Introduction

Literature Review

Study 1

Study 2

General Discussion and Implications

References

Abstract

Using a mixed-methods approach, the current research examines online incivility in relation to service recovery on social media. First, findings from a netnographic investigation suggest consumer-to-consumer (C2C) incivility results in some consumers holding the firm accountable to address uncivil exchanges on a firm-managed communication channel. Based on the netnographic findings, fairness theory, and justice theory, a follow-up experimental study assesses how online incivility negatively affects service recovery outcomes (firm–consumer justice) when a firm chooses (not) to respond to the incivility. Through these two studies, the current paper proposes a new form of justice (C2C interactional justice) and posits that online service recovery extends beyond direct victims of the incivility (first-party justice) to also include observers (third-party justice). This more nuanced view of justice associated with a service recovery is especially significant when considering the traditional relationships of justice with satisfaction, loyalty, positive word-of-mouth, and other desirable firm outcomes. For practitioners, this research suggests that firms must manage C2C interactional justice on corporate social media channels for both complainants and observers to avoid reputational damage and a loss of customers.

Introduction

There are two recent online phenomena whose impact on one another is both unexplored by researchers and problematic for organizations. The first is online incivility, which occurs when rude or offensive comments are made toward an individual via Internet communications (Anderson et al. 2014). According to recent polls, online incivility is on the rise with the majority of Internet users having seen or experienced uncivil online communications (Clay 2013; Pew Research Center 2014). The second phenomenon is the increasing number of complaints made by consumers on corporate social media (CSM) channels (e.g., a firm’s Facebook page or official Twitter account) to seek assistance from a company (Baer 2016; Causon 2015). The convergence of rising online incivility and complaining on CSM channels is creating new challenges for firms utilizing these online customer service touchpoints. Namely, the ability of an online audience to view and participate in the complaint handling process (Schaefers and Schamari 2016) also creates an opportunity for uncivil communication from one consumer to another (Suler 2004, 2016).