Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The moderate-reputation trap: Evidence from a Chinese cross-border business-to-business e-commerce portal

  • Published:
Asia Pacific Journal of Management Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

How does review-based online reputation (for brevity, online reputation) influence online firm survival? Drawing insights from the resource-based view and signaling theory, we examine a nonlinear (U-shaped) relationship between online reputation and firm survival on a cross-border business-to-business (B2B) platform and the resulting moderate-reputation trap. We further examine how online firms employ product strategies to moderate the effect of online reputation on firm survival and thus mitigate the moderate-reputation trap. Using data from 17,920 monthly observations (3145 sellers) from July 2016 to December 2017 on DHgate.com in China, we find strong evidence supporting our hypothesized relationships. More specifically, we demonstrate the existence of the moderate-reputation trap and that this trap can be mitigated by a high product price or low product diversity. Our research provides important insights for managers of online firms, B2B platform providers, and governments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. While the concept of reputation is broad, in this study, we focus on review-based online reputation.

  2. We follow the broad definition of product that includes service. More specifically, product is defined as anything that can be offered in a market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption that might satisfy a need or want (Kotler & Armstrong, 2014).

  3. https://www.zdnet.com/article/china-accounts-for-40-percent-of-global-ecommerce-transactions/

  4. Source: Seller policy of DHgate, http://seller.dhgate.com/policynew/c_5004000.html.

References

  • Amit, R., & Zott, C. 2001. Value creation in e-business. Strategic Management Journal, 22(6-7): 493-520.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baggs, J. 2005. Firm survival and exit in response to trade liberalization. Canadian Journal of Economics, 38(4): 1364-1383.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Banerjee, S., Bhattacharyya, S., & Bose, I. 2017. Whose online reviews to trust? Understanding reviewer trustworthiness and its impact on business. Decision Support Systems, 96: 17-26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, M. L., Jermier, J. M., & Lafferty, B. A. 2006. Corporate reputation: The definitional landscape. Corporate Reputation Review, 9(1): 26-38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnett, W. P., Feng, M., & Luo, X. 2013. Social identity, market memory, and first-mover advantage. Industrial and Corporate Change, 22(3): 585-615.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barney, J. 1991. Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1): 99-120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barney, J. B. 1986. Strategic factor markets: Expectations, luck, and business strategy. Management Science, 32(10): 1231-1241.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bascle, G. 2008. Controlling for endogeneity with instrumental variables in strategic management research. Strategic Organization, 6(3): 285-327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Basdeo, D. K., Smith, K. G., Grimm, C. M., Rindova, V. P., & Derfus, P. J. 2006. The impact of market actions on firm reputation. Strategic Management Journal, 27(12): 1205-1219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, H. H., Falk, T., & Hammerschmidt, M. 2006. eTransQual: A transaction process-based approach for capturing service quality in online shopping. Journal of Business Research, 59(7): 866-875.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bayus, B. L., & Putsis Jr, W. P. 1999. Product proliferation: An empirical analysis of product line determinants and market outcomes. Marketing Science, 18(2): 137-153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bercovitz, J., & Mitchell, W. 2007. When is more better? The impact of business scale and scope on long-term business survival, while controlling for profitability. Strategic Management Journal, 28(1): 61-79.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bergh, D. D., Ketchen, D. J., Boyd, B. K., & Bergh, J. 2010. New frontiers of the reputation—Performance relationship: Insights from multiple theories. Journal of Management, 36(3): 620-632.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berry, H. 2015. Knowledge Inheritance in Global Industries: The Impact of Parent Firm Knowledge on the Performance of Foreign Subsidiaries. Academy of Management Journal, 58(5): 1438-1458.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd, B. K., Bergh, D. D., & Ketchen, D. J. 2010. Reconsidering the reputation—performance relationship: A resource-based view. Journal of Management, 36(3): 588-609.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brynjolfsson, E., & Smith, M. D. 2000. Frictionless commerce? A comparison of Internet and conventional retailers. Management Science, 46(4): 563-585.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cabral, L., & Hortacsu, A. 2010. The dynamics of seller reputation: Evidence from eBay. The Journal of Industrial Economics, 58(1): 54-78.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheema, A., & Papatla, P. 2010. Relative importance of online versus offline information for Internet purchases: Product category and Internet experience effects. Journal of Business Research, 63(9-10): 979-985.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y., Fay, S., & Wang, Q. 2011. The role of marketing in social media: How online consumer reviews evolve. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 25(2): 85-94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y., & Xie, J. 2008. Online consumer review: Word-of-mouth as a new element of marketing communication mix. Management Science, 54(3): 477-491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, Y., & Yao, S. 2017. Sequential search with refinement: Model and application with click-stream data. Management Science, 63(12): 4345-4365.

