Publication Type

Journal Article

Version

publishedVersion

Publication Date

7-2020

Abstract

This research documents how negative reviews, when perceived as unfair, can activate feelings of empathy toward firms that have been wronged. Six studies and four supplemental experiments provide converging evidence that this experienced empathy for the firm motivates supportive consumer responses such as paying higher purchase prices and reporting increased patronage intentions. Importantly, this research highlights factors that can increase or decrease empathy toward a firm. For instance, adopting the reviewer's perspective when evaluating an unfair negative review can reduce positive consumer responses to a firm, whereas conditions that enhance the ability to experience empathy-such as when reviews are highly unfair, when the identity of the employee is made salient, or when the firm responds in an empathetic manner-can result in positive consumer responses toward the firm. Overall, this work extends the understanding of consumers' responses to word of mouth in the marketplace by highlighting the role of perceived (un)fairness. The authors discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the findings for better management of consumer reviews.

Keywords

word of mouth, fairness, negative reviews, customer complaints, empathy, emotions

Discipline

Advertising and Promotion Management | Marketing

Research Areas

Marketing

Publication

Journal of Marketing

Volume

84

Issue

4

First Page

86

Last Page

108

ISSN

0022-2429

Identifier

10.1177/0022242920924389

Publisher

SAGE Publications (UK and US)

Additional URL

https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242920924389

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