Self-enhancement and negative word-of-mouth intention: Mediating role of vengeance and moderated mediation model of helping other consumers and gender

Year 2023, Volume: 11 Issue: 2, 235 - 255, 01.06.2023

Emrah Tokgöz , Onur Şaylan

https://doi.org/10.30519/ahtr.1140114

Abstract

The aims of this study were (a) to investigate the mediating role of vengeance in the relationship between self-enhancement and negative word-of-mouth (NWOM) intention, (b) to examine the moderated mediation role of helping other consumers, and (c) to test moderated moderation role of gender. The study employs Process Macro software to achieve research aims with the sample of 767 consumers. The results show that (a) vengeance has a partial mediating role in the relationship between self-enhancement and NWOM intention, (b) helping other consumers has a moderated mediation role in this indirect relationship, and (c) the moderated mediation role of helping other consumers is moderated by gender (difference for females) only in the effect of self-enhancement on vengeance. Research is important to understand the antecedents of NWOM.

Keywords

Self-Enhancement, Vengeance, Help Other Consumers, Negative Word-of-Mouth Intention, Gender

References

• Abdel-Khalek, A. M. (2016). Introduction to the psychology of self-esteem. In F. Holloway (Ed.), Self-esteem: perspectives, influences, and improvement strategies, (pp. 1-23). Nova Science Publisher.
• Alexandrov, A., Lilly, B., & Babakus, E. (2013). The effects of social-and self-motives on the intentions to share positive and negative word of mouth. Journal of the Academy Marketing Science, 41, 531–546.
• Anderson, J. C., & Gerbing, D. W. (1988). Structural equation modelling in practice: A review and recommended two-step approach. Psychol Bull, 103(3), 411–423.
• Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51(6), 1173–1182.
• Bastos, W., & Moore, S. G. (2021). Making word-of-mouth impactful: Why consumers react more to WOM about experiential than material purchases. Journal of Business Research, 130, 110-123.
• Berger, J. (2014). Word of mouth and interpersonal communication: A review and directions for future research. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 24(4), 586–607.
• Berger, J., & Milkman, K. (2012). What makes online content viral? Journal of Marketing, 49(2), 192–205.
• Boo, H. C., Mattila, A. S., & Tan, C. Y. (2013). Effectiveness of recovery actions on deviant customer behavior-The moderating role of gender. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 35, 180-192.
• Boo, S., & Kim, J. (2013). Comparison of negative eWOM intention: An exploratory study. Journal of Quality Assurance in Hospitality & Tourism, 14, 24–48.
• Brown, J. D. (2010). High self-esteem buffers negative feedback: Once more with feeling. Cognition and Emotion, 24(8), 1389-1404.
• Brown, R. P. (2004). Vengeance is mine: Narcissism, vengeance, and the tendency to forgive. Journal of Research in Personality, 38, 576–584.
• Brunel, F. F., & Nelson, M. R. (2000). Explaining gendered responses to "help-self" and "help-others" charity ad appeals: The mediating role of World-views. Journal of Advertising, 29(3), 15-28.
• Chang, H. H., Tsai, Y. C., Wong, K. H., Wang, J. W., & Cho, F. J. (2015). The effects of response strategies and severity of failure on consumer attribution with regard to negative word-of-mouth. Decision Support Systems, 71, 48-61.
• Chelminski, P., & Coulter, R. A. (2011). An examination of consumer advocacy and complaining behavior in the context of service failure. Journal of Services Marketing, 25(5), 361–370.
• Cheng, S., Lam, T., & Hsu, C. H. C. (2006). Negative word-of-mouth communication intention: An application of the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research, 30(1), 95-116.
• Cheung, M. S., Anitsal, M. M., & Anitsal, I. (2007). Revısiting word-of-mouth communications: A cross-national exploration. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 15(3), 235–249.
• Cota-McKinley, A. L., Woody, W. D., & Bell, P. A. (2001). Vengeance: effects of gender, age, and religious background. Aggressive Behavior, 27, 343-350.
• De Angelis, M., Bonezzi, A., Peluso, A. M., Rucker, D. D., & Costabile, M. (2012). On braggarts and gossips: A self-enhancement account of word-of-mouth generation and transmission. Journal of Marketing Research, 49, 551-563.
• Diamantopoulos, A., & Siguaw, J. A. (2000). Introducing LISREL. A guide for the uninitiated. London: Sage Publication.
• Dimitrov, D. M. (2014). Statistical methods for validation of assessment scale data in counseling and related fields. Alexandria, VA, USA: Wiley.
• Douglas, K. M. & Sutton, R. M. (2003). Effects of communication goals and expectancies on language abstraction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 682–696.
• East, R., Hammond, K., & Wright, M. (2007). The relative incidence of positive and negative word of mouth: A multi-category study. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 24, 175–184.
