JBR-08266; No of Pages 7

Journal of Business Research xxx (2015) xxxxxx

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Journal of Business Research

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

travel community
Werner Kunz , Sukanya Seshadri 1
College of Management, University of Massachusetts, 100 Morrissey Boulevard, Boston, MA 02125, USA

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Available online xxxx

Keywords:
Online travel community
Tourism
Social networks
Social media
Couch surng

a b s t r a c t
The growing trend of online travel communities connects travelers worldwide. This study addresses whether or
not these relationships lead to ofine interactions. The theoretical framework reects cue utilization theory,
social balance theory, and uncertainty reduction theory. A eld experiment examines responses from 293 travel
community members. Results show individual reputation, online communication, and perceived similarity among
travelers play signicant roles in ofine 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 prole in social media. Moreover, nding the right tone for effective communication
in online communities is critical.
2015 Published by Elsevier Inc.

1. Introduction
The Internet substantially changed the travel industry over the last
two decades. Customers easily access information and build new relationships using social media. Previously, companies typically employed
traditional marketing channels to build customer relationships
(Hennig-Thurau et al., 2010). Today, companies also use social media
to build these relationships.
Online communities offer a wide variety of possibilities to establish,
maintain, and develop relationships between individuals and businesses. For tourists, online travel communities represent a growing
trend (Bialski & Batorski, 2007). For example, the CouchSurng.com
web platform is an Internet service that connects travelers worldwide.
Online encounters between travelers often lead to ofine relationships
(e.g., visiting each other's home city). In contrast with online matchmaking sites, a travel online community primarily shares trip experiences, not romantic matches (Whitty, Baker, & Inman, 2007). Prior
research examines relationships among online community participants;
however, a paucity of research exists regarding how online relationships might lead to ofine relationships (Boyd & Ellison, 2008; Foster,
Francescucci, & West, 2010; Jahn & Kunz, 2012; Raacke &
Bonds-Raacke, 2008). Typically, these communities rely on preexisting,
ofine relationships (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn). Online communities
likely help users build ofine relationships with strangers as well.
This study identies and investigates key conditions necessary for
online travel community members to engage in an ofine relationships.
Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 617 291 8736.
E-mail addresses: werner.kunz@umb.edu (W. Kunz), sukanya.seshadri@umb.edu
(S. Seshadri).
1
Tel.: +1 617 291 8736.

The proposed framework builds on various theoretical approaches.

According to the Uncertainty Reduction Theory (Berger & Calabrese,
1975), individuals follow risk-reducing steps in uncertain situations.
Arguably, meeting a stranger online is such an uncertain situation.
According to cue utilization theory, specic information serves as a
proxy for other attributes (Olsen, 1977). Accessing online communities,
individuals look for informational cues to make their decisions. Finally,
Heider's (1946) Balance theory implies that individuals try to avoid
imbalanced situations. Two people's views differing signicantly cause
imbalance and create anxiety. A eld experiment with 293
CouchSurng members tests the hypotheses. Results show that the
community reputation, online communication behavior, and perceived
similarities among travelers play signicant roles building potential
ofine relationships. Trust and sympathy between members also
mediate this process.
The present study contributes to online community research by
explaining the transformation process, from online to ofine relationships, in a global travel community. This study provides insights into
how to build relationships through online communities that can lead
to ofine interactions (e.g., location, or event visit). These insights help
practitioners to use global online communities more effectively.
2. Research background
2.1. Online community relationships
Prior research identies several motives for community engagement. Findings suggest that social connections (i.e., keeping in touch
with friends) and information sharing (e.g., events or gossip) are central
reasons for online community engagement (Foster et al., 2010; Jahn &
Kunz, 2012; Raacke & Bonds-Raacke, 2008; Ridings & Gefen, 2006;

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.01.009
0148-2963/ 2015 Published by Elsevier Inc.

