Motives for posting fake reviews: Evidence from a cross-cultural comparison

The main purpose of the present study is to address the existing research gaps by examining the motives of customers for writing online fake reviews for cosmetic products. Based on the self-determination theory, 20 customers from South Korea and 31 from France were interviewed in order to conduct a cross-cultural comparison. The results demonstrate the extrinsic and intrinsic motivations of South Korean and French customers for posting fake reviews for cosmetic products and highlight the similarities and differences between the two cultures. Both theoretical and managerial implications were presented. This study helps cosmetic brands better understand the motives of customers for posting fake reviews and how to deal with them.