The asymmetric impact of other-blame regret versus self-blame regret on negative word of mouth

2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 1799-1816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruijuan Wu ◽  
Cheng Lu Wang

Purpose This study aims to distinguish two regret conditions, other-blame regret (O-regret) and self-blame regret (S-regret), and investigate the underlying mechanism and boundary conditions of the relationship between regret and negative word of mouth (NWOM). Design/methodology/approach Four experiments and one survey study test hypotheses regarding how O-regret and S-regret influence NWOM through mediating mechanism of anger and sadness and how the impact of regret on NWOM is moderated by boundary conditions. Findings The results show that consumers who experience O-regret transmit more NWOM than those who experience S-regret. Anger is a dominant emotion when consumers experience O-regret and mediates the impact of regret on NWOM, and sadness is a dominant emotion when consumers experience S-regret and mediates the impact of regret on NWOM. In addition, purchased price (full vs discount price), regret context (private vs public context) and return policy (strict vs lenient policy) are found to moderate the effect of regret on NWOM. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted in China, which has a unique business environment that may differ from other countries. Therefore, this research opens a new avenue to further examine such a phenomenon in countries where a more lenient return policy is a standard business practice. Cross-nation studies comparing how different return policies and other business environment conditions are warranted in future research. Practical implications The study provides several insights for marketers considering the management of NWOM by understanding consumer O-regret and S-regret in either online or offline retailing situations. Originality/value This paper contributes to the extant literature by distinguishing different outcome regrets. The theoretical conceptualization and empirical findings shed further lights on the relationship between regret and other negative emotions and how O-regret and S-regret lead to different impacts on NWOM through different paths of mediation mechanism.

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 681-700
Author(s):  
Mohammad Almaleki ◽  
Mahdi Salehi ◽  
Mahdi Moradi

Purpose This study aims to investigate the impact of managerial narcissism and overconfidence on financial statements’ comparability. In other words, this paper seeks to answer the question of whether the personality characteristics of managers may affect the level of financial statements’ quality of commercial entities or not. Design/methodology/approach The research hypotheses are tested using a sample of 896 observations taken from the Tehran Stock Exchange and 245 observations from the Iraqi Stock Exchange during 2012 and 2018 using the multiple regression model based on the combined data technique. Findings The findings show that managerial narcissism is positively and significantly associated with Iran’s financial statement comparability. In contrast, Iraqi data articulate a negative association between these two variables. This paper finds that Chief Executive Officer overconfidence and financial statements’ comparability are negatively related in both countries. Following the market variation, the different findings suggest that institutional settings such as the general managerial style, adopting international accounting standards (now IFRS) leading to the extent of auditing market globally in Iraq and suffering from international sanctions in Iran, the governing business environment may play an allocative role in preparing financial statements. Originality/value The present research is the first research conducted in two emerging markets (Iran and Iraq) examining the relationship between managers’ narcissism and overconfidence and financial statements’ comparability. Therefore, the present research in this area can significantly contribute to the development of science and knowledge.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nedra Bahri Ammari ◽  
Abir Hsouna ◽  
Mounia Benabdallah ◽  
Anish Yousaf ◽  
Abhishek Mishra

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of dissatisfaction and anger, driven by the failure of the self-service technology of banks, on customers' post-purchase behavioural reactions, such as complaints, negative word-of-mouth (NWOM) and supplier change. The stability of the failure is proposed to moderate these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed research model was tested through data collected from an online survey of a Tunisian sample of 300 respondents, using the scenario method.FindingsThe study validates the positive impact of dissatisfaction on anger and negative word-of-mouth, as well as that of anger on complaint behaviour and negative word-of-mouth. The relation between dissatisfaction and negative word-of-mouth is mediated by anger. When the failure is stable, dissatisfied users of the self-service technology seek to enhance their negative word-of-mouth and supplier change. The results also show that the stability of the failure enhances the effect of anger on complaint behaviour.Practical implicationsBanks should invest efforts to accelerate the recovery of services to reduce consumer dissatisfaction and anger and prevent adverse behavioural outcomes. Further, they need to ensure that failures are not repeated, as failure stability activates some otherwise non-significant behavioural outcomes, like supplier change.Originality/valuePrevious works have focused on the impact of dissatisfaction and negative emotions for interpersonal services, but very few works have come to associate dissatisfaction, anger, complaint, negative word-of-mouth and supplier change in an integrative framework for an self-service technology failure.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0887302X2110559
Author(s):  
Gargi Bhaduri ◽  
Sojin Jung ◽  
Jung E. Ha-Brookshire