Please cite this article as: Kunz, W., & Seshadri, S., From virtual travelers to real friends: Relationship-building insights from an online travel
community, Journal of Business Research (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.01.009

W. Kunz, S. Seshadri / Journal of Business Research xxx (2015) xxxxxx

Sheldon, 2008). Thus, relationship building and information exchange

serve as primary motives for online community participation.
The relationship partner or source of information need not be a close
friend. Strangers (i.e., no preexisting relationship, or latent ties) also
serve as valuable information providers. Prior research notes how people
perceive information from strangers in general and in online environments (Brown & Reingen, 1987; Constant & Sproull, 1996; Weiss, Lurie,
& MacInnis, 2008). For example, Brown and Reingen (1987) nd that active information seeking (e.g., initiating an online conversation to obtain
product information) likely occurs among weak rather than strong tie
sources (close friends). Constant and Sproull (1996) show weak ties
give useful advice; such usefulness largely stems from the expertise
and experience of the weak tie source. Weiss et al. (2008) suggest past
behavior guides information seekers' judgments of information value. A
fast response may be more valuable clarifying information seekers'
problems sooner. Thus, strangers become valuable information sources
and suggest a need to investigate requirements for building these
relationships.
2.2. Online travel communities with strangers
Most online communities build on preexisting social relations (Boyd
& Ellison, 2008). Ellison, Steineld, and Lampe (2007) show that
Facebook users prefer to search for people with whom they have ofine
relationships. In contrast, online travel community members are
strangers; the community focuses on shared travel experiences. Wang,
Yu, and Fesenmaier (2002) describe online travel communities as platforms for travelers to obtain trip information, nd travel companions,
provide travel tips, or simply share interesting experiences
(e.g., CouchSurng, TripAdvisor, WAYN). Members usually do not
know one another in-person. On the other hand, online travel community members often share high levels of personal information (SanchezFranco & Rondan-Catalua, 2010). In contrast to online matchmaking
sites, a travel online community focuses primarily on shared travel
experiences rather than romantic relationships (Whitty et al., 2007).
Bialski and Batorski (2007) show that intense exchange activities
on CouchSurng helps transform online to ofine relationships. Their
study does not consider exchange activity types, information cues
community members use, or the time when they meet new people
(i.e., strangers) on the platform and just start the relationship. Rosen,
Lafontaine, and Hendrickson (2011) reveal that community members

who lack face-to-face meetings with other members suffer a lower

sense of belongingness. On the ip side, a sense of community
belongingness relates positively to greater attendance at ofine
gatherings. Finally, Wu and Chang (2005) nd interactivity and
trust are the key drivers of community ow experiences.

3. Framework of the hypotheses

This section develops a theoretical framework for achieving ofine
relationships. To establish ofine relationships, travel community
members must be willing to interact ofine (e.g., meet at events, visit
each other in their home towns). Such openness to ofine interactions
is to form an ofine relationship and represents the dependent
construct (see Fig. 1).
Due to the lack of face-to-face contact, an online community
increases perceived relationship risk (Ridings, Gefen, & Arinze, 2002).
Uncertainty and equivocation reduction serve as primary goals for
online community members (Weiss et al., 2008). Community members
obtain information about other member from community proles and
the member's past online behavior. As Ellison et al. (2007) note, online
communities allow users to view one another's personal information
easily and identify those who might be useful in some capacity (such
as the math major in a required calculus class), thus providing the
motivation to activate a latent tie (Ellison et al., 2007, p. 1162). Missing
prole information raises a red ag. Either the person does not care
about the community prole, or he is hiding important information.
Cue utilization theory posits specic information about a person
serves as a proxy for other attributes (Olsen, 1977). People make
inferences based on known attributes if specic information is not
available (Brown & Dacin, 1997; Gurhan-Canli & Batra, 2004). For
example, a person's reputation comes from collective indicators
based on a community's value system (Kunz, Schmitt, & Meyer,
2011). Thus, some prole information reects the person's particular
status and esteem in the community (e.g., number of friends or
references, and membership years). A person's community reputation affects interactions with other community members. If the
focal person feels uncertain about the potential partner's reputation,
the interaction's perception is riskier. H1: Willingness to participate
in an ofine relationship is stronger when the counterpart's community reputation is good.

