Green service attributes and amplifiers of the warm emotions evoked by them

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to provide insights into mechanism by which environmentally friendly initiatives positively affect a service firm's revenue stream. First, it explores attributes consumers associate with green services. Second, it affirms the mediating role of warm emotions in connecting green services to satisfaction and customer loyalty. Third, it investigates a set of amplifiers of warm emotions. These are the green tendencies of the consumer and perceived motives for adopting environmentally friendly practices.Design/methodology/approachThis research involved two studies. A critical incident study was used to tap into the consumer's perspective on green services. A total of 262 attributes of green services were categorized into overarching themes. A quantitative study addressed the mediating relationships and amplifiers of warm emotions. Pooled across three services, a total of 846 observations were analyzed.FindingsThe findings reveal that a consumer views a service as environmentally friendly if it exhibits green attributes in either the core service, service delivery process, service environment or peripheral service activities. The results of Study II affirm that warm emotions mediate the relationship between perceptions of the environmental friendliness of a service and customer satisfaction as well as customer loyalty. The study findings suggest that positive emotions are further strengthened by the level of greenness of the consumer and by a firm's money saving motives as well as environmental preservation motives the consumer attributes to the adoption of green practices.Originality/valueThis study advances the authors' understanding of what attributes consumers associate with service greenness. This research expands on the service greenness and positive emotions connection by including an initial set of amplifiers of positive emotions to include the greenness of the consumer and motives for adopting green practices.