The mitigating effect of matching regulatory focus with arousal-inducing stimuli in service failure situations

Service failures are pivotal touchpoints that can reduce customer satisfaction, encourage negative word-of-mouth, and ultimately impact a firm's market share. We advance a novel perspective that after a service failure occurs, matching incidental arousal-inducing stimuli to one's regulatory orientation can make the negative experience stemming from the service failure less deleterious. In three experiments (two stock out scenarios and one involving a rude salesperson), after a service failure, promotion-focused and prevention-focused individuals were exposed to high versus low arousal-inducing stimuli. Three approaches available to retailers were used to manipulate arousal levels: background pictures (Study 1), colors (Study 2), and music (Study 3). When high (low) incidental arousal-inducing stimuli were presented to those with a promotion (prevention) focus, this raised satisfaction, loyalty, and referral for brands compared to when promotion (prevention)-focused individuals were exposed to low (high) arousal-inducing stimuli. Changes in self-rated arousal and affect valence levels (arousal and valence levels were measured after the service failure and then after exposure to the incidental arousal-inducing stimuli) mediated the effect on these consumer behaviors. These insights extend theory by considering the combined effect of regulatory focus and affect. They also have practical relevance.     

虚拟社区、在线口碑与消费者行为

随着电子商务的发展,虚拟社区成为消费者分享个体购物经验、消费体验和沟通信息的重要场所,消费者在购物时也将虚拟社区中的口碑信息作为重要参考依据。本文在对国内外相关文献的研究基础上,构建出在线口碑对消费者行为的影响因素模型,并运用因子分析法对假设的模型进行了修正,发现口碑信息源因素、口碑信息传播方向因素、社区成员自身因素、社区成员互动因素和产品因素,在网络口碑对虚拟社区成员消费行为的影响过程中起了很大作用;企业若要利用好口碑信息就应提供充足的口碑信息,增加信息的可信度,提高在线口碑作为反馈机制的效益,提高在线口碑的间接收益,并掌握处理负面口碑的应急之策。     

The impact of consumer confusion from eco-labels on negative WOM,distrust, and dissatisfaction

For decades companies have added eco-labels to products to gain a competitive advantage and inform consumers about the environmental impact of products. Although benefits of eco-labels have been investigated previously, negative outcomes related to the proliferation of these labels have not been studied until this point. This study investigates the impact of eco-labels on a variety of forms of consumer confusion, specifically studying whether this confusion has a direct or indirect effect on negative word-of-mouth, distrust, and dissatisfaction, as mediated by negative emotion. The results from a quasi-experimental field study that employs a between-subject design from the food and detergent industries show that similarity, overload, and ambiguity confusion lead to negative emotion, negative word-of-mouth, distrust, and dissatisfaction. This study also shows that negative emotion mediates the effect of three confusion constructs on dependent variables, such as negative word-of-mouth, distrust, and dissatisfaction. This study presents theoretical and practical implications, limitations, and future research avenues in the areas of consumer confusion and eco-labeling.     

eWOM and the importance of capturing consumer attention within social media

Word-of-mouth (WOM) is widely regarded as one of the most influential factors impacting consumer behavior, yet traditional models were constructed oblivious to the potential of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) and social media. In particular, very little is known about the dynamics affecting consumer attention within two-way many-to-many mediated environments even though attention constitutes a critical step. Thus, we construct a conceptual framework that grounds consumer attention within a larger progression of behavioral responses to eWOM. We then conduct an experiment (n = 28) that isolates contextual antecedents of attention to positive, negative, and neutral WOM for both luxury and non-luxury brands within a social media platform. Using behavioral eye-tracking, we find that WOM message valence interacts with brand type to affect attention differently. Implications of these findings for facilitating eWOM are discussed with future research directions suggested.     

Can Social Media Campaigns Backfire? Exploring Consumers' Attitudes and Word-of-Mouth Toward Four Social Media Campaigns and Its Implications on Consumer-Campaign Identification

In response to the unprecedented growth of social media, companies are continuously creating unique social media campaigns encouraging customers to share their advertising messages. However, many of these social campaigns end up backfiring. The purpose of this study is to examine consumers' preferences toward 4 social media campaigns and to investigate the impact of positive and negative word-of-mouth and social value on consumer-campaign identification. Using a sample of 525 respondents in Australia, the results show social media campaigns that contain negative messages are more likely to receive negative word-of-mouth while partnering with non-profit organizations may help generate positive word-of-mouth. This study will assist marketing managers to better understand the consumers' perceptions on recent social media campaigns in Australia.     