Fig. 1. Theoretical framework.

Please cite this article as: Kunz, W., & Seshadri, S., From virtual travelers to real friends: Relationship-building insights from an online travel
community, Journal of Business Research (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.01.009

W. Kunz, S. Seshadri / Journal of Business Research xxx (2015) xxxxxx

According to the Uncertainty Reduction Theory (Berger & Calabrese,

1975), people who interact go through certain steps and checkpoints to
reduce uncertainty and to decide whether they might like each other.
Weiss et al. (2008) nd information seekers make inferences based on
an information provider's past communication style (e.g., response
speed, response extent), and the information value that person can
offer in the future. In this sense, past communication behavior reduces
uncertainty about the counterpart. Communication behavior clues
include writing style, message usefulness, response speed, communication frequency, and language barriers. How a person communicates
online likely inuences uncertainty perceptions. Greater frequency
and high-quality conversations arguably cause members to perceive
lower risk interacting with another member and critical for developing
relationships. H2: Good online communication behavior positively
affects a community member's willingness to participate in an ofine
relationship.
In addition to the separate importance of reputation and communication, each variable likely affects the other. For example, good communication inuences an ongoing relationship. Reputation may inuence
the community member's openness to an ofine relationship, but
poor communication manners likely diminish initial positive impressions. H3: Good online community reputation coupled with good online
communication behavior lead to higher travel community member's
willingness to participate in an ofine relationship.
Balance theory implies that individuals have perceptions about
themselves and others (Heider, 1946). When two people differ or
disagree about a topic, discomfort and imbalance arise. People generally
try to avoid this imbalance and make an effort to restore balance. Similarity generally generates a positive feeling of balance. Online travel
communities grant users the opportunities to nd others with similar
interests and characteristics, according to their prole information
(Andrews, 2002). When members nd common ground, feelings of
discomfort and uncertainty should diminish, leading to stronger relationships. Prior research shows that people prefer to rely on advice
from others who are physically proximate (Allen, 1977; Forman,
Ghose, & Wiesenfeld, 2008; Monge, Rothman, Eisenberg, Miller, &
Kirste, 1985) and socially similar (Wagner, Pfeffer, & O'Reilly, 1984;
Zenger & Lawrence, 1989). In online contexts, similar interests help
predict the advice's usefulness (Andrews, 2002; Ridings & Gefen,
2006). H4: High perceived similarity with an online counterpart
increases willingness to participate in an ofine relationship.
Although community reputation, online communication, and
perceived similarity likely exert central inuences on potential ofine
relationships, their inuence may be mediated by other constructs in a
succeeding evaluation phase. The literature suggests trust and sympathy as two constructs central to relationships.
Moorman, Zaltman, and Deshpande (1992, p. 314) dene trust as
willingness to rely on an exchange partner in whom one has condence, and prior literature derives two dimensions of such trust: competence and benevolence (Casal, Flavin, & Guinalu, 2008;
Kantsperger & Kunz, 2010). Competence relates to individual perceptions of another party's task-related knowledge and skills and whether
the other party can deliver consistent good quality. Benevolence
prompts faith in the integrity, goodwill, and honesty of the partner.
Trust is important for virtual communities, helping to overcome
problems associated with opportunistic behaviors (Gefen, Karahanna,
& Straub, 2003; Ridings et al., 2002). This role's importance increases
when personal information comes at risk (Bart, Shankar, Sultan, &
Urban, 2005; Sanchez-Franco & Rondan-Catalua, 2010). When a
trusting relationship exists, people share and listen to others'
knowledge, in addition to being open to exchanges with other parties
(Levin & Cross, 2004; Pavlou & Gefen, 2004).
Foundations for trusting relationships vary. Examples include cases
where good communication rapport exists between parties, the person
initiating the contact perceives that the other person maintains a positive community reputation (i.e., a source of credible information), or