This study focused on understanding how (mis)match between a company's corporate social responsibility claims as indicated in their mission and the activities it actually undertakes to meet its CSR goals leads to consumers’ corporate hypocrisy and how consumers’ CSR-CA beliefs moderate the relationship between the two. Using the Moral Responsibility Theory of Corporate Sustainability as a framework, this research analyzed the difference in corporate hypocrisy between consumers with high versus low CSR-CA tradeoff beliefs. In addition, we examined the impact of consumers’ corporate hypocrisy on their negative word-of-mouth intention and how participants’ injunctive norm impacts the relationship between the two. A sample of 538 adult US consumers were recruited for an online experimental study. The study extends the findings of MCRS and also provides implications for apparel businesses.


2016 ◽  
Vol 36 (11) ◽  
pp. 1601-1624 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nisha Paul Kulangara ◽  
Sherry Avery Jackson ◽  
Edmund Prater

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the interrelationship between trust, socialization, and information sharing on the buying firm’s innovation capability in the context of the buyer-supplier relationship (BSR). A nomological model is developed that examines the mediating role of relational capital (supplier trust) on the relationship between structural capital (socialization and information sharing) and innovation capability. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted on 357 US executives. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the hypothesized relationships. Findings Information sharing and formal socialization activities increased the buying firm’s trust in its key supplier. However, formal socialization activities within the context of the business environment did not have a significant direct impact on buyer’s innovative capabilities; but when mediated by trust, it positively impacted innovation capabilities. Informal socialization within the context of the social environment directly impacted innovation capabilities but trust did not mediate the relationship. Information sharing impacted trust and innovation significantly and trust mediated the impact of information sharing on innovation capabilities. Originality/value This study defines the formal and informal aspects of socialization and investigates its impact on trust and buyer innovation capabilities. This is one of the few studies that highlights the mediating role of trust between firms to facilitate innovation capability.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 905-920 ◽  
Author(s):  
Freya De Keyzer ◽  
Nathalie Dens ◽  
Patrick De Pelsmacker

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the boundary conditions of the effect of the valence of word-of-mouth on social networking sites (sWOM) on consumer responses (attitude toward the service provider, purchase intention and positive word-of-mouth intention). Specifically, the authors examine two moderators: the tone of voice (factual vs emotional) of the sWOM and service type (utilitarian vs hedonic) of the service that the sWOM is about. Design/methodology/approach A 2 (message valence: positive vs negative) × 2 (tone of voice: factual vs emotional) × 2 (service type: utilitarian vs hedonic) full-factorial between-subjects online experiment with 400 respondents was conducted and the data were analyzed using Hayes’ PROCESS macro. Findings The results show that message valence exerts a greater impact on consumer responses with factual sWOM messages compared to emotional ones. Furthermore, the impact of message valence is stronger for hedonic services compared to utilitarian services. In contrast to the authors’ expectations, there is no significant impact of matching the tone of voice to the service type. Practical implications First, for sWOM senders, factual messages are found to be more influential: backing an sWOM up with arguments and specific details increases the chance of it affecting consumers’ responses. As a result, marketers, especially of predominantly hedonic services, should encourage their followers and customers to spread positive factual sWOM about their service. Originality/value The study tests two previously unstudied moderating variables that affect the relationship between message valence and consumer responses to sWOM messages. Moreover, this study provides interesting insights for marketers and bloggers or reviewers.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nongnapat Thosuwanchot

PurposeThis study examines the impact of female CEO on firm community engagement. By drawing on the stakeholder-agency paradigm, the author proposes that female CEOs feel more pressure to deliver favorable firm performance, thus resulting in less community engagement in firms with female CEOs. The author also examines circumstances surrounding the CEO as boundary conditions that can promote the extent that female CEOs engage in community initiatives.Design/methodology/approachThe author collected panel data on a sample of firms listed in the S&P 500 index during the years 2009–2013. The author tested the hypotheses using firm fixed-effects models.FindingsThe results show that firms with female CEOs pursue less community engagement. CEO career horizon and CEO unexercisable stock options are boundary conditions that weaken the negative relationship between female CEOs and community engagement, while board independence does not have a significant moderating effect.Originality/valueThis study sheds light on the roles of female CEOs on firm community engagement as a distinct firm strategic action. Furthermore, this study provides a better understanding of the relationship by examining different factors that can promote community engagement by female CEOs, which include CEO career horizon and compensation incentive.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsiang-Ming Lee ◽  
Tsai Chen ◽  
Yu-Shan Chen ◽  
Wei-Yuan Lo ◽  
Ya-Hui Hsu

