Abstract
Drawing upon Hirschman’s (1970) framework for Exit, Voice and Loyalty, a model is proposed which predicts and explains variation in voice, exit, and negative work-of-mouth behaviors. The findings from extant consumer complaining behavior (CCB) literature are also incorporated into the hypothesized model. Using data from customer dissatisfaction with three different service categories, the proposed model is subjected to empirical investigation. Despite the parsimony of Hirschman’s framework, results show that the hypothesized model provides good model-fit indices in each of the three data sets. In addition, the explanatory power of the model is encouraging, ranging from 36 percent to 50 percent variance explained. However, the support for the hypothesized pattern of CCB rates across the service categories is mixed. Specifically, while voice responses conform to the hypothesized pattern, exit responses do not. Implications stemming from a comparative analysis of the results are discussed, and directions for future research outlined.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Andreasen, Alan R. 1985. “Consumer Responses to Dissatisfaction in Loose Monopolies”,Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 12, (September): 135–141.
—, 1984. “Consumer Satisfaction in Loose Monopolies: The Case of Medical Care”,Journal of Public Policy and Marketing: Vol. 2: 122–135.
Bagozzi, Richard P. 1982. “A Field Investigation of Causal Relations Among Affect, Intentions and Behavior”,Journal of Marketing Research, 17, (November): 562–584.
Bames, James and Karen Kelloway. 1980. “Consumerists: Complaining Behavior and Attitude Toward Social and Consumer Issues”,Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. VII, Ed. Olson: 329–334.
Barry, Brian. 1974. “Review Article: Exit, Voice and Loyalty”,British Journal of Political Science, 4: 79–107.
Bearden, William, Jesse Teel and Melissa Crockett. 1980. “A Path Model of Consumer Complaint Behavior”,Marketing in the '80s, Ed. Richard Bagozzi et al.: 101–104.
Bearden, William, Jesse Teel and Melissa Crockett, and Stephen Graham. 1979. “Consumer Propensity-To-Complain and Dissatisfaction with Automobile Repairs”,Refining Concepts and Measures of Consumer Satisfaction and Complaining Behavior, Eds., Keith Hunt and Ralph Day: 35–43.
Benham, Lee and Alexandra Benham. 1975. “Regulation Through the Professions: A Perspective on Information Control”,The Journal of Law and Economics, 13 (1): 421–447.
Best, Arthur and Alan R. Andreasen. 1977. “Consumer Responses to Unsatisfactory Purchases: A Survey of Perceiving Defects, Voicing Complaints, and Obtaining Redress”,Law and Society Review, Vol. 11, (Spring): 701–742.
Brinberg, David and Elizabeth Hirschman. 1986. “Multiple Orientations for the Conduct of Marketing Research: An Analysis of the Academic/Practitioner Distinction”,Journal of Marketing, 50 (October), pp. 161–173.
Cahal, M.F. 1962. “What the Public Thinks of the Family Doctor: Folklore and Facts”,GP, 25: 146–157.
Day, Ralph L. 1984. “Modeling Choices Among Altenative Responses to Dissatisfaction”,Advances in Consumer Research, Eds. Kinnear, Vol. 11: 496–499.
Day, Ralph L. 1980. “Research Perspectives on Consumer Complaining Behavior”, inTheoretical Developments in Marketing, Eds., Lamb and Dunne: 211–215.
— and E. Laird Landon, Jr. 1976. “Collecting Comprehensive Consumer Complaint Data by Survey Research”,Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. III, Ed., B. B. Anderson: 263–268.
Folkes, Valerie. 1984. “Consumer Reactions to Product Failure: An Attributional Approach”,Journal of Consumer Research, 10 (March): 393–409.
Fornell, Claes, and William Robinson. 1983. “Industrial Organization and Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction”,Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 9, (March): 403–412.
—, and David Larcker. 1981. “Evaluating Structural Equations Models with Unobservable Variables and Measurement Error”,Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 9, (December): 323–328.
—, and Nicholas Didow. 1980. “Economic Constraints on Consumer Complaining Behavior”,Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 7: 318–323.