the other member possesses similar interests or views. In such cases,

the focal person should experience a higher trust in their counterpart
due to the positive experience and feel more comfortable initiating
contact with the other member. Pleasant, useful, and enriching online
interactions between members increase trust and reduce uncertainty
and risk perception (Ridings et al., 2002). According to Nahapiet and
Ghoshal (1998), parties in trusting relationships tend to engage in
more cooperative interactions. Thus, these parties might be motivated
and comfortable with an ofine interaction. H5: Counterpart trust
mediates the effects of online community reputation, online communication behavior, and perceived similarity on community members' willingness to participate in an ofine relationship.
Perceived sympathy offers a second potential mediator. Perceived
sympathy implies in this study a positive emotional response by the
community member to the relationship partner in the form that he
can relate to a particular person, see her as a likable person and share
a common understanding. Shared language and vision often are
relevant, moving beyond the written words. This notion also addresses
the acronyms, subtleties, and underlying assumptions that are the
staples of day-to-day interactions (Chiu, Hsu, & Wang, 2006, p. 1878).
According to Nahapiet and Ghoshal (1998), a shared language provides
an avenue for participants to understand one another and to build a
common vocabulary in specic domains. A shared vision embodies
the collective goals and aspirations of the members of an organization
(Tsai & Ghoshal, 1998, p. 497). Because online communities form
around common interests, a shared vision should help members
become partners. The information that a community member reads
from the member's prole and the online communication behavior
helps to form a judgment about his or her sympathy for this person.
Sympathy as a positive emotional experience leads to a higher tendency
to approach the relationship rather than a missing sympathy or negative feelings. H6: Perceived sympathy mediates the effect of online community reputation, online communication behavior, and perceived
similarity on the community members' willingness to participate in an
ofine relationship.
4. Methods
To examine the proposed relationships, the present study applied
various qualitative and quantitative methods, in the context of the global
online travel community CouchSurng.org. The countries representing
the largest numbers of couch surfers are USA, Germany, France, Canada,
Britain, Italy, Brazil, and Australia. The genders are distributed almost
evenly (53% male, 47% female) and the average age is 28 years
(Couchsurng, 2013).
To participate in CouchSurng, new members register on the
website by creating a prole, including one or more photos, and completing personal descriptions (i.e., age, gender, hometown, travel experiences, and willingness to host a person). If open to hosting, a member
describes the available living situation and accommodations for guests,
along with any further necessary information. The member's prole also
lists friends and any references received from others' ofine, real-life
CouchSurng experiences.
Proles may display other pertinent information. For example,
members may display their level of community integration. A vouching
system serves as a testimonial representing a symbol of trust. To be
vouched, the member must receive recommendations by other members who have received at least three vouches. Usually people vouch for
others only after an exceptionally positive ofine interaction. A voluntary verication process offered by CouchSurng.com also requires the
member to pay $25 USD to the organization, provide a complete address
to verify his or her identity (via verication), and location (via a postcard). Some members organize social events in their cities, to which
they invite other members. A respected participant of a local
CouchSurng community may be elected Ambassador for that local
city or town.

