The New Math in B2B Online Reviews: When Are Negatively-Rated Suppliers of Interest?

Risk is an important factor when B2B customers consider an alternative supplier. Negative online ratings are thought to provide a heuristic tool to avoid a supplier and thus to reduce risk. However, we find a more complex pattern of response. Our research identifies counterintuitive conditions under which B2B customers consider an online negatively-rated supplier when an available incumbent supplier is available and can do the job. We find that when a B2B customer is worried about the current supplier’s relationship being too close with an internal customer, the B2B customer will consider a negatively-rated supplier. Through two experiments with B2B purchasing professionals, this research examines a particular clash between negativity bias theory and social exchange theory, as applied to both intra- and inter-organizational relationships that are critical to B2B marketing.