CCIDM Research Seminars

“The Consequences of Customer Attributes to Discrimination and Effective Coping Strategies Following Service Failure.”

by Kelly Min

Ambiguous service failures are inevitable in the service industry. Contrary to the current notion of minimization of discrimination, customers may attribute the failure to discrimination producing a number of emotional and behavioral outcomes. This research examines customer emotional distress when perceiving an ambiguous service failure and the use of complaining as a coping mechanism (vindictive complaining, problem-focused complaining, and avoidance). Further, the role of customer race in the attribution of discrimination and subsequent coping behavior is investigated. Specifically, Study 1 found that minority customers are more likely to attribute a service failure to discrimination and revealed increased anger compared to non-minority customers. For Black customers, increasing anger tended to lead to vindictive complaining at a similar level to White customers. However, the impact of anger on problem-solving complaining—known to be a more beneficial coping strategy—was stronger among White customers compared with Black customers. Study 2 revealed that complaining serves as a more effective coping mechanism for minority customers compared to their non-minority counterparts, showing a greater reduction in anger. This study sheds new light on research in the minimization of discrimination and coping.

Relevant Links: 

Min, Hyounae (Kelly) and Jeff Joireman (2021), “The Influence of Customer Race on Perceived Discrimination, Anger, and Coping Strategies Following Subtle Degradation of Restaurant Service,” International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 33 (3), 992-1014. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/IJCHM-09-2020-0975/full/html