  • Cheng, J. M.-S., Wang, E. S.-T., Lin, J. Y.-C., Chen, L. S., & Huang, W. H. 2008. Do extrinsic cues affect purchase risk at international e-tailers: The mediating effect of perceived e-tailer service quality. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 15(5): 420-428.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chevalier, J. A., & Mayzlin, D. 2006. The effect of word of mouth on sales: Online book reviews. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(3): 345-354.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Connelly, B. L., Certo, S. T., Ireland, R. D., & Reutzel, C. R. 2011. Signaling theory: A review and assescment. Journal of Management, 37(1): 39-67.

  • Corley, K., & Gioia, D. 2000. The rankings game: Managing business school reputation. Corporate Reputation Review, 3(4): 319-333.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Courtney, C., Dutta, S., & Li, Y. 2017. Resolving information asymmetry: Signaling, endorsement, and crowdfunding success. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(2): 265-290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cox, D., & Oakes, D. 1984. Analysis of survival data. New York: Chapman and Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dawar, N., & Parker, P. 1994. Marketing universals: Consumers’ use of brand name, price, physical appearance, and retailer reputation as signals of product quality. Journal of Marketing, 58(2): 81-95.

    Google Scholar 

  • De la Fuente Sabaté, J. M., & De Quevedo Puente, E. 2003. Empirical analysis of the relationship between corporate reputation and financial performance: A survey of the literature. Corporate Reputation Review, 6(2): 161-177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deephouse, D. L. 2000. Media reputation as a strategic resource: An integration of mass communication and resource-based theories. Journal of Management, 26(6): 1091-1112.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dellarocas, C., Gao, G., & Narayan, R. 2010. Are consumers more likely to contribute online reviews for hit or niche products? Journal of Management Information Systems, 27(2): 127-158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng, Z., Guo, H., Zhang, W., & Wang, C. 2014. Innovation and survival of exporters: A contingency perspective. International Business Review, 23(2): 396-406.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Deng, Z., & Wang, Z. 2016. Early-mover advantages at cross-border business-to-business e-commerce portals. Journal of Business Research, 69(12): 6002-6011.

  • Dierickx, I., & Cool, K. 1989. Asset stock accumulation and sustainability of competitive advantage. Management Science, 35(12): 1504-1511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dollinger, M. J., Golden, P. A., & Saxton, T. 1997. The effect of reputation on the decision to joint venture. Strategic Management Journal, 18(2): 127-140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du, K. 2018. The impact of multi-channel and multi-product strategies on firms' risk-return performance. Decision Support Systems, 109: 27-38.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan, W., Gu, B., & Whinston, A. B. 2008. Do online reviews matter?—An empirical investigation of panel data. Decision Support Systems, 45(4): 1007-1016.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Erdem, T., Keane, M. P., & Sun, B. 2008. A dynamic model of brand choice when price and advertising signal product quality. Marketing Science, 27(6): 1111-1125.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Floyd, K., Freling, R., Alhoqail, S., Cho, H. Y., & Freling, T. 2014. How online product reviews affect retail sales: A meta-analysis. Journal of Retailing, 90(2): 217-232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fombrun, C., & Shanley, M. 1990. What's in a name? Reputation building and corporate strategy. Academy of Management Journal, 33(2): 233-258.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fombrun, C. J., Gardberg, N. A., & Sever, J. M. 2000. The Reputation QuotientSM: A multi-stakeholder measure of corporate reputation. Journal of Brand Management, 7(4): 241-255.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fong, C.-M., Lee, C.-L., & Du, Y. 2013. Target reputation transferability, consumer animosity, and cross-border acquisition success: A comparison between China and Taiwan. International Business Review, 22(1): 174-186.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forman, C., Ghose, A., & Goldfarb, A. 2009. Competition between local and electronic markets: How the benefit of buying online depends on where you live. Management Science, 55(1): 47-57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Freund, C., & Weinhold, D. 2002. The Internet and international trade in services. The American Economic Review, 92(2): 236-240.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gaur, A. S., & Lu, J. W. 2007. Ownership strategies and survival of foreign subsidiaries: Impacts of institutional distance and experience. Journal of Management, 33(1): 84-110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gomez-Herrera, E., Martens, B., & Turlea, G. 2014. The drivers and impediments for cross-border e-commerce in the EU. Information Economics and Policy, 28: 83-96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haans, R. F., Pieters, C., & He, Z. L. 2015. Thinking about U: theorizing and testing U- and inverted U-shaped relationships in strategy research. Strategic Management Journal, 37(7): 1177-1195

