Abstract:

With a strong emphasis in the literature on the behavioural outcomes of consumer revenge, this paper aimed to examine the influence of online consumer revenge acts on consumers' emotional and psychological states. Based on a survey of (N=354) Jordanian customers who all had committed acts of online revenge, this study proposed and tested a cognitive, emotional, behavioural, and emotional-psychological  model of the online consumer revenge process based on the theory of cognitive appraisal. Measurement validation showed that the model has a good fit. Generally, the findings show a positive influence for helplessness and failure severity on consumers emotional reactions as well as a mediating influence for the internet experience on the path between the desire for revenge and online revenge. Moreover, the analysis of the data showed that online consumer revenge influenced three main sensations in the consumer: arousal, autonomy, and an enhanced self-esteem. Implications for marketing managers are also discussed.