4520 
5167As an important emotion state that effectively connects the relationship between enterprises and customers, customer gratitude not only helps to stimulate customers’ emotion and cognition mechanism, but also drives them to perform repaying behavior. Hence, scholars have recently conducted significant research on customer gratitude, which aims to inquiry the sustainability relationship between enterprises and customers. In order to clarify the development of customer gratitude, the present study systematically reviews the previous research findings. Firstly, according to the different concept definition of customer gratitude in the existing research, this paper divides them into four categories, namely, attribution perspective, cognitive perspective, moral perspective and exchange perspective. The definitions under different perspectives are not only different in the source and connotation, but also incompatible with each other. Considering these deficiency, this study makes a relatively complete definition including three structures（affective, cognition and behavior）. Specifically, the present study defines customer gratitude as a positive emotional state that can promote customers to return, which stems from the recognition that enterprises or employees provide benefits to people. Secondly, marketing scholars have developed two customer gratitude scales, namely, affective-behavior scale and affective-cognition-behavior scale. However, by summing up the measure tools in existing empirical research, this study finds that the single factor scale in the field of psychology is more popular than others. In view of these scales, they are either incomplete in connotation or confined on the scope of application. Furthermore, the present study summarizes the antecedent outcome variables from three aspects of enterprise, employee and customer. In particular, from the perspective of enterprises, relationship marketing investment, social responsibility and the benefits provided by enterprises are the primary factors to promote customer gratitude. Meanwhile, employees’ altruistic behavior and customers’ cognitive appraisal will also affect the generation of customer gratitude. Not only that, this study also pays attention to the outcome variables of customer gratitude and inquires into the relationship between customer gratitude and customer psychological response. Through the material collecting summary, we find that customer gratitude not only affects the cognition of relationship between customers and the external environment, but also triggers the positive behavior in favor of enterprises, employees and society. More importantly, on the basis of the above viewpoints, this study constructs a comprehensive model of antecedents and consequences concerning customer gratitude, in which the relevant relationships are all from the conclusions of existing empirical research. Finally, this study prospects the future research directions of concepts, antecedents and consequences, and extensible customer gratitude theme, and puts forward innovative and constructive thinking. Overall, this study can provide advice for domestic marketing practice and theory.
/ Journals / Foreign Economics & Management
Foreign Economics & Management
LiZengquan, Editor-in-Chief
ZhengChunrong, Vice Executive Editor-in-Chief
YinHuifang HeXiaogang LiuJianguo, Vice Editor-in-Chief
A Literature Review of Customer Gratitude and Future Prospects
Foreign Economics & Management Vol. 43, Issue 02, pp. 68 - 83 (2021) DOI:10.16538/j.cnki.fem.20200803.301
Summary
References
Summary
] Ding Fengqin, Zhao Huying. Is the individual subjective well-being of gratitude stronger? A meta-analysis[J]. Advances in Psychological Science, 2018, 26(10): 43-58.
[2] Dong Xiaozhou, Chen Xinkang. Realtionship investment, customer gratitude and relationship performance[J]. Economic Survey, 2018, 35(5): 101-107.
[3] Liu Jun, Zhu Zheng, Wang Qiqi, et al. Gratitude in workplace: A literature review and prospects[J]. Foreign Economies and Management, 2019, 41(9): 61-74.
[4] Shi Wei, Chen Xinkang. A study on the impact of corporate social responsibility behavior on customer citizenship behavior[J]. East China Economic Management, 2014, 28(11): 81-87.
[5] Akhavannasab S, Dantas D C, Senecal S. Consumer empowerment in consumer-firm relationships: Conceptual framework and implications for research[J]. AMS Review, 2018, 8(3-4): 214-227.
[6] Ball J, Barnes D C. Delight and the grateful customer: Beyond joy and surprise[J]. Journal of Service Theory and Practice, 2017, 27(1): 250-269.
[7] Bartlett M Y, DeSteno D. Gratitude and prosocial behavior: Helping when it costs you[J]. Psychological Science, 2006, 17(4): 319-325.
[8] Baumgarten-Tramer F. “Gratefulness” in children and young people[J]. The Pedagogical Seminary & Journal of Genetic Psychology, 1938, 53(1): 53-66.
[9] Bechtel M M, Hainmueller J. How lasting is voter gratitude? An analysis of the short- and long-term electoral returns to beneficial policy[J]. American Journal of Political Science, 2011, 55(4): 852-868.
