Customer-to-customer interactions on customer citizenship behavior

Abstract

This study examines how both positive and negative customer-to-customer interactions (CCIs) simultaneously influence customer citizenship behavior. Specifically, we posit that (1) positive CCI and dysfunctional customer behavior (negative CCI) influence customers’ affection with service, (2) customers’ affection with service leads to positive customer citizenship behavior, and (3) service providers’ relationship investment moderates the relationships between positive (negative) CCI and customers’ affection with service. The study sample consisted of 362 customers at a major public recreation center in South Korea. We used latent moderated structural equation modeling and the bootstrapping technique to test the proposed hypotheses. The results offer full support for the expected differential effects of positive CCI and dysfunctional customer behavior on customer citizenship behavior, and provide important implications for research and practice.