Need for distinction moderates customer responses to preferential treatment

Pontes, V; Greer, DA; Pontes, N; Beatson, A

Need for distinction moderates customer responses to preferential treatment

Pontes, V

Greer, DA Pontes, N Beatson, A

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Publisher:: Emerald
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Services Marketing, 2023, 37, (4), pp. 409-419
Issue Date:: 2023-03-22

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Pontes, V https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4137-7571
dc.contributor.author	Greer, DA
dc.contributor.author	Pontes, N
dc.contributor.author	Beatson, A
dc.date.accessioned	2024-03-07T21:53:00Z
dc.date.available	2024-03-07T21:53:00Z
dc.date.issued	2023-03-22
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Services Marketing, 2023, 37, (4), pp. 409-419
dc.identifier.issn	0887-6045
dc.identifier.issn	0887-6045
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/176306
dc.description.abstract	Purpose: This paper aims to examine how individuals’ need for distinction moderates the effect of perceived harm to others as a result of preferential treatment on customers’ attitudes towards the service provider. Design/methodology/approach: Two experiments test the hypothesis that when a customer receives preferential treatment, the effect of perceived harm to others on the customer’s attitudes towards the service provider is moderated by their need for distinction and mediated by negative moral emotions, such that mediation occurs for customers with a lower (but not higher) need for distinction. Findings: When customers have a lower need for distinction, they scan the environment to seek information about others when judging their own experience. In contrast, customers with a higher need for distinction tend to disregard others’ opinions and feelings, focusing solely on the benefits they receive from the service provider and avoiding moral emotions. Our results show that customers with a higher need for distinction tend to evaluate the service provider more favourably than those with a lower need for distinction in scenarios where the benefit given to an advantage customer imposes a disadvantage on other customers. Originality/value: To the best of author’s knowledge, this research is the first to examine the interaction between perceived harm to others and one’s need for distinction as drivers of customers’ response to preferential treatment. The authors are the first to show that negative moral emotions may arise for customers with a lower need for distinction but not for those with a higher need for distinction.
dc.language	English
dc.publisher	Emerald
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Services Marketing
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1108/jsm-02-2021-0053
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/closedAccess
dc.subject	1504 Commercial Services, 1505 Marketing, 1506 Tourism
dc.subject.classification	Marketing
dc.subject.classification	3504 Commercial services
dc.subject.classification	3506 Marketing
dc.subject.classification	3507 Strategy, management and organisational behaviour
dc.title	Need for distinction moderates customer responses to preferential treatment
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	37
utslib.for	1504 Commercial Services
utslib.for	1505 Marketing
utslib.for	1506 Tourism
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Marketing Discipline
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	false
dc.date.updated	2024-03-07T21:52:58Z
pubs.issue	4
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	37
utslib.citation.issue	4

Abstract:

Purpose: This paper aims to examine how individuals’ need for distinction moderates the effect of perceived harm to others as a result of preferential treatment on customers’ attitudes towards the service provider. Design/methodology/approach: Two experiments test the hypothesis that when a customer receives preferential treatment, the effect of perceived harm to others on the customer’s attitudes towards the service provider is moderated by their need for distinction and mediated by negative moral emotions, such that mediation occurs for customers with a lower (but not higher) need for distinction. Findings: When customers have a lower need for distinction, they scan the environment to seek information about others when judging their own experience. In contrast, customers with a higher need for distinction tend to disregard others’ opinions and feelings, focusing solely on the benefits they receive from the service provider and avoiding moral emotions. Our results show that customers with a higher need for distinction tend to evaluate the service provider more favourably than those with a lower need for distinction in scenarios where the benefit given to an advantage customer imposes a disadvantage on other customers. Originality/value: To the best of author’s knowledge, this research is the first to examine the interaction between perceived harm to others and one’s need for distinction as drivers of customers’ response to preferential treatment. The authors are the first to show that negative moral emotions may arise for customers with a lower need for distinction but not for those with a higher need for distinction.

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:

http://hdl.handle.net/10453/176306