Service gifts, collective social connection and reciprocity

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate the process of service gifting (i.e. unexpected upgrades or benefits) and examine why service gifts do not always result in firm-beneficial reciprocal behaviors from consumers. Design/methodology/approach Through a series of three studies including both scenario-based and game-theory-based experiments, this research proposes and empirically validates a conceptual model that examines the effect of service gifts on firm-beneficial reciprocal behaviors, and the role of collective social connection and norm of positive reciprocity (NPR) in this process. Findings The findings of this research show that the consumer’s feelings of collective social connection mediate the link between the provision of service gifts and firm-beneficial outcomes. Furthermore, an individual’s adherence to NPR moderates this process. Specifically, individuals with a strong adherence to NPR do not display increases in collective social connection following the receipt of a service gift. Those who are low in NPR follow the expected pattern of increased collective social connection leading to reciprocation. Research limitations/implications Future research may further generalize the model to other situations such as high vs low context cultures. Longitudinal field experiments can be used to further investigate collective versus relational social connection, which can be either a by-product or a primary benefit derived from service delivery. Practical implications The results of this research reveal the critical role of collective social connection which has been largely ignored in service gifting research. It encourages managers to use service gifting to directly boost consumers collective social connection. Furthermore, it offers managers insight into why service gifts do not always result in firm-beneficial outcomes because of the moderating role of NPR. Originality/value The roles of social connection and the norm of reciprocity have been under-studied in both theoretical and empirical work on service gifting. This paper demonstrates that, contrary to traditional thought, those typically expected to reciprocate the most (i.e. high in NPR) may not realize increased collective social connection leading to reciprocation following receipt of a service gift.

A study on lender participation in peer to peer lending

“…Studies based on social exchange theory in the context of shared accommodations have established that the social interactions among customers help create social connectedness (Boateng et al, 2019;Dogerlioglu-Demir et al, 2022). Therefore, it can be argued that even in the case of p2p lending, as a consequence of the social interactions between lenders and borrowers, the lenders will be feeling more socially connected while financially empowering the borrowers (Tang et al, 2020).…”

“…When customers participate in sharing economy services, they aim to achieve a sense of belongingness through social connectedness (Celata et al, 2017;Tang et al, 2020). The second objective of this study is to test the influence of social connectedness on transformation expectations of customers (i.e.…”

“…When customers participate in sharing economy services, they aim to achieve a sense of belongingness through social connectedness (Celata et al. , 2017; Tang et al. , 2020).…”

Free tumbler in Snapchat vs coffee tasting ticket in Instagram: the impact of gift type and message type on B2C gift-giving on different social media platforms

“…Although numerous gift-giving studies have investigated the effects of business gifts or the relationship between gift providers and recipients, along with various factors, such as gift value, gift types, price framing and brand equity (Beltramin, 2000; Bodur and Grohmann, 2005; Cooper et al , 1991; Drechsler et al , 2017; Tang et al , 2020), few studies have examined how gift-giving messages are distributed to increase the efficacy of B2C gift-giving and the factors that facilitate the processing of message information by consumers. Considering that social media has become one of the most important sources of information among consumers (Dahl et al , 2021; Pepitone, 2010), an understanding of how consumers process information related to B2C gifts on their social media can offer insights into how to increase the efficacy of brands’ gift-giving campaigns.…”

“…Gift-giving, a “social activity confirming relationships and social interactions” (Hollenbeck et al , 2006, p. 573), is an effective means for companies or brands to demonstrate their appreciation toward their customers, thus helping to strengthen brand–customer relationships (Tang et al , 2020). As a form of social communication (Ku et al , 2018; Shen et al , 2011), business-to-consumer (B2C) gifts facilitate supportive relationships with consumers (Davies et al , 2010).…”