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1 – 10 of over 1000Ismail Karabas and Jeff Joireman
Non-voluntary tipping (e.g. automatic gratuity) has received growing attention in the service industry. Existing research suggests customers respond unfavorably to non-voluntary…
Abstract
Purpose
Non-voluntary tipping (e.g. automatic gratuity) has received growing attention in the service industry. Existing research suggests customers respond unfavorably to non-voluntary tipping, yet little research has examined why. The current study aims to address this question, with particular interest in response to non-voluntary tipping under high-quality service.
Design/methodology/approach
Two scenario-based experiments tested the proposed hypotheses in between-participants design using ANOVA, hierarchical regression and PROCESS.
Findings
Study 1 showed that non-voluntary tipping resulted in higher negative emotions, which led to lower return intentions. Surprisingly, the negative effect of non-voluntary tipping was as strong (or stronger) under high (vs low) quality service. To understand this counterintuitive effect, Study 2 developed and tested two competing process models (i.e. blocked vengeance vs blocked gratitude). Supporting the blocked gratitude model, results revealed that non-voluntary tipping hinders customers’ ability to reward service employees, undermining positive emotions and lowering return intentions.
Research limitations/implications
Current work was conducted in two settings using two scenario-based experiments. Hence, additional settings with non-scenario-based studies are encouraged.
Practical implications
The present work cautions managers considering a move to non-voluntary tipping to be aware of its negative effects, especially when the service quality is high. The blocked gratitude model suggests that managers should clarify methods available for customers who wish to reward good service.
Originality/value
This paper is the first to examine customer response to non-voluntary tipping under different levels of service quality and the underlying emotional mechanisms.
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Cindy Yunhsin Chou, Wei Wei Cheryl Leo, Yelena Tsarenko and Tom Chen
Informed by the broaden-and-build theory of emotions, this study aims to investigate the relationships between consumers’ motives and personal and social outcomes in access-based…
Abstract
Purpose
Informed by the broaden-and-build theory of emotions, this study aims to investigate the relationships between consumers’ motives and personal and social outcomes in access-based services (ABS). Further, drawing on territorial behaviour literature, the second goal of this research is to test the moderating effects of psychological ownership on the relationships between personal outcomes and consumer territorial behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
This research comprises a quantitative online survey complemented by a qualitative interview study. The quantitative study employed an online consumer panel survey of 317 samples. Later, the qualitative study sought additional insights into the economic benefit motives and manifestation of territorial behaviour of bicycle-sharing users to enrich the results of quantitative study. The quantitative data were analysed using structural equation modelling, and the interviews were transcribed and analysed using an inductive and deductive thematic analysis.
Findings
The results indicated that specific motives significantly affected certain personal outcomes. Namely, economic benefit, enjoyment and reputation motives drove life satisfaction, while enjoyment, sustainability and social relationships promoted feelings of gratitude. Furthermore, life satisfaction positively affected consumer cooperation, helping other consumers and territorial behaviour. In contrast, feelings of gratitude had a positive relationship with cooperation and helping other consumers, but a negative one with territorial behaviour. Additional examination revealed that consumers’ psychological ownership of the shared bicycle in an ABS model moderated the effect of gratitude on consumer territorial behaviour.
Research limitations/implications
This study offers and tests a model on ABS in the context of bicycle-sharing services. Thus, it presents avenues to test the model on other ABS, e.g. clothing or home sharing.
Practical implications
Managers in ABS can foster positive emotional states of gratitude and life satisfaction that will inevitably promote consumer cooperation and helping behaviour.
Originality/value
This study is among the first to propose and examine a model that tests the relationships between consumers’ motives and personal and social outcomes in ABS.
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Angela Zenteno-Hidalgo and Deanna Geddes
This chapter presents a compassionate response model of workplace anger. The model incorporates an interpersonal feedback loop to show how compassionate responses to workplace…
Abstract
This chapter presents a compassionate response model of workplace anger. The model incorporates an interpersonal feedback loop to show how compassionate responses to workplace anger have the potential for generating gratitude within the angry individual. Both reactions should ultimately result in more favorable organizational outcomes from anger episodes. In addition, the model identifies message, individual, relational, and organizational factors moderating the likelihood that an anger expression, compassion, and gratitude progression take place. The model proposes that anger expression is not inherently negative for individuals and organizations, but may initiate a series of potentially positive exchanges of emotion and caring.