  • Hale, G., & Santos, J. A. 2008. The decision to first enter the public bond market: The role of firm reputation, funding choices, and bank relationships. Journal of Banking & Finance, 32(9): 1928-1940.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haleblian, J., Pfarrer, M. D., & Kiley, J. T. 2017. High-reputation firms and their differential acquisition behaviors. Strategic Management Journal, 38(11): 2237-2254.

  • Hansen, L. P. 1982. Large sample properties of generalized method of moments estimators. Econometrica, 50(4): 1029-1054.

  • Jin, B., Yong Park, J., & Kim, J. 2008. Cross-cultural examination of the relationships among firm reputation, e-satisfaction, e-trust, and e-loyalty. International Marketing Review, 25(3): 324-337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalnins, A. 2018. Multicollinearity: How common factors cause Type 1 errors in multivariate regression. Strategic Management Journal, 39(8): 2362-2385.

  • Kennedy, P. 2003. A guide to econometrics. Cambridge: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kim, Y., & Krishnan, R. 2015. On product-level uncertainty and online purchase behavior: An empirical analysis. Management Science, 61(10): 2449-2467.

  • King, R. A., Racherla, P., & Bush, V. D. 2014. What we know and don't know about online word-of-mouth: A review and synthesis of the literature. Journal of Interactive Marketing, 28(3): 167-183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kotha, S., Rajgopal, S., & Rindova, V. 2001. Reputation building and performance: An empirical analysis of the top-50 pure internet firms. European Management Journal, 19(6): 571-586.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kotler, P., & Armstrong, G. 2014. Principles of marketing, 14th ed. Prentice Hall: Pearson Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lamin, A., & Livanis, G. 2013. Agglomeration, catch-up and the liability of foreignness in emerging economies. Journal of International Business Studies, 44(6): 579-606.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lange, D., Lee, P. M., & Dai, Y. 2011. Organizational reputation: A review. Journal of Management, 37(1): 153-184.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li, Q., & Vashchilko, T. 2010. Dyadic military conflict, security alliances, and bilateral FDI flows. Journal of International Business Studies, 41(5): 765-782.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, X., Wang, C., & Wei, Y. 2009. Do local manufacturing firms benefit from transactional linkages with multinational enterprises in China? Journal of International Business Studies, 40(7): 1113-1130.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Y. 2006. Word of mouth for movies: Its dynamics and impact on box office revenue. Journal of Marketing, 70(3): 74-89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, Y., Feng, J., & Wei, K. K. 2012. Negative price premium effect in online market—the impact of competition and buyer informativeness on the pricing strategies of sellers with different reputation levels. Decision Support Systems, 54(1): 681-690.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, J. W., & Hebert, L. 2005. Equity control and the survival of international joint ventures: a contingency approach. Journal of Business Research, 58(6): 736-745.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luca, M. 2016. Reviews, reputation, and revenue: The case of Yelp. com. Harvard Business School NOM Unit Working Paper, 12-016.

  • Ludwig, S., De Ruyter, K., Friedman, M., Brüggen, E. C., Wetzels, M., & Pfann, G. 2013. More than words: The influence of affective content and linguistic style matches in online reviews on conversion rates. Journal of Marketing, 77(1): 87-103.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma, X., Delios, A., & Lau, C.-M. 2013. Beijing or Shanghai? The strategic location choice of large MNEs' host-country headquarters in China. Journal of International Business Studies, 44(9): 953-961.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Makino, S., & Chan, C. M. 2017. Skew and heavy-tail effects on firm performance. Strategic Management Journal, 38(8): 1721-1740.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manjón-Antolín, M. C., & Arauzo-Carod, J.-M. 2008. Firm survival: methods and evidence. Empirica, 35(1): 1-24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manyika, J., Lund, S., Bughin, J., Woetzel, J. R., Stamenov, K., & Dhingra, D. 2016. Digital globalization: The new era of global flows. New York: McKinsey Global Institute. Retrieved from https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/digital-globalization-the-new-era-of-global-flows

