Does gender bias exist? The impact of gender congruity on consumer's Airbnb booking intention and the mediating role of trust

Consumers make Airbnb choices not only based on property features but also based on host characteristics. However, very limited studies have examined how consumers respond to the gender of the Airbnb host. To fill that gap, this study examines the impact of gender congruity on consumers’ Airbnb booking intentions by using a 2 host gender (male vs. female) ×2 consumer gender (male vs. female) quasi-experimental design. With a sample of 200 U.S. consumers, ANCOVA results indicate that female consumers are more likely to book an Airbnb property hosted by a female (vs. a male). However, such a gender preference doesn't exist among males. Moreover, mediation tests with the bootstrapping approach show that the effect of gender congruity is primarily mediated by affective trust rather than cognitive trust and such a mediating effect only exists among females (vs. males). The study findings provide important insights into marketing communications of peer-to-peer accommodations.