Please cite this article as: Kunz, W., & Seshadri, S., From virtual travelers to real friends: Relationship-building insights from an online travel
community, Journal of Business Research (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.01.009

W. Kunz, S. Seshadri / Journal of Business Research xxx (2015) xxxxxx

4.1. Qualitative pre-study

A rst, qualitative study served to gauge travelers' thoughts on the
CouchSurng community and their typical usage behavior. Ten members were interviewed using an open-ended questionnaire. Questions
related their past experiences with CouchSurng and ofine meetings
with other members. Interview results reveal that viewing a member's
prole is central to the choice of potential hosts and people to meet.
Respondents report that the prole helped them decide whether a
person was trustworthy, using the reputation symbols in the prole.
Members also use the prole to identify common elements with other
members. The participants mention trusting people within the
CouchSurng community more than people from other virtual communities. Qualitative study results support the development of adequate
manipulations and scales for the main experiments.
4.2. Quantitative main study
A eld experiment on the CouchSurng community website helped
test the proposed hypotheses. The 293 travel community members
worldwide participated in the study. Participants were entered a
sweepstakes to win a variety of small prizes. The sample's gender distribution is slightly male (44% female versus 56% male), and community
member's reported age approximately represents the CouchSurng
age structure (1820, 6.8%; 2125, 38.9%; 2630, 32.8%; 3135, 13.3%;
36 and older, 8.2%). The respondent's age averages 27.5 years, and this
variable's distribution is near-normal. The most common nationalities
in the sample include the United States (15.0%), Egypt (5.8%), Sweden
(5.8%), India (5.1%), Britain (4.1%), Poland (4.1%), Italy (3.8%), Canada
(3.4%), and Germany (3.4%). Generally, the sample represents the
general socio-demographic structure of CouchSurng, only the
Egyptian participation level is atypical (Couchsurng, 2013).
To investigate member community reputation, online communication behavior, and perceived similarity as inuencing the tendency to
interact with their counterparts ofine, this experimental study manipulates three factors, using a 2 (reputation) 2 (communication) 2
(similarity) between-subject design. Before the respondents viewed
the manipulated scenario stimulus though, they were provided information about socio-demographics, hobbies and interests, usage behavior,
experience with ofine relationships on CouchSurng, and travel experiences. Next, participants reviewed a scenario describing a typical
CouchSurng session. During this session, they came in contact with
another member who might be someone to visit or host through
CouchSurng. The scenario person's ctitious name is well known in all
major cultural contexts. Care was taken to prevent priming by country
of origin because names could inuence perceived similarity. Comparing
the most popular names of 40 countries and consultations with ve
students from three different continents suggested Nina and Paul
were appropriate names for the scenarios.
The person's CouchSurng prole summary contained manipulated
elements for community reputation (high vs. low) and perceived similarity (very similar vs. very distinct). The high reputation CouchSurng
scenario was characterized by veried long-time membership, considerable experience as host and guest, many listed friends, a fully
completed prole, several great references and vouchers by others,
and demonstrates active involvement in a local CS group. Opposite attributes were developed for the low reputation scenario. The perceived
similarity manipulation instead used the questions from the rst part
of the survey and constructed a pertinent scenario member. The high
perceived similarity manipulation featured the same or similar (and
low perceived similarity the opposite) gender, age (1 year), countries
visited, and hobbies and interests.
Next, participants read the manipulated information related to the
typical communication behavior of the scenario person (good versus
bad communication). The good online communication behavior condition highlighted (cf. bad online communication behavior) a good

response rate and response speed to messages, high English language

prociency, strong level of communication organization, and communication clarity of own and counterparts' expectations. Finally, several
questions measured tendencies to interact with the scenario person
ofine, the person's trust level, and degree to which this person was
sympathetic. The scale to measure willingness to participate in an
ofine relationship comes from insights gain through the qualitative
pre-study. For example, items such as I would consider this person as
a potential guest at my home and It would be interesting to meet
this person in real life measure willingness to participate. For trusting
the counterpart, the measures are expertise and credibility subscales
from Ohanian (1990). The sympathy measure also feature items
adapted from Ohanian, including being sympathetic, interesting,
and funny. The manipulation check measured the constructs that
reected attributes associated with the scenario person. Community
reputation used reputable and high esteem, and online communication behavior relied on communicative, polite, and respectful. For
perceived similarity, the scale by Obal, Burtch, and Kunz (2011) includes
items such as, We have something in common and We are very
similar.
To check the manipulation's validity, a mean comparison of the
average scale ratings was applied across the manipulated groups. All
manipulations show signicant differences in the associated construct
scale (community reputation: t = 9.03, p b 0.001; online communication behavior: t = 11.24, p b 0.001; perceived similarity: t = 2.17, p b
0.05).
All constructs are multi-item scales (seven-point Likert scales;
anchored by 1 = I fully disagree and 7 = I fully agree), adapting
previous measures or developed from the qualitative pre-study (see
the Appendix A). Constructs were aggregated by the average rating
across the items. The constructs reliability results indicate acceptable
psychometric properties for all measures and discriminant validity
based on the FornellLarcker criteria (Fornell & Larcker, 1981).

