Third party inclusion in consumer complaint processes: Consumers' motivations and expectations

• Main Author: Cannon, James Andrew
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses 01.01.2000
• Subjects: Altruism; Attorneys general; Chambers of commerce; Complaints; Consumer attitudes; Consumer behavior; Consumer protection; Consumers; Copyright; Emotions; Hypotheses; Marketing; Mediation; Mediators; Motivation; Perceptions; Power; Procedural justice; Psychology; Small claims courts; Studies; Third party
• ISBN: 9780493090641; 0493090649

Consumer complaint behavior involving third parties is an extension of the dyadic complaint situation. Of particular interest are motivators moving consumers to include a third party in a complaint interaction, and consumers' expectations of the third party's impact on the complaint process. Consumer motivators are considered from problem-based and emotion-based perspectives (Folkes, 1988a; Folkman, 1984; Folkman and Lazarus, 1980). Problem-based motivators are framed in terms of punishment, damaging a firm, and resolution, pressing for a more satisfactory outcome. Emotion-based motivators are discussed from altruistic, the good of society, and therapeutic, the release of emotional stress, conceptualizations. Consumers' inclusion of a third party is considered an attempt to add power to their bargaining position. Consumer expectations are discussed using French and Raven's (1958) social bases of power as a conceptualizing framework. Two of the bases of power are of particular interest, coercive power, forcing the firm to satisfy the consumers' problem with the transaction, and expert power, assisting in handling the complaint situation. The inclusion of time is relevant as both Zuckerman and Reis (1978) and Richins and Bloch (1991) both found temporal changes impact consumers' satisfaction. Time may impact consumers' motivations and expectations. The choice of third parties in complaint situations is important and a nearly universally accessible third party, the Better Business Bureau, is used to identify consumer subjects. This survey research is conducted using a Likert-like seven-point scale and statements concerning consumers' motivations and expectations. Two groups of consumer subjects are queried, a set entering the third-party process, Ins, and a set having completed the third-party process, Outs. Results indicate that consumers are motivated earlier than anticipated by altruism and less than hypothesized by punishment. Differences between Ins' and Outs' motivations are also found. Consumers' expectations are more oriented toward expert power than coercion.