Exploring the emotional side of price fairness perceptions and its consequences

Abstract

In the present research, we examined whether emotional responses determine price fairness perceptions and resulting behaviours. The relationships among negative emotional response, price fairness perception, self-protective behaviour, and negative word-of-mouth were hypothesized and empirically investigated. Furthermore, the moderating role of moral foundation was addressed and tested. Results indicated that there is a strong relationship between negative emotions and price fairness perceptions. While the latter had no significant effect on self-protective behaviour, it had a noticeable one on negative word-of-mouth. There was also a significant positive relationship between the two types of behaviours, where self-protective behaviour positively influenced negative word-of-mouth. Furthermore, the relationship between price fairness and negative word-of-mouth was significantly greater among respondents who scored higher on the moral foundation scale. Such results indicate that behaviour of those with a higher moral foundation appears to rely more on price fairness, while the behaviour of the second group (respondents with lower moral foundation scores) is determined primarily by emotional response. Our research contributes to the knowledge of consumer behaviour by providing an insight into different customer reactions regarding what they perceive to be unfair prices.