5. Results
Multivariate inference statistical methods test the hypotheses
(e.g., mean comparisons, ANOVA, multiple regressions). H1 compares
the mean willingness to participate in an ofine relationship for participants in the high (Mhigh = 5.13, SD = 1.37) versus low (Mlow = 4.77,
SD = 1.16) reputation scenarios. The results show the mean difference
is signicant according to the unpaired sample t-test (t = 2.38, p b 0.01).
Further, participants presented with a scenario with good online communication behavior show signicantly higher tendencies to start
ofine relationships (Mgood = 5.10, SD = 1.31) than participants in
the bad communication scenario (Mbad = 4.80, SD = 1.24). The
differences between the scenarios is not as large as in the other cases,
but the results still are signicant and support H2 (t = 1.96, p b 0.05).
The test for H3 involves a 2 (high vs. low reputation) 2 (good vs.
bad communication) analysis of variance on willingness to participate
in an ofine relationship. The results indicate signicant main effects
(reputation F(1,292) = 5.49, p b 0.05; communication F(1,292) =
4.02, p b 0.05) and signicance in the interaction effect between reputation and communication (F(1,292) = 6.27, p b 0.05).The evidence does
not support reputation's inuence on willingness to participate in an
ofine relationship if the online communication behavior is not good
as well.
To test H4, a mean comparison featured willingness to participate in
an ofine relationship with participants whose proles were similar
(Msimilar = 5.11, SD = 1.29) versus distinct to the scenario person
(Mdistinct = 4.79, SD = 1.26). An unpaired sample t-test nds the difference signicant (t = 2.15, p b 0.05).
To test H4, a mean comparison between the willingness to start an
ofine relationship of participants with similar proles (Msimilar =
5.11, SD = 1.29) versus distinct proles (Mdistinct = 4.79, SD = 1.26).

Please cite this article as: Kunz, W., & Seshadri, S., From virtual travelers to real friends: Relationship-building insights from an online travel
community, Journal of Business Research (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.01.009

