Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

Spring 12-8-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

February 2026

Department

Information Technology and Operations Management

College Granting Degree

College of Business

Department Granting Degree

Information Technology and Operations Management

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Chul Woo Yoo

Abstract

Negative electronic word-of-mouth (EWOM) has emerged as a critical factor influencing customer behavior, particularly in the hospitality industry. Despite extensive research grounded in failure attributions and service recovery theories, few studies examine the combined impact of failure attribution and recovery justice on hotel booking intentions. Using a 2x2x2x2 between-subjects experimental design with 373 responses, this research investigates how customers' perceptions of failure attribution influence their booking intention after exposure to negative EWOM, and if perceived recovery justice can mitigate the negative effects of these attributions. Results show that booking intention declined most when reviews framed the failure as hotel-caused and controllable, while stability had a smaller impact. Perceived recovery justice moderated these relationships by mitigating the decrease in booking intention when the response was perceived as fair and magnifying it when recovery efforts were absent. The findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of Attribution Theory in service recovery. This study offers a deeper theoretical understanding of how recovery justice interacts with attributional dimensions to influence consumer behavior. Addressing a critical gap in EWOM research, this study provides actionable insights for hotel managers on developing effective service recovery strategies.

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