The Determinants of Customers' Behavioral Intentions after Service Failure: The Role of Emotions

Abstract

This study explores the effects of stability and controllability, two dimensions of causal attribution, on airline travelers’ negative behavioral intentions, namely switching and negative word-of-mouth (WOM) intentions, through their negative emotions. Data were collected through a survey of airline travelers who experienced a service failure in the past year. Results indicate that both causal attribution dimensions affect negative behavioral intentions. The results also confirmed the moderating role of negative emotions in the stability/controllability and switching intention relationship as well as stability and negative WOM relationship. Managerial implications of these findings are briefly discussed.