  • March, J. G. 1978. Bounded rationality, ambiguity, and the engineering of choice. The Bell Journal of Economics, 9(2): 587-608.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mayer, K. J. 2006. Spillovers and governance: An analysis of knowledge and reputational spillovers in information technology. Academy of Management Journal, 49(1): 69-84.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oxley, J. E., & Yeung, B. 2001. E-commerce readiness: Institutional environment and international competitiveness. Journal of International Business Studies, 32(4): 705-723.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, C., & Lee, T. M. 2009. Information direction, website reputation and eWOM effect: A moderating role of product type. Journal of Business Research, 62(1): 61-67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Park, S., & Nicolau, J. L. J. A. 2015. Asymmetric effects of online consumer reviews. Annals of Tourism Research, 50, 67-83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pentina, I., Pelton, L. E., & Hasty, R. W. 2009. Performance implications of online entry timing by store-based retailers: a longitudinal investigation. Journal of Retailing, 85(2): 177-193.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pezderka, N., & Sinkovics, R. R. 2011. A conceptualization of e-risk perceptions and implications for small firm active online internationalization. International Business Review, 20(4): 409-422.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfarrer, M. D., Pollock, T. G., & Rindova, V. P. 2010. A tale of two assets: The effects of firm reputation and celebrity on earnings surprises and investors' reactions. Academy of Management Journal, 53(5): 1131-1152.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Porter, M. E. 1980. Competitive Strategy: : Creating and sustaining superior performance. New York: Free Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pregibon, D. 1980. Goodness of link tests for generalized linear models. Applied Statistics, 29(1): 15-14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rao, A. R., & Monroe, K. B. 1989. The effect of price, brand name, and store name on buyers’ perceptions of product quality: An integrative review. Journal of Marketing Research, 26(3): 351-357.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rao, H. 1994. The social construction of reputation: Certification contests, legitimation, and the survival of organizations in the American automobile industry: 1895–1912. Strategic Management Journal, 15(S1): 29-44.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Resnick, P., Zeckhauser, R., Swanson, J., & Lockwood, K. 2006. The value of reputation on eBay: A controlled experiment. Experimental Economics, 9(2): 79-101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhee, M. 2009. Does reputation contribute to reducing organizational errors? A learning approach. Journal of Management Studies, 46(4): 676-703.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rhee, M., & Haunschild, P. R. 2006. The liability of good reputation: A study of product recalls in the US automobile industry. Organization Science, 17(1): 101-117.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rindova, V. P., Williamson, I. O., Petkova, A. P., & Sever, J. M. 2005. Being good or being known: An empirical examination of the dimensions, antecedents, and consequences of organizational reputation. Academy of Management Journal, 48(6): 1033-1049.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roberts, P. W., & Dowling, G. R. 2002. Corporate reputation and sustained superior financial performance. Strategic Management Journal, 23(12): 1077-1093.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, W. T., Fornell, C., & Sullivan, M. 1992. Are market pioneers intrinsically stronger than later entrants? Strategic Management Journal, 13(8): 609-624.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, C., & Varian, H. R. 1999. Information rules: a strategic guide to the network economy. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Song, S. 2014. Entry mode irreversibility, host market uncertainty, and foreign subsidiary exits. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 31(2): 455-471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spence, A. M. 1974. Market signaling: Informational transfer in hiring and related screening processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Standifird, S. S. 2001. Reputation and e-commerce: eBay auctions and the asymmetrical impact of positive and negative ratings. Journal of Management, 27(3): 279-295.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swoboda, B., Puchert, C., & Morschett, D. 2016. Explaining the differing effects of corporate reputation across nations: a multilevel analysis. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 44(4): 454-473.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tadelis, S. 2016. Reputation and feedback systems in online platform markets. Annual Review of Economics, 8: 321-340.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Talay, M. B., Townsend, J. D., & Yeniyurt, S. 2015. Global brand architecture position and market-based performance: the moderating role of culture. Journal of International Marketing, 23(2): 55-72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang, L. 2017. Mine Your Customers or Mine Your Business: The Moderating Role of Culture in Online Word-of-Mouth Reviews. Journal of International Marketing, 25(2): 88-110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Urban, G. L., Sultan, F., & Qualls, W. J. 2000. Placing trust at the center of your Internet strategy. Sloan Management Review, 42(1): 39-48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Vanacker, T., & Forbes, D. P. 2016. Disentangling the multiple effects of affiliate reputation on resource attraction in new firms. Organization Science, 27(6): 1525-1547.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • VanderWerf, P. A., & Mahon, J. F. 1997. Meta-analysis of the impact of research methods on findings of first-mover advantage. Management Science, 43(11): 1510-1519.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wade, J. B., Porac, J. F., Pollock, T. G., & Graffin, S. D. 2006. The burden of celebrity: The impact of CEO certification contests on CEO pay and performance. Academy of Management Journal, 49(4): 643-660.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker, K. 2010. A systematic review of the corporate reputation literature: Definition, measurement, and theory. Corporate Reputation Review, 12(4): 357-387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walsh, G., Mitchell, V. W., Jackson, P. R., & Beatty, S. E. 2009. Examining the antecedents and consequences of corporate reputation: A customer perspective. British Journal of Management, 20(2): 187-203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y., Wang, S., Fang, Y., & Chau, P. Y. 2013. Store survival in online marketplace: An empirical investigation. Decision Support Systems, 56: 482-493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Will, M., Probst, M., & Schmidt, T. 1999. Who's managing corporate reputation? A survey of leading European companies. Corporate Reputation Review, 2(4): 301-306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, C., Che, H., Chan, T. Y., & Lu, X. 2015. The economic value of online reviews. Marketing Science, 34(5): 739-754.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xue, W., Li, D., & Pei, Y. 2016. The development and current of cross-border e-commerce. WHICEB 2016 Proceedings. 53: 131-138.

