Two studies, based on the prototype approach to emotions, examined individual level (appraisals, expressions/action readiness and coping) and interpersonal components (provider response to consumer emotions) of consumer anger and anxiety during air travel, and the impact of these components on service evaluation. It is proposed that the nature of provider response to the overall emotion experience determines consumer evaluation of the service. / A survey of recalled experiences of these emotions (Study 1) found that, consistent with the hypotheses, anger experiences comprised appraisals of provider blame for the negative event, problem focused coping (e.g., confronting the provider), and support withholding provider response (i.e., not assisting the consumer through the negative experience). Anxiety experiences, as hypothesized, had greater appraisals of uncontrollable circumstances, but emotion-focused coping (i.e., attempts to manage the affective reaction) was only marginally more than problem-focused coping, and there was no difference in support providing (i.e., assisting the consumer though the negative event) and support withholding provider responses. The survey could not elicit details of the physical expressions accompanying either emotion. Analysis of structured questions show that while support withholding responses decrease evaluations, support providing responses can increase evaluations despite the negativity of the emotions. / Study 2 sequentially manipulated emotions (anger, anxiety) and provider response---emotion support (reassuring consumers), instrumental support (attempting to resolve the problem), mixed support (doing both), and no support. Structured questions that followed the emotion manipulation measured coping and action readiness underlying expressions. Coping patterns replicated the results of Study 1. Expressions of anger conveyed action readiness modes of approach and antagonism while anxiety expressions conveyed approach and helplessness. Measures of consumer evaluation followed the provider response manipulation and confirmed that support providing responses lead to higher evaluations. The social support literature indicates that support strategies closely aligned with the components of consumer emotions will be the most effective. Results confirm, that this occurs at high levels of emotion intensity. Instrumental support that matched the well-defined problem oriented components of anger experiences tended to be more effective than emotion support. Instrumental support was also effective for anxious consumers, but a mixed support strategy that matched the occurrence of both emotion-focused and problem-focused coping in anxiety, tended to be more efficacious. Results are discussed in terms of the context specific nature of the components of emotion experience, and of the need to be cognizant of these components when designing provider response strategies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.36038 |
| Date | January 1999 |
| Creators | Menon, Kalyani. |
| Contributors | Dube, Laurette (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Faculty of Management.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001737974, proquestno: NQ55359, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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