The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of emotions that consumers experience following service failures and to assess the effects of each of these emotions on important…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of emotions that consumers experience following service failures and to assess the effects of each of these emotions on important behavioral outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper extends the work of Wetzer et al. (2007) and draws upon the existing literature to test a series of research hypotheses tying emotions to four important behavioral outcomes primarily using stepwise regression.
Findings
When a service failure occurs, customers experience any of a variety of negative emotions. The effect on behavioral outcomes depends on the specific emotion experienced by the consumer. The current research, which benefits by using retrospective experience sampling, finds that frustration is the predominant emotion experienced by customers following service failure, but that anger, regret and frustration affect behavioral outcomes. Uncertainty also plays a role.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should investigate the antecedents of propensity for emotions and predisposition toward industries, as well as the consequences of word-of-mouth (WOM) praise and WOM activity. Additionally, emotions could be examined by service stage. Several other moderators could be investigated, including severity, complaining behavior, repeat occurrence, service importance, remedies and forgiveness, product vs process failures, tenure, gender and age.
Practical implications
The current research emphasizes the importance of understanding which emotion is being experienced by a customer following service failure to identify the behavioral outcomes that will be most impacted. The specific managerial implications depend upon the specific emotional response experienced by the customer and are discussed separately for anger, regret and frustration. Service personnel must be trained to recognize and address specific customer emotions rather than to provide a canned or generalized response.
Originality/value
To date, there has been little, if any, systematic research into the effects of multiple discrete negative emotions on multiple desirable behavioral outcomes. The current study examines six discrete emotions. Predominant emotions are differentiated from emotional intensity. The behavioral outcomes of reconciliation and reduced share-of-wallet are added to the traditional outcomes of repatronage intentions and negative WOM. While existing research tends to rely on a scenario approach, this study uses the retrospective experience sampling method. The authors distinguish between mixed emotions and multiple emotions. The relative effects of disappointment and regret are examined for each of the four outcomes. Finally, importance-performance map analysis was applied to the findings to prioritize managerial attention. Numerous managerial and research implications are identified.
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L. Jean Harrison-Walker and James A. Mead
Most research has investigated the fear of missing out (FOMO) in the context of online activities, often associated with negative personal outcomes such as fatigue and stress…
Abstract
Purpose
Most research has investigated the fear of missing out (FOMO) in the context of online activities, often associated with negative personal outcomes such as fatigue and stress. However, given the increased desire to be informed and included associated with FOMO, organizations that can effectively meet these needs may develop or strengthen social and structural bonds, thereby turning short-term customers with FOMO into lifelong patrons. This study aims to examine the relationship between FOMO and favorable organizational outcomes as mediated by several constructs associated with the desire for information and inclusion.
Design/methodology/approach
This research was conducted within the higher education sector of the service industry. FOMO served as the IV. The mediators represented context-specific aspects of campus involvement and inclusion. Organizational outcomes related to the long-term services relationship served as the DVs. The sample consisted of 435 students recruited from research pools at two southern universities in the USA. Exploratory factor analysis, OLS regression and the Hayes–Macro were used to examine the data.
Findings
The results demonstrate that FOMO is positively associated with students’ desires for information and inclusion (informal peer interaction, campus involvement, informal faculty interaction, campus information media use and a preference for in-person course scheduling), which are associated with the desirable university outcomes of satisfaction, connection and alumni donation/activity intentions.
Practical implications
If a university fosters unstructured time spent with faculty and peers, and promotes campus information media involvement, students with higher levels of FOMO are more likely to be satisfied, feel connected to the university and report intentions to donate time and money as alumni.
Originality/value
Prior research on FOMO is generally focused on internet and social media use; this study takes a broader perspective and identifies the effect of FOMO on a desire for information and inclusion within a novel context (a service environment). It also associates FOMO with favorable long-term service relationship outcomes that fortify social and structural bonds.
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This paper aims to examine how the estates and facilities department at the University of Westminster went about diagnosing team‐performance strengths and weaknesses, identifying…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine how the estates and facilities department at the University of Westminster went about diagnosing team‐performance strengths and weaknesses, identifying barriers to successful team working and developing and implementing an action plan to address key issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on the comments of the university's deputy human resources (HR) director, responsible for HR development.
Findings
The paper reveals how senior managers were equipped with essential people‐management skills, enabling them to set strategic vision and direction and improve team performance and morale. Team members were helped to understand that they often shared the same problems and were working towards common solutions. It highlights how a new team spirit, of optimism and co‐operation, was generated.
Practical implications
The paper reveals how to diagnose, and put right, problems that can impede effective teamwork.
Originality/value
The paper highlights the importance of measurable goals, regular reviews and feedback.
