The Effects of Intragroup Guanxi Interaction on Customers’ Intentions to Complain

Abstract

This study examined the impacts of intragroup guanxi interaction on customers’ complaint behavior following service failure on a group tour. Based on the guanxi literature and social support theory, two dimensions of intragroup guanxi interaction were identified, and their effects on customers’ intentions to complain were examined. The moderating effects of group size and relational distance were also assessed. Three experimental studies were conducted to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings revealed that instrumental guanxi interaction and emotional guanxi interaction among tour group members both positively influenced travelers’ intentions to complain, and the impact of emotional guanxi interaction was greater than that of instrumental guanxi interaction. Moreover, the effects of intragroup guanxi interaction on group customers’ intentions to complain were stronger for larger groups and for groups with closer relational distance. This study contributes to the literature on group service failure and customers’ complaint behavior from an Eastern cultural perspective.