Abstract
Existing research primarily examines negative word-of-mouth (NWOM) in consumer behavior, while its impact on product innovation remains underexplored. Although NWOM provides valuable product insights, it is also vulnerable to manipulation, such as unfair complaints or anti-branding tactics by competitors. Addressing this gap, this study distinguishes between exploitative and exploratory innovation, proposing that NWOM exerts a stronger influence on exploitative innovation, as firms are more likely to identify and respond to unfair or inauthentic NWOM in refining existing products. Furthermore, drawing on social network theory, this research proposes structural holes as a moderating factor that enhances NWOM’s influence on exploratory innovation. Empirical findings suggest that consumers bridging more structural holes facilitate the identification of external opportunities and selective diffusion of accurate product information, thereby mitigating misleading NWOM. Additionally, by using big data analytics and social network analysis, this study advances eWOM research beyond traditional survey-based methods, offering insights into how firms can achieve NWOM for innovation ambidexterity.