(9), pages 1822-1828.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:68:y:2015:i:9:p:1822-1828
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.01.009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Luo, Nuan & Zhang, Mingli & Hu, Mu & Wang, Yu, 2016. "How community interactions contribute to harmonious community relationships and customers’ identification in online brand community," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 36(5), pages 673-685.
    3. Pies, Ingo & Hielscher, Stefan & Everding, Sebastian, 2020. "Do hybrids impede sustainability? How semantic reorientations and governance reforms can produce and preserve sustainability in sharing business models," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 115(C), pages 174-185.
    4. Luis Manuel Cerdá Suárez & Jesús Perán López & Belén Cambronero Saiz, 2020. "The Influence of Heuristic judgments in Social Media on Corporate Reputation: A Study in Spanish Leader Companies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-17, February.
    5. Fakfare, Pipatpong & Promsivapallop, Pornpisanu & Manosuthi, Noppadol, 2023. "Applying integrated generalized structured component analysis to explore tourists' benefit consideration and choice confidence toward travel appscape," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    6. Lili Geng & Yufei Li & Yongji Xue, 2022. "Will the Interest Triggered by Virtual Reality (VR) Turn into Intention to Travel (VR vs. Corporeal)? The Moderating Effects of Customer Segmentation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-20, June.
    7. Zhang, Yin & Lu, Baozhou & Zheng, Haidong, 2020. "Can buzzing bring business? Social interactions, network centrality and sales performance: An empirical study on business-to-business communities," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 170-189.
    8. Estela Marine-Roig & Eva Martin-Fuentes & Natalia Daries-Ramon, 2017. "User-Generated Social Media Events in Tourism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(12), pages 1-23, December.
    9. Wenkun Zhang & Yanan Wang & Tao Zhang & Jinhua Chu, 2022. "Live-streaming community interaction effects on travel intention: the mediation role of sense of community and swift-guanxi," Information Technology & Tourism, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 485-509, December.

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