How e-WOM recommendations influence product consideration and quality of choice: A motivation to process information perspective

A laboratory experiment examines the effects of electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) on consumer consideration and choice of an experience product. Specifically, we manipulated the number of consumer recommendations and the optimality of the recommended product in a realistic online shopping environment. The results indicate that e-WOM is likely to result in more time considering the recommended product. For consumers more motivated to process information, e-WOM recommendations lead to more time spent on the choice task overall. Further, consumers with less motivation to process information make suboptimal decisions based on e-WOM recommendations. Consumers with a high motivation to process information are willing to accept recommendations and switch from declared attribute preferences, but choose only optimal products.     

满意情景下的消费者后悔对口传的影响研究

后悔是消费者在消费体验之后将购买品牌同放弃的品牌进行比较所得到的负面情感反应,它对于消费者的再购意愿有着重要的影响。本文在验证了消费者可以同时体验满意和后悔这一结论的基础上,进一步研究并证实了后悔不仅会增加对购买品牌的负面口传,而且会增加对放弃品牌的正面口传。在此过程中,消费者同购买品牌的关系质量起到了显著的调节作用。     

网络负面谣言与品牌崇拜：品牌口碑与沟通技巧的作用

文章对网络负面谣言与消费者品牌崇拜的关系，以及品牌口碑与沟通技巧在以上关系中所起的中介与调节作用进行了实证研究。研究以广州地区211家品牌服饰企业的品牌管理者为实证研究对象，通过对问卷调查数据进行层级回归分析发现：(1)网络负面谣言不但会直接负向影响消费者对企业的品牌崇拜，而且还会通过负向影响企业的品牌口碑，继而对消费者品牌崇拜产生负面影响，品牌口碑在网络负面谣言与消费者品牌崇拜关系中起部分中介作用；(2)沟通技巧程度强的企业品牌更能抵制网络负面谣言的影响，相对于低沟通技巧的企业，高沟通技巧企业的消费者较少因为网络负面谣言而降低其对原有消费品牌的崇拜。     

The Divergent “Loyalty” Behaviors of a Captive Consumer

This research investigates situations where consumers display divergent loyalty behaviors. Study I qualitatively identifies and classifies word-of-mouth spreading behaviors of captive loyalists. The results reveal that, despite repurchase behaviors, captive loyalists spread mostly negative word-of-mouth. Study II quantitatively investigates four separate loyalty behaviors of captive loyalists. The results confirm that these consumers are likely to stay when dissatisfied, and allocate a significant share of their wallet to the provider whilst spreading negative word-of-mouth. The simultaneous existence of opposing loyalty behaviors has significant implications for erecting switching barriers and for applying customer loyalty metrics.     

Schadenfreude: The (not so) Secret Joy of Another’s Misfortune

Despite growing interest in emotions, organizational scholars have largely ignored the moral emotion of schadenfreude, which refers to pleasure felt in response to another’s misfortune. As a socially undesirable emotion, it might be assumed that individuals would be hesitant to share their schadenfreude. In two experimental studies involving emotional responses to unethical behaviors, we find evidence to the contrary. Study 1 revealed that subjects experiencing schadenfreude were willing to share their feelings, especially if the misfortune was perceived to be deserved (i.e., resulting from unethical behaviors). Study 2 extends this work by incorporating schadenfreude targets of different status (CEO versus employee). Consistent with the “tall poppy syndrome,” subjects were more willing to share schadenfreude concerning high status targets than low status targets when the perceived severity of the target’s misconduct was low. This status effect disappeared at higher levels of perceived deservingness, however. Reported willingness to share schadenfreude was strongest at these levels but did not differ significantly between high and low status targets. These findings build on the social functional account of emotions, suggesting that sharing schadenfreude may signal normative cues to others regarding workplace behaviors that are deemed to be unethical.     

