Start Date
8-1-2011 8:00 AM
End Date
8-1-2011 9:15 AM
Track
1. Track 1 – Formal Paper Presentation
Subject Area
Consumer Behavior
Faculty Member
Li Miao, PhD / lmiao@purdue.edu
Abstract
When consumers have to wait during a multi-stage service delivery process, consumers’ emotional responses to the waiting may evolve over the course of interaction with services. Extant literature offers limited understanding of dynamic emotional response during multi-stage waiting. The current study examines the salience of specific types of negative emotions at each stage of waiting and the effect of emotion regulation strategies on encounter satisfaction. The moderating effect of regulatory focus on emotion regulation strategies is also examined. Implications for scholars and service managers are then discussed.
Keywords
multi-stage waiting, emotional responses, emotion regulation strategies, regulatory focus theory, encounter satisfaction
Dynamics of Emotional Responses and Emotion Regulation during Multi-Stage Waits
When consumers have to wait during a multi-stage service delivery process, consumers’ emotional responses to the waiting may evolve over the course of interaction with services. Extant literature offers limited understanding of dynamic emotional response during multi-stage waiting. The current study examines the salience of specific types of negative emotions at each stage of waiting and the effect of emotion regulation strategies on encounter satisfaction. The moderating effect of regulatory focus on emotion regulation strategies is also examined. Implications for scholars and service managers are then discussed.