Abstract
The literature on perceived novelty and product evaluation has diverged into two disparate streams of research. The first stream builds on theories of curiosity and argues that the perceived novelty of a new product benefits product evaluation because it induces curiosity and provides evaluators (e.g., customers) with positive experiences in learning new features of the product and in resolving their curiosity. In contrast, the second stream adopts theories of expectation violations and argues that perceived novelty decreases product evaluation because it violates evaluators’ expectations of a new product and requires burdensome efforts to make sense of the product. The main goal of our research is to resolve this theoretical inconsistency by offering an integrative model of new product evaluation that proposes an inverted U-shaped curvilinear relationship between perceived novelty and product evaluation. Based on this model, we further examine whether a producer’s reputation plays an ironic moderating role in this curvilinear relationship. Utilizing content analysis and big data approaches with a large sample of 49,835 reviews of 147 movies in the movie industry, we found that an evaluator’s perception of the novelty of a new movie benefited product evaluation but only when that perceived novelty was moderate; at higher levels of perceived novelty, the product evaluation decreased. In addition, we compared the curves of high vs. low reputation producers and found that perceived novelty penalized product evaluation of new movies created by high reputation producers.
Highlights
A moderate level of perceived novelty would satisfy such a need and benefit the evaluation and success of innovative products. Based on this integrative model of new product evaluation, our research further investigates whether a producer’s reputation influences the inverted U-shaped curvilinear relationship between perceived novelty and product evaluation
We propose the following hypothesis: Hypothesis 1: Perceived novelty of a new product has an inverted U-shaped curvilinear relationship with an evaluator’s product evaluation such that the perceived novelty is the most beneficial to product evaluation when it is at a moderate level
Our research focuses on chief directors because (1) compared to other production parties, the audience pays greater attention to and relies on the reputations of chief directors in deciding whether to watch new movies, and (2) the audience tends to perceive that chief directors represent all production staff involved in a movie [36]
Summary
Do customers like or dislike new products with high novelty? This question has been the subject of debate in many professional fields for decades. In the movie industry, some film directors argue that novelty is the key factor for audience satisfaction. As Steven Spielberg once put it, “The public has an appetite for anything about imagination—anything that is as far away from reality as is creatively possible.”.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.