Journal article
I’d better say something! How empathy shapes bystander psychological reactance and intervention to online trolling of service organizations
Journal of Service Management, Vol.34(5), pp.1064-1087
2023
Abstract
Purpose: Online trolling is a detrimental behavior for consumers and service businesses. Although online trolling research is steadily increasing, service research has yet to thoroughly explore how this behavior impacts businesses. Further, the role of bystanders, consumers who witness a victim (business) being trolled, remains largely unexplored. The purpose of this paper is thus to introduce online trolling to the service literature and begin to identify when (types of online troll content) and why (empathy and psychological reactance) bystanders are likely to intervene and support a service business being trolled by posting positive eWOM.
Design/methodology/approach: This research uses a two-study (Study 1 n = 313; Study 2 n = 472) experimental design with scenarios of a service business experiencing online trolling (moral versus sadistic). Participants' responses as bystanders were collected via an online survey.
Findings: Results reveal bystanders are more likely to post positive eWOM to support a service organization experiencing sadistic trolling. Psychological reactance is shown to mediate the relationship between trolling type and positive eWOM. Further, spotlight analysis demonstrates that bystanders with higher levels of empathy are more likely to post positive eWOM, whereas bystanders with low levels of empathy are likely to have a significantly higher level of psychological reactance.
Originality/value: This research is among the first in the service literature to specifically explore the consumer misbehavior of online trolling. Further, it provides new perspectives to online trolling by probing the role of bystanders and when and why they are likely to support service organizations being trolled.
Details
- Title
- I’d better say something! How empathy shapes bystander psychological reactance and intervention to online trolling of service organizations
- Authors
- Rory Mulcahy (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative IndustriesAimee Riedel (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Business and Creative IndustriesByron W. Keating (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyAmanda Beatson (Author) - Queensland University of TechnologyMarilyn Campbell (Author) - Queensland University of Technology
- Publication details
- Journal of Service Management, Vol.34(5), pp.1064-1087
- Publisher
- Emerald Publishing Limited
- DOI
- 10.1108/JOSM-12-2022-0382
- ISSN
- 1757-5826
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Business and Creative Industries
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99735293002621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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