W. Kunz, S. Seshadri / Journal of Business Research xxx (2015) xxxxxx

Again, the difference show signicant differences according to the

unpaired sample t-test results (t = 2.15, p b 0.05).
Finally, linear regression models (i.e., ordinary least squares) test the
proposed inuence constructs on willingness to participate in an online
relationship (see Table 1). Considering the main effects regression
model (see Table 1, Model 1), online communication is the weakest
factor among all the signicant effects (p b 0.05). This result shows
that communication behavior alone does not built up enough trust to
engage in an ofine relationship. The second model also integrates an
interaction effect between reputation and communication (Table 1,
Model 2). In this case, all effects are signicant (p b 0.05), although a difference in the effect size between reputation and communication on the
one side and similarity on the other is visible. Thus perceived similarity
seems to be less important than the other factors. The interaction effect
between reputation and communication was signicant (p b 0.05) as H3
proposes.
To test H5 and H6, a mediation analysis features counterpart trust
and perceived sympathy (Baron & Kenny, 1986). Regressing the two
potential mediator constructs on the independent variables of Model 2
(see Table 1, Models 3 and 4) indicates highly signicant effects (p b
0.01), except for similarity. Thus, similar proles do not necessarily
lead to more counterpart trust or sympathy.
Next, model 2 depicts trust and perceived sympathy integrated as
independent covariates (see model 5 in Table 1). Trust and sympathy
might relate strongly, so potentially multi-colinearity could affect
results. The variance ination factor result suggests but no severe problems emerged (VIF b 3). Covariate parameters also are signicant (p b
0.01), and the main effect of reputation and communication, as well as
their interaction effect, became non-signicant (p N 0.05). The main effect of similarity remained signicant (p b 0.05) and the effect size of
similarity remains almost constant across regression models. Trust
and similarity both fully mediate the effects of reputation and communication; similarity does not experience mediation by the two constructs. In addition, the simultaneous procedure that Hayes and
Preacher (2011) propose to test for mediation in H5 and H6 supports
both hypotheses. The regression models (Models 35) exhibit larger r2
values. These results suggest trust and sympathy serve as central
constructs for evaluating a counterpart. Finally, controlling for age and
gender effects by integrating these factors into the regression, all the
estimated effects remain signicant on the same level.
6. Discussion
Study results show that community member reputation, online
communication behavior, and perceived similarity are critical determinants of whether or not travelers engage in ofine relationships during
their travels. Trust and sympathy are central mediators to relationship
development. Although the results are based on peer-to-peer relationships, they offer implications for relationship marketing and management in general.

First, reputation drives consumers' interactions. In an environment

lacking face-to-face signals, members rely on alternative proxies to
evaluate interaction counterparts. The user prole plays an important
role. Companies offering a travel community service must provide a
vivid community life that includes a broad range prole attributes.
Online users depend on prole information just as people depend on
nonverbal communication (e.g., smiles) in the real world. Beyond
common attributes (e.g., number of friends, number of recommendations), the provider should suggest special or exotic attributes to
give travel community members a chance to express and describe
themselves more accurately. These special attributes likely prompt the
recognition of similarities and thus closer interpersonal relations.
People participating in online communities for private or professional
reasons cannot underestimate the importance of vivid proles.
Second, this study emphasizes the central role of communication
behavior and manners. Internet-based communication demands
netiquette for effective communication, especially for relationship
building with a stranger. The high uncertainty and perceived risk negatively affects relationship development. A stranger's social mistake is
difcult to forgive, regardless of how impressive the person's prole
might be. This social psychology view on the individual consumer
level also has implications for businesses. The right tone and communication manners are critical for a successful social media strategy. Every
channel has essential rules to follow. Companies engaging actively
with online communities must learn the expected manners and
behaviors rsthand.
Third, turning an online into an ofine relationship requires building
trust and gaining some sympathy. These two constructs are very different measures. Trust pertains to an image of being competent and
reliable. Arguably, trust is more objective because the evidence is quantiable. On the other hand, sympathy is a more subjective concept.
Quantifying sympathy is more difcult and the nal assessment
depends on the eye of the beholder. Gaining trust from the community
is harder and takes time. Using online communities for short-term sales
activities potentially jeopardizes a newly started relationship. Longterm strategies that integrate the nature of communities and slowly
build trust provide tremendous opportunities for participating
companies.
This study's limitations provide opportunities for future research.
The present study only manipulates consumer-to-consumer relationships. Researchers also might compare relationship differences between
users and toward businesses within an online community environment.
Also, data only come from one social networking travel site. CouchSurng
is an interesting platform with many advantages for these research
purposes; however, some implications may be valid only on this platform.
To generalize the results, data from other (travel) online communities
need to be collected. Further research should replicate the current study
on other online (community) platforms (e.g., Flickr, TripAdvisor,
Facebook, or Google+) to validate the ndings. Moreover, this study's
cross-sectional data provide both advantages and limitations. Additional