• Elshout, M., Nelissen, R. M. A., & van Beest, I. (2015). Vengeance is self-focused: comparing vengeful to anger-driven responses. Cognition and Emotion, 29(7), 1239-1255.
• Fan, A., Wu, L., & Mattila, A. S. (2018). Gender differences in the intentions to voice complaints across different service failure modes. Journal of Foodservice Business Research, 21(1), 22-32.
• Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18, 39-50.
• Fu, J. R., Ju, P. H., & Hsu, C. W. (2015). Understanding why consumers engage in electronic word-of-mouth communication: Perspectives from theory of planned behavior and justice theory. Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 14, 616–630.
• Gelbrich, K. (2010). Anger, frustration, and helplessness after service failure: coping strategies and effective informational support. Journal of the Academy Marketing Science, 38, 567–585.
• Gregoire, Y., & Fisher, R. J. (2008). Customer betrayal and retaliation: when your best customers become your worst enemies. Journal of the Academy Marketing Science, 36, 247–261.
• Gregoire, Y., Ghadami, F., Laporte, S., Senecal, S., & Larocque, D. (2018). How can firms stop customer revenge? The effects of direct and indirect revenge on post-complaint responses. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 46, 1052–1071.
• Gregoire, Y., Laufer, D., & Tripp, T. M. (2010). A comprehensive model of customer direct and indirect revenge: understanding the effects of perceived greed and customer power. Journal of the Academy Marketing Science, 38, 738–758.
• Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2010). Multivariate data analysis. (7. Edition) New Jersey.
• Hayes, A. F. (2013). PROCESS v3.5 for SPSS. Retrieved November 10, 2019, from https://www.processmacro.org/index.html
• Hayes, A. F. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. (2. Ed.). New York: The Guilford Press.
• Hu, Y., & Kim, H. J. (2018). Positive and negative eWOM motivations and hotel customers’ eWOM behavior: Does personality matter? International Journal of Hospitality Management, 75, 27-37.
• Jeon, J., Kim, B. D., & Seok, J. (2020). Impact of negative word of mouth on firm value. Asia Marketing Journal, 22(3), 1-28.
• Jeuring, J. H. G., & Haartsen, T. (2017). Destination branding by residents: The role of perceived responsibility in positive and negative word-of-mouth. Tourism Planning & Development, 14(2), 240–259.
• Joe, S., & Choi, C. (2019). The effect of fellow customer on complaining behaviors: The moderating role of gender. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 31(8), 3116-3133.
• Joireman, J., Gregoire, Y., Devezer, B., & Tripp, T. M. (2013). When do customers offer firms a “second chance” following a double deviation? The impact of inferred firm motives on customer revenge and reconciliation. Journal of Retailing, 89(3), 315-337.
• Kempf, D. S., & Palan, K. M. (2006). The effects of gender and argument strength on the processing of word-of-mouth communication. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 10(1), 1-18.
• Kozinets, R. V., de Valck, K., Wojnicki, A. C., & Wilner, S. J. S. (2010). Networked narratives: understanding word-of-mouth marketing in online communities. Journal of Marketing, 74, 71-89.
• Krishna, A., & Kim, S. (2020). Exploring customers’ situational and word-of-mouth motivations in corporate misconduct. Public Relations Review, 46, 1-8.
• Laurencelle, L., & Dupuis, F. A. (2002). Statistical tables explained and applied. River Edge, SG: World Scientific Publishing.
• Lay, J. C., & Hoppmann, C. A. (2015). Altruism and prosocial behavior. In N. Pachana (ed.), Encyclopedia of geropsychology. Springer, Singapore.
• Maceli, K. M., Baack, D. W., & Wachter, M. K. (2015). The impact of gender on electronic word-of-mouth communication. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 19(3), 281-295.
• MacKinnon, D. P., Lockwood, C. M., Hoffman, J. M., West, S. G., & Sheets, V. (2002). A comparison of methods to test mediation and other intervening variable effects. Psychological Methods, 7, 83–104.
• Majali, T. A., & Bohari, A. M. (2016). A conceptual model of electronic word of mouth communication through social network sites: The moderating effect of personality traits. International Review of Management and Marketing, 6, 265-269.
• Maric, D., Lekovic, K., & Tomic, S. (2020). E-WOM through the prism of socio-demographic analysis of users of tourist services. Ekonomika, 66(4), 1-12.
• Martin, W. C. (2017). Positive versus negative word-of-mouth: Effects on receivers. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 21, 1-10.
• Mattila, A. S., Cho, W., & Ro, H. (2009). The joint effects of service failure mode, recovery effort, and gender on customers' post‐recovery satisfaction. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 26(2), 120-128.
• McColl-Kennedy, J. R., Daus, C. S., & Sparks, B. A. (2003). The role of gender in reactions to service failure and recovery. Journal of Service Research, 6(1), 66-82.