Ji Miracle Qi, Yi Peng, Graham H. Lowman and Xingliang He
Employee gratitude is often associated with positive customer-related benefits. However, our understanding of employee gratitude is notably underdeveloped within the service…
Abstract
Purpose
Employee gratitude is often associated with positive customer-related benefits. However, our understanding of employee gratitude is notably underdeveloped within the service literature. To address this issue, this study aims to position employee gratitude within the service profit chain (SPC) framework as a complementary mediator. Further, the authors empirically examine service climate as a central antecedent to employee gratitude and employee customer-oriented behavior as an outcome that triggers an internal and external reciprocal social exchange.
Design/methodology/approach
The examination of the research questions was done across two studies, using employee self-reported data (Study 1) and employee–customer dyadic data (Study 2). In Study 1, the authors investigate how employee gratitude mediates the relationship between service climate and customer-oriented behavior, with employee interpersonal influence functioning as a moderator. In Study 2, the authors examine how customer-oriented behavior, an outcome of Study 1, influences customer satisfaction and customer avoidance, with customer gratitude functioning as a mediator.
Findings
Results from both Study 1 and Study 2 support the proposed relationships. These studies contribute to the service literature by evaluating how and why employee gratitude functions as a significant factor in determining employee and customer behavior within the service context.
Originality/value
This work enriches the gratitude literature by empirically testing a novel theoretical perspective on employee and customer gratitude in service encounters. In doing so, the authors provide a more nuanced understanding of how internal and external processes are connected and potentially reinforced in SPC.
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David J. Cooper and John P. Lightle
We augment a standard bilateral gift-exchange game to allow employees to communicate their gratitude for, or disapproval toward, the wage assigned to them by their manager. This…
Abstract
We augment a standard bilateral gift-exchange game to allow employees to communicate their gratitude for, or disapproval toward, the wage assigned to them by their manager. This provides employees with a means of reciprocation or emotion expression toward the employee which is not available in a standard gift-exchange game and may substitute for the higher-than-equilibrium efforts commonly seen in this environment. We find that employees express gratitude or disapproval according to the wage received, but these messages are not a substitute for monetary reciprocation as the relationship between wages and effort is unchanged. These results suggest that employees view the messages as a form of emotional expression independent from rewarding or punishing managers. Average wage levels are little affected by allowing messages, although wages do fall more over time in the absence of messages and individual managers’ wage choices are affected by the messages they receive.
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Natalia Kolyesnikova, Tim H. Dodd and Debra A. Laverie
Wine and accessories bought partly or fully out of a perceived need to repay services received at a winery are defined here as gratuity purchasing. The purpose of the research is…
Abstract
Purpose
Wine and accessories bought partly or fully out of a perceived need to repay services received at a winery are defined here as gratuity purchasing. The purpose of the research is to identify factors that predict gratuity purchasing at wineries. Specifically, the study seeks to investigate the role of gratitude and obligation, along with other consumer characteristics, in purchasing.
Design/methodology/approach
Winery visitors were sampled from six Texas wineries. A total of 357 questionnaires were analyzed. Hierarchical multiple regression, correlation and factor analyses were employed.
Findings
Gratitude and obligation were found to be strong predictors of purchasing at wineries. Visitors who feel grateful to personnel and/or obliged to buy wine are likely to spend more money at wineries. Involvement and knowledge also appear to be related to purchasing.
Practical implications
Since gratitude and obligation appear to be strong predictors of buying decisions, winery managers need to find ways to enhance visitor feelings of appreciation. Although developing a sense of obligation may have an impact on sales, obligation may also create feelings of not wishing to return. It is important for managers to consider the extent to which they would like to have people feeling obligated or guilty about making a purchase.
Originality/value
The research offers new insights into an understudied area of consumer behavior – the role of reciprocity in purchasing behavior. An innovative feature of this study is the development of a new instrument to measure gratitude and obligation.
