Attributions of blame for customer mistreatment : Implications for employees’ service performance and customers’ negative word of mouth

Journal article


Garcia, Patrick Raymund James M., Restubog, Simon Lloyd D., Lu, Vinh Nhat, Amarnani, Rajiv K., Wang, Lu and Capezio, Alessandra. (2019). Attributions of blame for customer mistreatment : Implications for employees’ service performance and customers’ negative word of mouth. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 110, pp. 203-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.12.001
AuthorsGarcia, Patrick Raymund James M., Restubog, Simon Lloyd D., Lu, Vinh Nhat, Amarnani, Rajiv K., Wang, Lu and Capezio, Alessandra
Abstract

Integrating conservation of resources and attribution theories, this study investigates the extent to which perceived customer mistreatment increases customers' negative word of mouth by reducing service workers' subsequent customer-directed in-role performance and customer-directed organizational citizenship behaviors. We also hypothesized that customer-directed blame attributions would moderate these relationships. Data collected from 153 restaurant servers, 153 coworkers, 149 supervisors and 306 customers show that the negative relationship between customer mistreatment and customer-directed behaviors (both in-role performance and organizational citizenship behaviors) is stronger for employees who engage in high as opposed to low levels of customer-directed blame attributions. Furthermore, the conditional indirect effect of customer mistreatment on negative word of mouth, via customer-directed organizational citizenship behaviors, is stronger for those employees who engage in high as opposed to low levels of customer-directed blame attributions.

Keywordscustomer mistreatment; negative word of mouth; blame attributions; conservation of resources theory; attribution theory; performance
Year2019
JournalJournal of Vocational Behavior
Journal citation110, pp. 203-213
PublisherElsevier Inc.
ISSN0001-8791
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.12.001
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85059175062
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range203-213
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online06 Dec 2018
Publication process dates
Accepted05 Dec 2018
Deposited31 Aug 2021
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