“关系”视角下顾客群体性抱怨的心理机制及服务补救研究

Customer complaints has been a study focus for quite a long time, however, previous research are mainly based on the level of individual customer. Group customer complaints remain unclear. Several scholars have supported that intra-group interaction is one of the key characteristics of the group process, which is proved to embrace multiple dimensions. A series of research tries to gain dimensions of intra-group interaction according to different standards, such as the interactive content, mode, and intention, while the formation of the dynamic Guanxi between both the interactive sides has been neglected. Thus, based on the perspective of Chinese interpersonal Guanxi, the present work divides customer-to-customer interaction under the context of group service failure into instrumental Guanxi interaction and emotional Guanxi interaction. By virtue of combining (Stimulus-Organism-Response, SOR) Theory and Relationship Norm Theory, this study builds a theoretical model of Group Customer Complaints. The model reveals the psychological mechanism of the influence on complaints imposed by the customer interaction under the condition of service failure, and the difference between instrumental Guanxi interaction and emotional Guanxi interaction. Besides, we also explore the mediating role of exchange relationship norm and communal relationship norm, and the moderating effect of types of service failure, group size, relationship distance and gender characteristics in the process of interaction affecting the complaints. Finally, we evaluate the moderating effect imposed by the match of service recovery strategies (instrumental V.S emotional) and modes of openness (public V.S private) on the influence of various complaint behaviors.To conclude, this research helps to build a new theory foundation to further study group customer complaints under the context of Chinese culture, and thus, to offer a decision references for enterprises to design effective group service recovery.

顾客抱怨研究由来已久，但以往研究更多停留在个体层面，缺乏群体层面的关注。已有研究发现，作为群体过程的关键特征，群体内互动是多维度的。然而，以往研究多从互动内容、模式、动机等标准对群体内互动进行维度划分，而忽略了互动双方的动态“关系”构成。为此，本项目基于中国人际“关系”视角，将群体服务失败下顾客间互动分为工具性关系互动和情绪性关系互动，并结合“刺激-有机体-反应”理论、关系规范理论等构建顾客群体性抱怨理论模型，揭示群体服务失败下不同关系成分的顾客间互动对抱怨影响的心理机制及存在差异；探索关系规范在顾客间互动对抱怨影响中的中介作用，及服务失败类型、群体规模、关系距离、群体性别特征在顾客间互动对抱怨影响中的调节作用，以及服务补救策略与公开性方式的匹配在不同抱怨行为反应影响间的调节作用。本研究为深入剖析中国文化背景下顾客群体性抱怨行为提供新的理论依据，也为企业进行有效群体服务补救提供决策参考。

先前顾客抱怨研究更多聚集个体层面，缺乏群体层面的关注。然而，近年来，中国群体性服务失败事件频频发生，无疑对服务业乃至整个社会造成恶劣影响。与个体抱怨相比，顾客群体性抱怨过程更复杂多变，服务企业更难以应付，处理起来更不易控制，因此由服务失败引起的群体性抱怨问题亟需引起高度重视。本项目首先从“关系”的特殊性角度出发，将顾客间互动分为工具性关系互动和情绪性关系互动，并基于SOR理论、去个体化理论、群体极化理论等构建顾客群体性抱怨研究模型，揭示顾客间互动对抱怨影响的心理机制，探讨群体规模和关系距离的调节作用；其次，基于社会助长理论和社会懈怠理论，探索群体服务失败下群体规模对顾客抱怨意向影响的临界值效应；最后，探讨了由群体服务失败引起的网络负面口碑和负面事件对顾客抱怨的影响研究。本研究的科学价值在于：（1）从“关系”角度，对群体内互动提出新的维度划分方式，有助于丰富顾客间互动对抱怨影响的研究视角，完善顾客群体性抱怨理论框架，进一步拓展中国本土化的服务营销理论研究。（2）引入群体规模和关系距离特两个变量，探讨二者在顾客间互动对抱怨影响中的调节作用，有助于拓展群体基本特征对顾客抱怨影响的相关理论研究。（3）有助于拓展群体服务失败引起的网络负面口碑事件和负面事件管控相关理论研究。