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Subhajit Bhattacharya and Arunava Dalal
A growing challenge for organizations is to keep their brand relevant and connected to consumers. This can be achieved by connecting the consumer not only through conventional…
Abstract
Purpose
A growing challenge for organizations is to keep their brand relevant and connected to consumers. This can be achieved by connecting the consumer not only through conventional lines but also through means of developing emotional bonding, leading to brand gratitude. This study aims to develop a conceptual model by identifying a set of components and establishing a probable linkage between them for the development of brand gratitude.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study involving three focus group discussions with industry experts was conducted to identify the brand elements that can help build a strong emotional connection between the brand and customers, leading to brand gratitude.
Findings
The study identified the different brand elements and their relative influence on building the consumer-brand emotional connection. These components were then incorporated into a conceptual model for creating a “Unique Emotional Connection” (UEC). The outcome of the UEC model is enhanced and long-lasting association of the brand through brand gratitude.
Originality/value
An integrated study to understand the different elements influencing customer-brand emotional connection is rare. Also, papers studying the role of gratitude in brand management are limited. This study has tried to address these gaps through a conceptual framework that can help marketing practitioners to develop a long-lasting customer-brand relationship.
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Ronald J. Burke, Eddy S.W. Ng and Lisa Fiksenbaum
The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between virtues and indicators of work satisfaction and engagement, perceptions of hospital functioning and quality of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to examine the relationship between virtues and indicators of work satisfaction and engagement, perceptions of hospital functioning and quality of nursing care, and psychological wellbeing of nursing staff.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 79 staff nurses using anonymously completed questionnaires. A virtue is any psychological process that enables a person to benefit himself or herself and others. Three virtues were considered: gratitude, optimism, and proactive behaviors. This emphasis was consistent with emerging trends in both psychology and organizational studies, termed positive psychology or positive organizational scholarship respectively, to focus on strengths and excellence rather than weakness and pathology.
Findings
Hierarchical regression analyses, controlling for both personal demographic and work situation characteristics, indicated that virtues accounted for significant increments in explained variance on most outcome measures. Gratitude emerged as a particularly consistent predictor of these.
Research limitations/implications
The research needs to be expanded to larger samples, given the small sample of nurses involved in this preliminary study.
Practical implications
Explanations for the association of virtues with favorable outcomes are offered along with potentially practical implications.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the growing literature on the relationship of virtues or character strengths to individual wellbeing and performance in work settings.
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Rebecca Schaumberg and Francis J. Flynn
This chapter aims to clarify the distinction between feeling grateful and feeling indebted. Often overlooked and underappreciated, the differences that define these unique…
Abstract
This chapter aims to clarify the distinction between feeling grateful and feeling indebted. Often overlooked and underappreciated, the differences that define these unique affective experiences are critical to understanding the consequences of helping behavior. This chapter describes the psychological underpinnings of gratitude and indebtedness and outlines the ways in which previous research has conflated the two constructs. In addition, it puts forth a set of testable propositions that help distinguish the relative importance of gratitude and indebtedness in interpersonal relations. The implications of these ideas are discussed in the context of individual generosity, social exchange, and group dynamics.
Manju Mahipalan and Naval Garg
This paper aims to examine the relationship between workplace toxicity and psychological capital (PsyCap). It also investigates the moderating role of gratitude in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the relationship between workplace toxicity and psychological capital (PsyCap). It also investigates the moderating role of gratitude in the toxicity–PsyCap link.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on explorative-cum-descriptive research design. The sample comprises 411 employees engaged in banking, insurance, IT, automobile and oil and gas companies. The collected data is explored for reliability, validity, multicollinearity and common method variance estimates. Also, the relationship between workplace toxicity and PsyCap and the moderating effect of gratitude are examined using structural equation modelling.
Findings
The findings report a negative association between toxicity and PsyCap. Also, the study concludes a significant moderating effect of gratitude. The study recommends the institutionalisation of a gratitude-based organisation to reduce the impact of workplace bullying and uncivil behaviour.
Originality/value
The study is based on primary data and one of the few studies that explore psychological capital as a dependent variable, which is influenced by toxic behaviours at work.
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