A Cross-cultural Study Of The Effects Of Perceived Belongingness And Firm’s Receptivity On Consumers Dissatisfaction

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Conference Track

Cross-Cultural Marketing and Entrepreneurship/ Small Business Marketing

Publication Date

2011

Abstract

As globalization grows, small business firms are faced with the challenge to manage dissatisfied customers with different cultural backgrounds. This challenge becomes more complex especially in multicultural contexts as well multiethnic markets where culture interacts with firm’s group membership and firm’s receptivity. In this research we investigate the moderator effects of the Individualism-Collectivism dimension of culture on the cognition-Affect-behavior process of dissatisfaction, and we discuss how such effects are contingent with the perceived belongingness (exogroup versus endogroup) and the firm’s receptivity. We tested two rival processes explaining differences in behavioral responses of dissatisfied consumers. The first process posits that collectivist consumers, although they may blame the service firm as much as individualist ones do, they feel less negative emotions and engage less in complaining behaviors and voicing to a third party. However, the second process assumes that collectivist consumers, even if they perceive the employees’ firm as belonging to their group (endogroup), they will expect more receptivity, and will be more inclined to voice their complaining. Findings supports that, in case of collectivist consumers, firm’s receptivity fails to weigh against private and third party complaining.

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Digital Commons@Georgia Southern License

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