As restaurants increasingly solicit fake reviews on online word-of-mouth (WOM) platforms, the authenticity and credibility of online reviews have been compromised. This study investigates restaurants’ motivations to solicit positive fake reviews from a competition perspective. Our results show that a higher number of positive fake reviews by competitors can more strongly motivate a restaurant to solicit positive fake reviews, whereas a market advantage over competitors (based on review valence) significantly reduces a restaurant’s motivation to solicit positive fake reviews. Furthermore, the extent of the above two effects is moderated by the degree of prospective popularity; no significant difference was observed between chain and independently owned restaurants. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are also discussed.

随着餐厅越来越多地在在线口碑 (WOM) 平台上征求虚假评论，在线评论的真实性和可信度受到了损害。本研究从竞争的角度调查餐馆征求正面虚假评论的动机。我们的结果表明，竞争对手的正面虚假评论数量越多，可以更强烈地激励餐厅征求正面虚假评论，而相对于竞争对手的市场优势（基于评论效价）会显着降低餐厅征求正面虚假评论的动机。此外，上述两种影响的程度受预期受欢迎程度的影响；连锁餐厅和独立餐厅之间没有观察到显着差异。还讨论了这些发现的理论和实践意义。