Sharing product harm information: The effects of self-construal and self-relevance

Product harm information spreading in the marketplace may have profound consequences for companies, public policy makers and consumer well-being. However, limited research is available on what makes consumers share such information with others. This paper examines how self-relevance and self-construal affect the sharing of product harm information and the underlying processes that shape sharing. Five experiments demonstrate that under independent self-construal, highly self-relevant product harm information is less likely to be shared. The reluctance to share highly self-relevant information is attenuated under interdependent self-construal. The differential effects of self-construal are related to self-serving processes and motivations for sharing product harm information with others. The results apply to the sharing of negative information, but not positive information. Companies may use these findings to manage the diffusion of product harm information.     

网络口碑如何促进购买意愿？——基于消费者鼓舞的被调节中介模型

网络口碑引导了消费,然而对于网络口碑影响消费者心理和行为的机制研究仍缺乏明确结论。文章以消费者鼓舞为切入点,基于SOR理论和精细处理可能性模型,构建出一个有调节的中介模型,揭示了不同口碑成分对于消费者鼓舞和购买意愿的影响作用与中介机制,以及产品类型作为边界条件形成的差异。实证检验表明,网络口碑的偏向和评分对消费者鼓舞具有正向作用,但是网络口碑数量的影响却不显著。其次,消费者鼓舞在网络口碑对消费者购买意愿的影响中起到了中介作用。同时这种中介作用受到了产品类型的调节,相对非体验性产品而言,体验性产品的网络口碑会产生更强的消费者鼓舞与购买意愿,以及更强的中介作用。最后,实验结果检验和排除了信任对于消费者鼓舞的替代性解释。文章拓展了网络口碑的研究视角,为企业有针对性地完善口碑管理提供了理论基础和实践启示。     

Does delaying service-failure resolution ever make sense?

Conventional wisdom suggests that service providers should respond to their failures as quickly as possible. Some research, however, points out that delaying resolutions may produce highly desirable results. The study here investigates these competing views by examining under which conditions an immediate or a delaying resolution produces more positive consumer responses in term of re-patronage and negative word-of-mouth intentions. Based on the concept of service separation, this research identifies an interaction effect between service separation (separated service, non-separated service) and response timing (immediate response, delaying response) on consumers' post-consumption intention. This research also finds that the relationship between service separation-response timing interaction and consumer response is mediated by consumers' negative emotions. This study contributes to refining our understanding of consumer psychology in service recovery. Practically, the studies also enable service providers to better allocate their resources to recover different types of services' failure.     

Yours,mine, and ours: A user-centric analysis of opportunities and challenges in peer-to-peer asset sharing

The sharing economy is growing globally in terms of user numbers, service providers, and novel concepts. Peer-to-peer (P2P) asset sharing, or asset rental between private individuals, has attracted the attention of entrepreneurs and researchers alike. P2P asset-sharing networks need to focus on two distinct customer groups: (1) asset owners willing to rent out their assets, and (2) renters interested in renting others’ assets. Despite consumers’ high interest in P2P asset sharing, participation rates lag projections, which is mainly attributable to lack of participating asset owners. This could be problematic for P2P networks as they do not own assets; instead, they rely on a sufficient number of asset owners to participate. Detailed indications on the participation motives of users are required to distinctly position P2P asset sharing and enhance communication of consumer-relevant benefits. To this end, we have engaged in a detailed investigation of participation motives in the P2P car-sharing context. We have conducted in-depth interviews with car owners and renters to derive usage types that represent consumer decision profiles that participate in P2P car-sharing services. Based on our findings, we provide extensive recommendations to entrepreneurs in the P2P asset-sharing market.     

Parents' perceptions of the sensitivity of their children's personal information and willingness to share with social media marketers: Implications for sharenting

Many stakeholders such as parents, companies, and policymakers play a role in children's online privacy. This study explores how parents who have at least one child age 10 and younger perceive the sensitivity of their children's personal information and willingness to share it with social media marketers. Survey results of 418 parents indicate that a variety of types of children's information is perceived as sensitive, with certain information (e.g., videos, photos) that parents readily share via social media as highly sensitive. Findings also suggest that fathers and single parents are more likely to perceive their children's information as sensitive and yet are more willing to share it. This research contributes to the consumer welfare literature on children's privacy by providing a baseline of parents' attitudes regarding their children's data, extending prior research that has examined adults' perceptions of the sensitivity of their own information and willingness to share with social media marketers.     

