Title of Paper
How does the host’s interaction style affect Airbnb guests’ response to service failure and recovery?
Abstract (150 Words)
This study proposes a research model that investigates how interaction styles of the Airbnb host can shape consumers’ evaluative judgment (e.g., satisfaction and switch intentions) upon service failure and recovery via the intervening role of trust. The results from two sequential experiments suggest that a personal interaction style (vs. professional style) yields higher trust in the host (Experiment 1). When the service failure occurs, the host’s recovery style (e.g., personal vs. professional) does not interfere with the main effect of initial interactions on the recovery efficacy. Customers exposed to an initial personal (vs. professional) interaction with the host report greater satisfaction and lower switch intentions, regardless of recovery styles (Experiment 2). Serial mediation analyses suggest that trust fully accounts for the differential impacts of interaction styles on post service recovery outcomes. The findings have important implications for sharing service platforms (e.g., Airbnb).
How does the host’s interaction style affect Airbnb guests’ response to service failure and recovery?
This study proposes a research model that investigates how interaction styles of the Airbnb host can shape consumers’ evaluative judgment (e.g., satisfaction and switch intentions) upon service failure and recovery via the intervening role of trust. The results from two sequential experiments suggest that a personal interaction style (vs. professional style) yields higher trust in the host (Experiment 1). When the service failure occurs, the host’s recovery style (e.g., personal vs. professional) does not interfere with the main effect of initial interactions on the recovery efficacy. Customers exposed to an initial personal (vs. professional) interaction with the host report greater satisfaction and lower switch intentions, regardless of recovery styles (Experiment 2). Serial mediation analyses suggest that trust fully accounts for the differential impacts of interaction styles on post service recovery outcomes. The findings have important implications for sharing service platforms (e.g., Airbnb).