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to survey whether consumer ethnocentrism and animosity will affect consumers' perceived betrayal and cause negative word-of-mouth (NWOM).Design/methodology/approachThis study conducted a 2 (consumer ethnocentrism) × 3 (consumer animosity) between-subject experiment design to test the hypotheses. Comprised of 380 respondents, this study used ANOVA to examine the data.FindingsThe results showed that if a brand violates the perception of fairness, ethnocentrism and animosity will have a positive effect on perceived betrayal. In addition, low consumer animosity revealed a significant consumer ethnocentrism effect and low ethnocentrism revealed a significant animosity effect, while the relationship between perceived betrayal and word of mouth is negative.Originality/valueThe current research adds to the understanding about how the reaction to a domestic brand's marketing strategies that are viewed as unfair and hurt the domestic consumers' expectations.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 283-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahman Hamzelu ◽  
Ali Gohary ◽  
Salar Ghafoori Nia ◽  
Kambiz Heidarzadeh Hanzaee

Purpose Customer reaction to failure is of essential importance and varies by level of involvement with products and services. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to use the FCB grid to examine effects of involvement and emotion on failure of products and services. It also explores effects of negative word-of-mouth, consumer advocacy, customer voicing and gender on the so-called silent killers. Design/methodology/approach A 2 (male or female)×4 (high and low involvement, feelings, thinking in FCB grid) between-subjects experiment on 311 college students, who have recently experienced product failure, is performed. Findings Results reveal that customers with different levels of involvement react differently to product failure. Furthermore, low-involvement products are more likely to develop silent killers. The results also show that silent killer is more common among men. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no similar study is performed on the relationship between involvement and failure of products or services. In addition, this attempt is the first quantitative study to examine the phenomenon of silent killers in this field.


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 863-876
Author(s):  
Sang Bong Lee ◽  
Taewon Suh

Purpose Reflecting on the importance of negative word-of-mouth (NWOM) executed by internal audience of brand management, this study aims to explore the mechanism of employees’ NWOM in the emotional exhaustion context. Design/methodology/approach Focusing on employees’ active brand-oriented deviances, this study used a surveyed data set (n = 150) collected from negatively aroused employees experiencing a negative event within their organization. Structural equation modeling was adopted to test the hypotheses. Findings The current study revealed that employees’ NWOM is associated with emotional exhaustion. Also, it discovered that emotional exhaustion is more strongly associated with employees’ NWOM than turnover intention. Research limitations/implications Relying on self-regulation theory, the current study identified emotional exhaustion as a critical antecedent of employees’ NWOM. Future researchers can use the longitudinal research design or temporal separation as an effort to prevent common method variance. Practical implications Internal audiences engage in negative brand-oriented performance by spreading NWOM. Further, the advance in social media may instigate NWOM spread by internal audiences to external audiences. Originality/value This paper tests the explanatory power of conservation of resources theory and self-regulatory theory in terms of the impact of employees’ emotional exhaustion on NWOM and turnover intention.


2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 698-708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Gillison ◽  
Kristy Reynolds

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how shoppers’ expectations regarding the amount of search and disconfirmation of these search expectations affect outcomes of the shopping trip.Design/methodology/approachA survey of shoppers is used to test the proposed hypotheses.FindingsSurvey results indicate that search disconfirmation is conceptually distinct from but related to search effort and search regret. The results show that negative search disconfirmation mediates the relationship between search effort and shopper satisfaction, hedonic and utilitarian shopping value, choice confidence, search regret and negative word-of-mouth intent.Originality/valueThe findings underscore that search effort itself is not negative for shoppers. However, when search effort is perceived as excessive compared to shoppers’ expectations, negative retail outcomes can occur. Theoretical and managerial implications are discussed.


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