• Meyers-Levy, J., & Loken, B. (2015). Revisiting gender differences: What we know and what lies ahead. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 25(1), 129–149.
• Munday, J. (2008). Introducing translation studies: Theories and applications. Routledge.
• Obeidat, Z. M. I., Xiao, S. H., Iyer, G. R., & Nicholson, M. (2017). Consumer revenge using the Internet and social media: An examination of the role of service failure types and cognitive appraisal processes. Psychology & Marketing, 34(4), 496–515.
• Packard, G., Gershoff, A. D., & Wooten, D. B. (2016). When boastful word of mouth helps versus hurts social perceptions and persuasion. Journal of Consumer Research, 43, 26-43.
• Philp, M., & Ashworth, L. (2013). Concealing your consumer stupidity: how the fear of appearing as an incompetent consumer reduces negative word-of-mouth. Advances in Consumer Research, 41, 576-577.
• Philp, M., & Ashworth, L. (2020). I should have known better!: When firm-caused failure leads to self-image concerns and reduces negative word-of-mouth. Journal of Business Research, 116, 283-293.
• Philp, M., Pyle, M. A., & Ashworth, L. (2018). Risking the self: The impact of self-esteem on negative word-of-mouth behavior. Marketing Letter, 29, 101–113.
• Podsakoff, P. M., Mackenzie, S. B., Lee, J. Y., & Podsakoff, N. P. (2003). Common method biases in behavioral research: a critical review of the literature and recommended remedies. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 879-903.
• Ribeiro, G. C., Butori, R., & Le Nagard, E. (2018). The determinants of approval of online consumer revenge. Journal of Business Research, 88, 212-221.
• Richins, M. L. (1984). Word of mouth communication as negative information. Advances in Consumer Research, 11, 697-702.
• Seo, J. Y., & Scammon, D. L. (2014). Does feeling holier than others predict good deeds? Self-construal, self-enhancement and helping behavior. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 31(6/7), 441-451.
• Seo, S., & Jang, S. (2021). A negative or positive signal? The impact of food recalls on negative word-of-mouth (N-WOM). Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 47, 150-158.
• Stuckless, N., & Goranson, R. (1992). The vengeance scale: Development of a measure of attitudes toward revenge. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 7(1), 25-42.
• Sundaram, D., Mitra, K., & Webster, C. (1998). Word-of-mouth communications: A motivational analysis. Advances in Consumer Research, 25, 527-531.
• Swaminathan, V., & Dokumaci, U. K. (2021). Do all, or only some personality types engage in spreading negative WOM? An experimental study of negative WOM, big 5 personality traits and brand personality. Journal of Global Scholars of Marketing Science, 31(3), 260–272.
• Sweeney, J., Soutar, G., & Mazzarol, T. (2014). Factors enhancing word-of-mouth influence: Positive and negative service-related messages. European Journal of Marketing, 48(1/2), 336-359.
• Talwar, M., Talwar, S., Kaur, P., Islam, A. K. M. N., & Dhir, A. (2021). Positive and negative word of mouth (WOM) are not necessarily opposites: A reappraisal using the dual factor theory. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 63, 1-12.
• Uzun, G. Ö. (2018). Vengeance scale: Reliability and validity study with gender differences. Quality & Quantity, 52, 1455–1469.
• Valenzuela, A., Bonezzi, A., & Szabo-Douat, T. (2018). What goes around, comes around: How beliefs in karma influence the use of word of mouth for self-enhancement. Journal of American College of Radiology, 3(4), 490-502.
• Vargo, C., Gangadharbatla, H., & Hopp, T. (2019). eWOM across channels: Comparing the impact of self-enhancement, positivity bias and vengeance on Facebook and Twitter. International Journal of Advertising, 38(8), 1153–1172.
• Verhagen, T., Nauta, A., & Feldberg, F. (2013). Negative online word-of-mouth: Behavioral indicator or emotional release? Computers in Human Behavior, 29, 1430-1440.
• Wangenheim, F. V. (2005). Postswitching negative word of mouth. Journal of Service Research, 8(1), 1-12.
• Wetzer, I. M., Zeelenberg, M., & Pieters, R. (2007). “Never eat in that restaurant, I did!”: Exploring why people engage in negative word-of-mouth communication. Psychology & Marketing, 24(8), 661–680.
• Wien, A. H., & Olsen, S. O. (2014). Understanding the relationship between individualism and word of mouth: A self-enhancement explanation. Psychology and Marketing, 31(6), 416–425.
• Williams, M., & Buttle, F. (2014). Managing negative word-of-mouth: An exploratory study. Journal of Marketing Management, 30(13-14), 1423-1447. DOI: 10.1080/0267257X.2014.933864.
• Zhang, Y., Feick, L., & Mittal, V. (2014). How males and females differ in their likelihood of transmitting negative word of mouth. Journal of Consumer Research, 40, 1097-1108.
• Zourrig, H., Chebat, J. C., & Toffoli, R. (2009). Consumer revenge behavior: A cross-cultural perspective. Journal of Business Research, 62, 995-1001.