Speaking up against service unfairness: The role of negative meta-perceptions

Abstract

Taking into account customers’ rapport with a service staff and levels of service unfairness, this paper aims to examine the role of negative meta-perceptions in predicting customers’ intention to directly speak up to the service staff following an unfair service treatment. The results show that negative meta-perceptions mediate the indirect effect of levels of rapport and service unfairness on speaking up directly to the service staff. The study offers a new explanation on why customers are hesitant to confront the service staff directly owing to negative meta-perceptions that they develop during service encounters.