Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-2023
Version
Post-print
Abstract
Purpose – Drawing on the elaboration likelihood model, we examine the influence of perceived professor teaching qualities, as central cues, on online professor ratings. Also, our study investigates how the volume and period of reviews, as peripheral cues, affect online professor ratings.
Design/methodology/approach – Leveraging stratified random sampling, we collect reviews for 892 Information Systems professors from 250 American universities. We employ regression models while conducting robustness tests through multi-level logistic regression and causal inference methods.
Findings – Our results suggest that the central route from perceived professor qualities to online professor ratings is significant, including most qualitative pedagogical factors except positive assessment. In addition to course difficulty, the effect of the peripheral route is limited due to deficient diagnosticity.
Research limitations/implications – Our primary concern about the data validity is a lack of a competing and complementary dataset. However, an institutional evaluation survey or an experimental study can corroborate our findings in future research.
Practical implications – Online professor review sites can enhance their perceived diagnosticity and credibility by increasing review vividness and promoting site interactivity. In addition to traditional institutional evaluations, professors can obtain insightful feedback from review sites to improve their teaching effectiveness.
Originality/value – To our best knowledge, this study is the first attempt to employ the elaboration likelihood model and accessibility-diagnosticity theory in explicating the information processing of online professor reviews. It also sheds light on various determinants and routes to persuasion, thus providing a novel theoretical perspective on online professor reviews.
Journal Name
Internet Research
Recommended Citation
Li, Y., Wang, X., & Van Slyke, C. (2023). Determinants of online professor reviews: an elaboration likelihood model perspective. Internet Research, 33(6), 2086-2108. (post-print)
Comments
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