Allowing a consumer to reciprocate a feeling of gratitude converts a short-term emotion into a long-lasting relational norm

Role of Consumer Gratitude Because grateful people acknowledge how others have contributed to their well-being (Watkins et al. 2003), customer gratitude increases in response to favors (Goei and Boster 2005), and grateful customers reward firms for extra efforts (Morales 2005), such as by complying with sub- sequent requests (Goei and Boster 2005). According to retailing research, con- sumers satisfy their obligations to salespeople by purchasing (Dahl, Honea, and Manchanda 2005), which implies seller investments in RM make consumers feel grateful, which then prompts them to engage in behaviors that improve seller performance (Palmatier et al. 2007b).

However, the cognitively focused constructs of commitment and trust can- not be divorced from the emotional concept of gratitude. Cognition and emo- tion entwine closely, and (emotional) gratitude positively influences (cognitive) judgments of trust (Dunn and Schweitzer 2005). As Young (2006) posits, grati- tude is a “relationship-sustaining” emotion with important implications for relational trust. Not only does gratitude enhance short-term consumer pur- chasing behaviors, it also promotes consumer trust and reciprocity norms with its longer-term effects (Palmatier et al. 2007b).

In this sense, gratitude represents a “starting mechanism” that influences prosocial behavior as long as the emotion lasts and then extends to longer-term effects because it builds the relationship (Bartlett and DeSteno 2006) by prompt- ing norms of reciprocity in consumers’ minds. Thus, gratitude initiates an ongoing cycle of reciprocation, which self-reinforces norms of reciprocity. Schwartz (1967, p. 8) highlights the gratitude–reciprocity cycle link by describ- ing the “continuing balance of debt—now in the favor of one member, now in the favor of another,” which guarantees relationship continuation because “gratitude will always constitute a part of the bond linking them.”

Thus, gratitude enhances RM performance in three main ways:

1. Consumers engage in positive purchase behaviors to satisfy their feelings of obligation in response to RM-induced feelings of gratitude.

2. The increased levels of consumer trust, due to gratitude, increase con- sumer commitment and thus enhance relational performance outcomes.

. Gratitude promotes the development of norms of reciprocity over the longer term and initiates a reciprocation cycle, which has long-term positive effects on consumer behaviors.

In summary, the positive returns on RM activities rely on gratitude as an underlying, supporting psychological mechanism (Palmatier et al. 2007b).

Role of Consumer Norms of Reciprocity Various studies in different contexts support the importance of reciprocity norms in decision processes. Dawson (1998) disentangles various motivations for donating to charities and high- lights norms of reciprocity as a significant factor; Whatley and colleagues (1999) indicate that norms encourage compliance with requests to reciprocate, regardless of whether the consequences of that compliance are known; Diekmann (2004) reveals that norms of reciprocity shape altruistic cooperative behavior, even in high-stakes situations; and Cialdini and Rhoads (2001) iden- tify reciprocity as one of six basic psychological principles that underlie success- ful influence tactics.

Social norms in general drive behaviors, as long as they are salient to the par- ticular situation (Kallgren, Reno, and Cialdini 2000). Thus, norms of reciproc- ity are effective in an RM context because gratitude in response to relationship marketing triggers proper salience, which heightens the norm’s influence on purchase decisions. Because consumer norms of reciprocity have such long- term, positive effects on consumer purchase behaviors, they also represent an important mechanism for understanding what makes RM activities successful.

This second, interpersonal model of RM integrates gratitude from psychol- ogy and norms of reciprocity from sociology to suggest a framework in which two relational drivers other than trust and commitment influence performance. This model (Figure 3) also argues that RM is inherently dynamic, so different factors affect short- versus long-term performance.

Overall, gratitude and norms of reciprocity take a central role, in addition to trust and commitment, in interpersonal RM and thus help explain the strong empirical and managerial support for the impact of interpersonal relationships on decision making. That RM is an effective strategy for influencing consumer decision making is not surprising; its effect is supported by the underlying psy- chological emotion of gratitude, which leads to a desire to repay debt. The process of repaying generates feelings of pleasure, whereas the failure to do so generates feelings of guilt. In addition to a well-designed psychological system that causes consumers to repay RM investments, these same mechanisms result in strong social norms that reinforce consumers’ compliance with RM efforts.

Relationship marketing’s influence on decision making is supported by the underlying psychological emotion of gratitude, which leads to a desire to repay. The process of repaying generates feelings of pleasure, whereas the failure generates feelings of guilt.

The model of interfirm RM accounts for multiple interfirm relationships through relational quality (i.e., trust, commitment, and reciprocity norms), breadth, and composition; however, because each interfirm tie represents an interpersonal dyad, the model of interfirm relationship could be expanded by integrating gratitude and reciprocity into a multilevel RM model. For example, the ultimate outcome of interfirm exchanges results from both interpersonal- level decisions (based on dyadic trust, commitment, gratitude, and reciprocity norms) and group-level decisions (based on group-level relationship quality, breadth, and composition). A fully specified model of RM must account for each level and identify the conditions in which each plays a larger role in influ- encing exchange outcomes.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29