Negative reviews, positive impact: Consumer empathetic responding to unfair word of mouth

• Main Authors: ALLARD, Thomas, DUNN, Lea H., WHITE, Katherine
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2020
• Subjects: word of mouth; fairness; negative reviews; customer complaints; empathy; emotions; Advertising and Promotion Management; Marketing
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/7079; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/8078/viewcontent/UnfairNegativeReviewsEmpathy_AllardDunnWhiteJM2020.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

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 s...