Is there a negative relationship between the order-of-brand entry and market share?

The order-of-entry effect has been continually examined over the last quarter century, leading to the generalization that a negative relationship exists between the order-of-brand entry and market share. As the number of followers that become market share leaders and the conceptual arguments against this assumption grow, the nonexistence of this negative relationship has yet to be empirically demonstrated. This research challenges the generalization by examining market conditions in which a brand’s entry position has exerted a positive effect on its market share potential, compared with an earlier entry position. Using order-of-entry models consistent with extant literature, an empirical analysis of consumer scanner data across 375 followers reveals two situations that challenge the prediction of a negative relationship between the order-of-brand entry and market share.     

基于社会认知理论的虚拟社区信息共享影响因素分析

目前,我国各种类型的虚拟社区、社区成员间信息共享存在的问题主要体现在虚拟社区监管制度很难规范,虚拟社区成员参与不足及交流方式不规范,虚拟社区成员间缺乏信任等方面。影响虚拟社区中信息流动和信息共享的三个因素:自我能力感、结果预期和信任。在虚拟社区中,应提高社区成员信息共享的自我能力感,增强社区成员信息共享者的自豪感和满足感,加强对虚拟社区信息的共享者的激励,从而更好地促进虚拟社区信息流动和信息共享。     

Receiving word-of-mouth from the service customer: An emotion-based effectiveness assessment

This study examines how receiving negative and positive word-of-mouth from satisfied and dissatisfied customers influences the potential customer. By explicitly including responses in terms of emotions—which hitherto have been neglected in research on word-of-mouth—it was found that emotional contagion and affect infusion were involved in the response process. The net effect was that receiving positive word-of-mouth as opposed to receiving negative word-of-mouth produced more positive evaluations of the service firm in the word-of-mouth conversation and higher levels of purchase intent vis-à-vis this firm. The results are thereby consonant with implicit assumptions in existing literature that word-of-mouth from the existing customer may have a significant impact on the potential customer, and this study indicates that emotional variables play an important role in the influence process.     

Consumer acceptance of irradiated food: A study of symbolic adoption

Previous research reveals mixed signals regarding the potential for consumer acceptance of irradiated food. Consumer acceptance seems to depend upon the nature and amount of information provided about irradiation. Survey research finds that only about 20–30% of respondents initially express favourable opinions of irradiation with some cautionary signals concerning consumer suspicion of the process and its benefits to the public. Some laboratory experiments and market tests, on the other hand, indicate a willingness of the consumer to accept a high quality, government-approved product, especially when irradiation is placed within the context of alternative pest and bacteria control treatments. However, these studies fail to provide the consumer with negative information about irradiation. This study examines the relative impact of social persuasion and both favourable and unfavourable information on consumer acceptance of food irradiation. The study takes the approach that consumer acceptance is a social process, wherein acceptance becomes subject to societal approval through word-of-mouth conversations. Previous literature suggests that social persuasion, particularly negative social persuasion, should outweigh favourable information on consumer acceptance of a new technology. This proposition is supported by the results of our study, which indicates that responses that were initially favourable to irradiation, especially those opinions formed in the absence of unfavourable information, should be interpreted with caution. The study supports previous research, therefore, suggesting that industry and governmental agencies would benefit from close inspection of societal attitudes towards the food irradiation process.     

Electronic word-of-mouth via consumer-opinion platforms: What motivates consumers to articulate themselves on the Internet?

Through Web-based consumer opinion platforms (e.g., epinions.com), the Internet enables customers to share their opinions on, and experiences with, goods and services with a multitude of other consumers; that is, to engage in electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) communication. Drawing on findings from research on virtual communities and traditional word-of-mouth literature, a typology for motives of consumer online articulation is developed. Using an online sample of some 2,000 consumers, information on the structure and relevance of the motives of consumers’ online articulations is generated. The resulting analysis suggests that consumers’ desire for social interaction, desire for economic incentives, their concern for other consumers, and the potential to enhance their own self-worth are the primary factors leading to eWOM behavior. Further, eWOM providers can be grouped based on what motivates their behavior, suggesting that firms may need to develop different strategies for encouraging eWOM behavior among their users.