  • Zhou, Y. M., & Wan, X. 2017. Product variety and vertical integration. Strategic Management Journal, 38(5): 1134-1150.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu, F., & Zhang, X. 2010. Impact of online consumer reviews on sales: The moderating role of product and consumer characteristics. Journal of Marketing, 74(2): 133-148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhuang, M., Cui, G., & Peng, L. 2018. Manufactured opinions: The effect of manipulating online product reviews. Journal of Business Research, 87: 24-35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank our editor Prof. Cui Lin and the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments. This study was supported by National Office for Philosophy and Social Sciences (CN) (No: 18BGL051), Tsinghua University Center for Industrial Development and Environmental Governance (CIDEG), CityU Strategic Research Grants (No: 7005199 & No: 7005388), CityU Startup Grant for Professor (No: 9380098), and Shanghai Planning Office of Philosophy and Social Science (No: 2019EGL009).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zhijiang Institute for Statistics and Big Data, Zhejiang Gongshang University, No. 18, Xuezheng Street, Jianggan District, Hangzhou, 310018, China

    Lingli Luo

  2. Department of Management, City University of Hong Kong, 10-252, Lau Ming Wai Academic Building, Kowloon Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Xufei Ma

  3. Institute of Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Science, No.2, Yuetan North Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100045, China

    Zeyu Wang

  4. International Business School, Zhejiang Gongshang University, No. 18, Xuezheng Street, Jianggan District, Hangzhou, 310018, China

    Lingli Luo

Authors
  1. Lingli Luo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Xufei Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Zeyu Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zeyu Wang.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Appendix

Appendix

Appendix Table 9 presents the subsample Cox regression results and z-statistics of different groups by using review rating as the proxy of online reputation. Following Lamin and Livanis (2013), we use the median value of price and diversity to dichotomize the full sample into “low price” versus “high price” subsamples as well as “low diversity” versus “high diversity” subsamples. The results show support for Hypotheses 2 and 3, and we draw Figs. 3 and 4 based on the results in Appendix Table 9.

Table 9 Robustness test results: Cox regression results with subsamples
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Luo, L., Ma, X. & Wang, Z. The moderate-reputation trap: Evidence from a Chinese cross-border business-to-business e-commerce portal. Asia Pac J Manag 39, 395–432 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-020-09730-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-020-09730-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation