Digital Dysfunction: Consumer Grudgeholding and Retaliation in the Digital Era
Abstract
Consumers respond to suboptimal outcomes in a variety of ways, including dysfunctional approaches that may range from passive grudgeholding to aggressive retaliation directed against an offending firm. This paper examines the causes and outcomes of dysfunctional consumer responses through a review of relevant literature , with a focus on the changes that have occurred in what is known as the modern digital era. The impact of the digital era on consumers and on marketers is considered in the context of a shift in power from the marketer to the consumer. Implications and recommendations for future research are included.
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