Table 1
Regression models.
Model

Model 1

Model 2

Model 3

Model 4

Model 5

Dependent Variable

Willingness for ofine

relationship

Willingness for ofine

relationship

Trust

Sympathy

Willingness for
ofine relationship

Par

Par

Par

Par

Par

5.45
.36
.30
.34

36.8
2.5
2.0
2.3

.000
.015
.041
.024

5.62
.71
.66
.33
.72

34.6
3.5
3.2
2.2
2.5

.000
.001
.002
.026
.014

5.60
1.40
1.12
.10
.58

48.1
9.6
7.5
1.0
2.8

.000
.000
.000
.333
.006

5.23
.98
.84
.10
.65

40.1
6.0
5.1
.9
2.8

.000
.000
.000
.377
.006

1.35
.19
.09
.30
.23
.29
.51
28.26
37.2%

3.3
1.0
.5
2.5
.9
3.1
6.0

.001
.331
.643
.013
.359
.002
.000

Intercept
High reputation
Good communication
High similarity
High reputation good communication
Trust
Sympathy
F
R2

4.99
4.9%

5.33
6.9%

46.07
39.0%

14.79
17.0%

Please cite this article as: Kunz, W., & Seshadri, S., From virtual travelers to real friends: Relationship-building insights from an online travel
community, Journal of Business Research (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.01.009

W. Kunz, S. Seshadri / Journal of Business Research xxx (2015) xxxxxx

Global online travel communities provide a way to transform virtual

relationships with strangers into real relationships with friends.
Using online communities to enter into relationships with new people
(and consumers) around the world is a fascinating endeavor that enriches consumers' lives and opens new horizons for the business world.

research might build a database over a longitudinal time frame and use
a consumer panel to observe relationship dynamics over time. Finally,
the present study investigates the relationship-building process on a
global scope. Future studies should focus on local differences in the
relationship-building processes.
Appendix A. Measurement items and reliability

Community reputation
- Reputablenot reputable
- High esteemlow esteem
Online communication
-Communicativenot communicative
-Politeimpolite
-Respectfuldisrespectful
Similarity (Obal et al., 2011)
-We have something in common
-I can relate to this person
-I am very different from this person
-We are very similar
Trust (Ohanian, 1990)
-Trustworthyuntrustworthy
-Honestdishonest
-Reliableunreliable
-Experiencedinexperienced
-Qualiedunqualied
-Knowledgeablenot knowledgeable
Sympathy (Ohanian, 1990)
-Sympatheticnot sympathetic
-Interestinguninteresting
-Funnynot funny
Willingness for an ofine relationship
-I would consider this person as a potential guest at my home
-I would consider this person as a potential host on a trip
-It would be fun to meet this person at an ofine event
-It would interesting to meet this person in real life
-I can imagine showing this person around my town
-I can imagine touring a place with this person on a trip

EFA

CFA

alpha

AVE

CR

.89
.89

.74

.79

.89

.86
.91
.91

.75
.87
.87

.85

.83

.82

.72

.91

.82
.81
.78
.90

.73
.72
.70
.92

.85

.77

.78

.48

.49

.87

.87
.80
.84
.79
.83
.83

.86
.75
.83
.73
.78
.78

.90

.79

.86

.85

.80

.51

.89

.85
.85
.86

.77
.76
.79

.82

.77

.73

.70

.68

.55

.75

.88

.88
.85
.85
.87
.82
.81

.85
.82
.83
.86
.77
.76

.92

.81

.89

.48

.39

.57

.49

.58

.90

Note: All measures were rated on seven-point Likert scales, anchored by I strongly disagree and I strongly agree. EFA = exploratory

factor analysis, CFA = conrmatory factor analysis, = Cronbach's alpha, AVE = average variance extracted, CR = composite reliability.
Bold numbers on the diagonal are the square root of the AVE, whereas the numbers below the diagonal are the construct correlation values.

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Please cite this article as: Kunz, W., & Seshadri, S., From virtual travelers to real friends: Relationship-building insights from an online travel
community, Journal of Business Research (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2015.01.009