Consumer Complaining Behavior, Imagined Interactions, and Communication Traits: Cognitive Processing Following an Organizational Failure

Abstract

This study examined the use of imagined interactions following the violation of consumers' expectations operationalized as organizational failures. Communication-based personality traits were also examined with respect to consumer complaining behavior and the use of imagined interactions. Participants were 235 people exposed to a hypothetical organizational failure involving violated expectations for a hotel reservation. The results indicate that people do use imagined interactions to help process organizational failures and that they are more likely to do so for rehearsal and self-awareness functions than for cathartic purposes. Moreover, several communication-based personality traits (e.g., argumentativeness, blirtatiousness, verbal aggressiveness, and communication apprehension) are significantly associated with imagined interactions and measures of complaining behavior.

Keywords:

• Communication Traits
• Consumer Complaining
• Imagined Interactions

Notes

Note. PRCA = Personal Report of Communication Apprehension.

*p < .05. **p < .01. ***p = .051 (one-tailed).

The manipulation involving the severity of the organizational failure was taken from Smith, Bolton, and Wagner (1999). The manipulation regarding the likelihood of redress was created based on the definition provided by Singh (1990).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

San Bolkan

San Bolkan (Ph.D., University of Texas, 2007) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at California State University–Long Beach.

Alan K. Goodboy

Alan K. Goodboy (Ph.D., West Virginia University, 2007) is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at Bloomsburg University.