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The emergence of the Internet and its communication capabilities has given rise to a number of complaint sites that function as central forums for consumers to share their bad…
Abstract
The emergence of the Internet and its communication capabilities has given rise to a number of complaint sites that function as central forums for consumers to share their bad experiences with other consumers. Companies are reacting by adopting anti‐domain sites in an attempt to prevent the creation of such complaint forums. Data from one complaint forum are analyzed to identify the nature of the complaints, whether the complaints were initially voiced to contact personnel, what other attempts were made to resolve the problem, whether the Internet consumer complaint forum was the initial method used for complaining, the responsiveness of the company to non‐Internet complaints as well as Internet complaints, and the demographics of complainers using the Internet complaint forum. The suggestion is made that companies should embrace consumer complaints, and compete with the independent complaint forums (rather than try to block them) on the basis of ease of the complaint process and the likelihood of response. Recommendations are offered that are specific to Internet use and benefits to the company are described.
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Defines the role of GPs and explores their possible involvement inpractice management and planning, which authorities are trying toencourage. Suggests that there would be a…
Abstract
Defines the role of GPs and explores their possible involvement in practice management and planning, which authorities are trying to encourage. Suggests that there would be a conflict of interest between management and doctors′ relationships with patients, and that they could risk becoming public scapegoats as they are in the most exposed position. Raises points to consider, such as should GPs contemplate becoming involved in practice planning.
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Asks whether service provider nationality significantly influencesconsumer decision making and, if so, whether the influence of nationalstereotype is moderated by the presence of…
Abstract
Asks whether service provider nationality significantly influences consumer decision making and, if so, whether the influence of national stereotype is moderated by the presence of additional information, such as professional credentials or service availability, or by the consumer′s nationality. Identifies a significant three‐way interaction effect involving provider nationality, supplemental advertising information and consumer nationality.
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Looks at the role of the GP in today′s Service and examines some of theorganizational and motivational problems which have to be overcomebefore general practice can be confident…
Abstract
Looks at the role of the GP in today′s Service and examines some of the organizational and motivational problems which have to be overcome before general practice can be confident of delivering to the strategic expectations of the NHS. They are designed to raise the level of debate for more long‐term, practical support for general practice organizations. The issues involved have been researched both qualitatively and quantitatively and are grounded in a context of change. Includes excerpts from general practice profiles developed during research projects, consultancy projects and case study development work – large and small partnerships, single‐handed practices, established and “bidding” fundholders, and significantly different practice populations. These are supported by the results of questionnaires circulated to over 2,500 doctors and practice managers and the views and work of others researching and practising in primary care.
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The primary purpose of this paper is to explore the role of emotions that consumers experience as a result of assigning causal attributions to service failures. The secondary…
Abstract
Purpose
The primary purpose of this paper is to explore the role of emotions that consumers experience as a result of assigning causal attributions to service failures. The secondary purpose is to consider the effects of each of these emotions on behavioral outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper extends the work of Wetzer, Zeelenberg, and Pieters regarding emotions and draws upon the existing literature to present a series of research propositions tying attributions to emotions and emotions to behavioral outcomes.
Findings
When a service failure occurs, customers experience any of a variety of negative emotions. The particular emotional reaction depends on the customer's perception of why the service failure occurred in the first place. Behavioral outcomes associated with service recovery therefore depend directly on the negative emotion and indirectly on the customer's perception of the cause.
Practical implications
To the extent that marketing managers can frame the cause of the service failure in their post‐failure communications, recovery satisfaction may be increased leading, in turn, to more positive customer response outcomes. The specific managerial implications depend upon the emotional response experienced by the customer.
Originality/value
Research to date looking at causal attributions in service failure is limited to attributions based on stability and controllability and ties them to very few emotions; this paper identifies six attributions and ties each to a specific emotion. The behavioral outcomes of reconciliation and share‐of‐wallet are added to the traditional outcomes of repatronage intentions and negative word‐of‐mouth.
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Research identifies nearly 73 million adult Americans asilliterate. Analysis of social, economic and demographic trendsindicates that the situation will worsen before it improves…
Abstract
Research identifies nearly 73 million adult Americans as illiterate. Analysis of social, economic and demographic trends indicates that the situation will worsen before it improves. Marketing communications copy prepared at an eighth grade reading level or above may not be comprehended by as much as one‐third of the population, resulting in a severe loss of potential sales and excessive advertising expense. Marketing research to date focusses on the impact of message, source, and channel variables on consumer behavior. However, the current “illiteracy crisis” argues that we reform our thinking ti consider how consumer literacy should influence our message, source, and channel determinations. Key tasks for marketers include evaluating the clarity, readability and specificity of promotional materials; pretesting the marketing communication on a sample of the target audience; and carefully assessing all options available for source and channel selection.
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SINCE the year 1940, there have appeared two major reports on the Public Library system in Great Britain. The first, “The public library system of Great Britain: a report on its…
Abstract
SINCE the year 1940, there have appeared two major reports on the Public Library system in Great Britain. The first, “The public library system of Great Britain: a report on its present condition, with proposals for post‐war re‐organisation” by Lionel R. McColvin, appeared in 1942. It suggested sweeping changes in the organisation of the public library system, more radical and far‐reaching than those embodied in the recent recommendations of the Library Association for local government reform. On library co‐operation, the report was equally radical, though certain similarities with the recommendations of the second report are apparent.