Gribben, August. {dy1975}. “The Arrogance of Physicians”, {jtNational Observer}, {vn26}, ({snJuly}).
Grønhaug, K. and G. Zaltman. 1981. “Complainers and Non-complainers Revisited: Another Look at the Data”,Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 8, Ed. Monroe: 83–87.
—, and John Arndt. 1980. “Consumer Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior as Feedback; A Comparative Analysis of Public and Private Delivery Systems”,Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 8, Eds., Olson: 324–328.
Hirschman, Albert O. 1973. “Exit, Voice and Loyalty: Further Reflections and a Survey of Recent Contributions”,Social Science Information, 13, (1): 7–26.
— 1970.Exit, Voice and Loyalty: Responses to Decline in Firms, Organizations and States, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
Jöreskog, Karl and Dag Sörbom. 1985.LISREL VI: Analysis of Linear Structural Relationships by Maximum Likelihood and Least Squares Methods, Uppsala, Sweden.
Kendall, Maurice and Alan Stuart. 1979.The Advanced Theory of Statistics, Vol. 2, New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Landon, Jr., E. Laird. 1977. “A Model of Consumer Complaint Behavior”,Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior, Eds., Day: 31–35.
Laver, Michael. 1976. “Exit, Voice and Loyalty: Revisited”,British Journal of Political Science, 6 (October), 463–482.
Progressive Grocer. 1981. “Competitive Dynamics in the Marketplace,”Progressive Grocer, (October): 51–53.
Progressive Grocer. 1983. “50th Annual Report on the Grocery Industry”,Progressive Grocer, (April).
Richins, Marsha. 1987. “A Multivariate Analysis of Responses to Dissatisfaction”,Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Vol. 15 (Fall): 24–31.
—. 1983. “Negative Word-of-Mouth by Dissatisfied Consumers: A Pilot Study”,Journal of Marketing, Vol. 47, (Winter): 68–78.
Richins, Marsha. 1979. “Consumer Perceptions of Costs and Benefits Associated with Complaining,”New Dimensions of Consumer Satisfaction and Complaining, Eds., Ralph L. Day and Keith Hunt: 50–53.
Ritchie, J.R. Brent and John D. Claxton. 1979. “In Search of Actions to Reduce Consumer Shopping Problems”,Advances in Consumer Research, Vol. 6. Ed. William Wilkie: 466–471.
Robinson, Larry M. 1979. “Consumer Complaint Behavior: A Review with Implications for Further Research”, inNew Dimensions of Consumer Satisfaction and Complaining Behavior, Eds., Ralph Day and Keith Hunt, Vol. 3: 41–50.
Rusbult, Caryl, Dennis Johnson and Gregory Morrow. 1986. “Impact of Couple Patterns of Problem Solving on Distress and Nondistress in Dating Relationships”,Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 50, (4): 744–753.
Singh, Jagdip. 1988. “Consumer Complaint Intentions and Behavior: Definitional and Taxonomical Issues”,Journal of Marketing, 52 (January): 93–107.
Singh, Jagdip and Roy Howell. 1985. “Consumer Complaining Behavior: A Review and Prospect”,Consumer Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction and Consumer Complaining Behavior Proceedings, Eds., Hunt and Day.
Spencer, Daniel. 1986. “Employee Voice and Employee Retention”,Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 29, (3): 488–502.
TARP. 1986.Consumer Complaint Handling in America: An Update Study, White House Office of Consumer Affairs, Washington, D.C.
Thorelli, Hans. 1971. “Concentration of Information Power Among Consumers”,Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 8 (November): 427–432.
Warland, Rex H., Robert O. Hemann and Jane Willits. 1975. “Dissatisfied Consumers: Who Gets Upset and Who Takes Action”,Journal of Consumer Affairs, (Winter), Vol. 9: 148–163.
Webbink, Douglas W. 1978. “Automobile Repair: Does Regulation and Consumer Information Matter?”,Journal of Consumer Research, Vol. 5, (December): 206–209.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Singh, J. Voice, exit, and negative word-of-mouth behaviors: An investigation across three service categories. JAMS 18, 1–15 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02729758
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02729758