Exploring Consumers' Conflict Styles: Grudges and Forgiveness Following Marketer Failure
To date, research has not extensively examined consumer conflict styles following a transgression of commercial relationship norms by firms. We examine instances of service failure between consumers and long-time service providers using critical incident interviews with 30 informants. The findings indicate that the decision to perpetuate grudges or forgive service providers following a transgression is moderated by consumers’ self- vs. other-orientation, emotional intelligence, and attachment style. The findings provide a new perspective on grudge holding and highlight the dark side associated with strong emotional bonds between consumers and service providers.
Citation:
Michael B. Beverland, Emily Chung, and Steven M. Kates (2009) ,"Exploring Consumers' Conflict Styles: Grudges and Forgiveness Following Marketer Failure", in NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36, eds. Ann L. McGill and Sharon Shavitt, Duluth, MN : Association for Consumer Research, Pages: 438-443.
Authors
Michael B. Beverland, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia
Emily Chung, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Australia
Steven M. Kates, Simon Fraser University, Canada
Volume
NA - Advances in Consumer Research Volume 36 | 2009
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