Consumers' Responses to Negative Word-of-Mouth Communication: An Attribution Theory Perspective

Laczniak, Russell N.; DeCarlo, Thomas E.; Ramaswami, Sridhar N.

doi:10.1207/15327660152054049

Cited by 70 publications

(83 citation statements)

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“…A company's response to negative information can influence consumers' inferences regarding negative publicity. Laczniak et al (2001) confirmed the path and demonstrated that the public's attributions of WOM communication influence consumers' causal attributions, which in turn affect their brand evaluation. As discussed, by responding with two-sided messages, the negativity induced by the public's comments can be attenuated, which leads to positive public attitudes toward the company.…”

Section: Mediating Role Of Perceived Altruism and Perceived Negativitymentioning

confidence: 53%

“…Previous studies show the potential of social media to engage with the public in discussing a company's CSR practices (Du & Vierira, 2012), but the key question for communication managers is how to deal with the public's criticism or negative comments in the open sphere. Communication and consumer behavior researchers have long discussed the influence of negative word-of-mouth (WOM) communication (e.g., Laczniak, Decarlo, & Ramaswami, 2001;Richins, 1983) but few have focused on the CSR context, especially in social media. Negative comments made by peers can influence website viewers' impressions and tarnish a company's reputation (Laczniak et al, 2001).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Communication and consumer behavior researchers have long discussed the influence of negative word-of-mouth (WOM) communication (e.g., Laczniak, Decarlo, & Ramaswami, 2001;Richins, 1983) but few have focused on the CSR context, especially in social media. Negative comments made by peers can influence website viewers' impressions and tarnish a company's reputation (Laczniak et al, 2001). Although the effect of negative information is well-documented, the significance of online communication platforms in today's information era calls for further investigation in new media settings.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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“How Negative Becomes Less Negative”: Understanding the Effects of Comment Valence and Response Sidedness in Social Media

Rim

Song

2016

J Commun

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This study explores the influence of the public's negative comments regarding a corporate social responsibility (CSR) campaign in social media and how to best respond to them. It examined the interaction effects of comment valence and the company's response sidedness on the public's attitudes as mediated by the perceived negativity and perceived altruism. Results revealed that 2‐sided CSR responses are more effective than 1‐sided responses in enhancing altruistic motives for CSR, reducing perceived negativity in the public's comments, and eliciting favorable attitudes, especially when comments were negative. The effects of message sidedness disappeared when the public's comments were positive. Results also showed that perceived altruism and negativity mediate the effects of message strategies on the public's attitudes toward the company.

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Section: Mediating Role Of Perceived Altruism and Perceived Negativitymentioning

confidence: 53%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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“How Negative Becomes Less Negative”: Understanding the Effects of Comment Valence and Response Sidedness in Social Media

Rim

Song

2016

J Commun

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“…Consistent with this finding, in the domain of the film industry, Basuroy, Chatterjee, and Ravid (2003) found that negative reviews hurt box office performance more than positive reviews help it (although the difference diminishes over time). Similarly, previous research in IS area has suggested that negative reviews are more persuasive and thus have a stronger influence than positive ones (Laczniak, DeCarlo, & Ramaswami, 2001;Park & Lee, 2009).…”

Section: Loss Aversion and Negativity Biasmentioning

confidence: 63%

Do consumers always follow “useful” reviews? The interaction effect of review valence and review usefulness on consumers' purchase decisions

Jia

Liu

2018

Asso for Info Science & Tech

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Consumers are influenced by both online review valence and usefulness. Although some scholars have recognized the gatekeeping role of review usefulness, whereby consumers always follow “useful” reviews, this is the first study that attempts to provide a better understanding of the gatekeeping role of review valence. Drawing on loss aversion theory, we propose that review valence provides more diagnostic value than review usefulness. Its crucial role is demonstrated in that only when reviews are perceived as positive do highly useful (rather than lowly useful) reviews increase consumers' adoption of them, whereas the difference appears less evident when reviews are perceived as negative. We empirically test the model from two perspectives including product level and review level. The results of a mixed‐method approach – a large‐scale panel study (product level) followed by two experimental studies (review level) – provide empirical evidence for the above hypotheses.

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“…family, friends, reference groups), it is thought to have a very powerful influence on consumers' evaluations -more than information received through commercial sources (i.e. advertisements and in-store marketing) (Laczniak et al, 2001). Therefore, retailers and manufacturers should encourage consumers to personally inform them about dissatisfactory products because 'complainers' are more valuable to them than non-complainers who simply walk out and take their business to the competitor and/or talk to friends about their negative product experiences.…”

Section: Retailers and Manufacturers Should Not Underestimate The Impmentioning

confidence: 99%

The right to be heard and to be understood: a conceptual framework for consumer protection in emerging economies

Donoghue

Klerk

2009

Int J Consumer Studies

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In many emerging economies and developing countries, comprising consumers from different cultures and with varying degrees of sophistication (knowledge and skill) concerning consumer protection, the promotion of consumers' rights to develop a consumer‐oriented culture remains a very big challenge. One way of protecting the consumer, especially the consumer that has not been fully socialized to execute informed decisions when purchasing expensive durables, is by establishing a redress environment that would ensure fair redress as well as an understanding and appreciation of the consumer. Manufacturers and retailers are often not aware of the performance failures that consumers experience concerning their products because many people do not communicate their dissatisfactions to them. However, unless and until manufacturers and retailers fully comprehend their customers' complaint behaviour, their reasons for engaging in specific complaint behaviour and the reasoning (cognitive processes) and emotional processes behind their behaviour, they will not recognize the link between complaint handling and customer loyalty and profits. The purpose of this paper was to develop a theoretical conceptual framework that would enable consumer scientists, consumer consultants, consumer behaviour researchers and those with the responsibility of handling consumer complaints to explore and understand consumer complaint behaviour in its entirety. We argue that, to be able to establish and manage a redress environment that is characterized by an understanding of the specific consumer as well as by effective complaint behaviour handling, it is of the utmost importance that the manufacturer, retailer, consumer consultant and all those that work with consumers' complaints understand the entire complaint process, including the underlying cognitive and emotional processes as well as the consumer's post‐complaint perception of justice and his/her satisfaction with the complaint handling. It is also important to understand the role that consumer‐, product‐ and redress environment‐related variables play in consumer complaint behaviour. The consumer who blames the retailer for the problem and who probably feels angry about the situation and decides to complain will expect redress. From a consumer's viewpoint, complaint‐related justice is, however, not only a matter of economic calculus but also a matter of procedure and interaction. We therefore argue for a holistic approach where consumer complaint behaviour is addressed in its entirety. Practical suggestions that could enhance customer satisfaction are given for manufacturers, retailers and those who deal with consumers' complaints.

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Consumers' Responses to Negative Word-of-Mouth Communication: An Attribution Theory Perspective

Cited by 70 publications

References 0 publications

“How Negative Becomes Less Negative”: Understanding the Effects of Comment Valence and Response Sidedness in Social Media

“How Negative Becomes Less Negative”: Understanding the Effects of Comment Valence and Response Sidedness in Social Media

Do consumers always follow “useful” reviews? The interaction effect of review valence and review usefulness on consumers' purchase decisions

The right to be heard and to be understood: a conceptual framework for consumer protection in emerging economies

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