[10] Bi Q Q. Cultivating loyal customers through online customer communities: A psychological contract perspective[J]. Journal of Business Research, 2019, 103(6): 34-44.
[11] Bienstock C C, DeMoranville C W, Smith R K. Organizational citizenship behavior and service quality[J]. Journal of Services Marketing, 2003, 17(4): 357-378.
[12] Blocker C P, Flint D J, Myers M B, et al. Proactive customer orientation and its role for creating customer value in global markets[J]. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2011, 39(2): 216-233.
[13] Bock D E, Eastman J K, Eastman K L. Encouraging consumer charitable behavior: The impact of charitable motivations, gratitude, and materialism[J]. Journal of Business Ethics, 2018, 150(4): 1213-1228.
[14] Bock D E, Folse J A G, Black W C. When frontline employee behavior backfires: Distinguishing between customer gratitude and indebtedness and their impact on relational behaviors[J]. Journal of Service Research, 2016a, 19(3): 322-336.
[15] Bock D E, Folse J A G, Black W C. Gratitude in service encounters: Implications for building loyalty[J]. Journal of Services Marketing, 2016b, 30(3): 341-358.
[16] Bock D E, Mangus S M, Folse J A G. The road to customer loyalty paved with service customization[J]. Journal of Business Research, 2016c, 69(10): 3923-3932.
[17] Bridger E K, Wood A. Gratitude mediates consumer responses to marketing communications[J]. European Journal of Marketing, 2017, 51(1): 44-64.
[18] Chou S, Chen C W. The influences of relational benefits on repurchase intention in service contexts: The roles of gratitude, trust and commitment[J]. The Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, 2018, 33(5): 680-692.
[19] Dagger T S, David M E, Ng S. Do relationship benefits and maintenance drive commitment and loyalty?[J]. Journal of Services Marketing, 2011, 25(4): 273-281.
[20] DeSteno D, Li Y, Dickens L, et al. Gratitude: A tool for reducing economic impatience[J]. Psychological Science, 2014, 25(6): 1262-1267.
[21] Dewani P P, Sinha P K. Gratitude: An emotional approach in business relationship[J]. Research Journal of Business Management, 2012, 6(1): 1-11.
[22] Dewani P P, Sinha P K, Mathur S. Role of gratitude and obligation in long term customer relationships[J]. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2016, 31(7): 143-156.
[23] Emmons R A, McCullough M E. Counting blessings versus burdens: An experimental investigation of gratitude and subjective well-being in daily life[J]. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 2003, 84(2): 377-389.
[24] Fazal-e-Hasan S M, Lings I N, Mortimer G, et al. How gratitude influences customer word-of-mouth intentions and involvement: The mediating role of affective commitment[J]. The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 2017a, 25(2): 200-211.
[25] Fazal-e-Hasan S, Lings I, Neale L, et al. The role of customer gratitude in making relationship marketing investments successful[J]. Journal of Retailing & Consumer Services, 2014, 21(5): 788-796.
[26] Fazal-e-Hasan S M, Mortimer G, Lings I N, et al. Examining the antecedents and consequences of gratitude[J]. Journal of Services Marketing, 2017b, 31(1): 34-47.
[27] Gulliford L, Morgan B, Kristjánsson K. Recent work on the concept of gratitude in philosophy and psychology[J]. The Journal of Value Inquiry, 2013, 47(3): 285-317.
[28] Harker M J, Egan J. The past, present and future of relationship marketing[J]. Journal of Marketing Management, 2006, 22(1-2): 215-242.
[29] Huang M H. The influence of relationship marketing investments on customer gratitude in retailing[J]. Journal of Business Research, 2015, 68(6): 1318-1323.
[30] Huggins K A, White D W, Holloway B B, et al. Customer gratitude in relationship marketing strategies: A cross-cultural e-tailing perspective[J]. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 2020, 37(4): 445-455.
[31] Jin N, Line N D, Yoon D. Understanding the role of gratitude in building quality relationships[J]. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 2018, 27(4): 465-485.
[32] Kim J, Park T. How corporate social responsibility (CSR) saves a company: The role of gratitude in buffering vindictive consumer behavior from product failures[J]. Journal of Business Research, 2020, 117(2): 461-472.
[33] Kim S, Lee J S. Is satisfaction enough to ensure reciprocity with upscale restaurants? The role of gratitude relative to satisfaction[J]. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 2013, 33(1): 118-128.
[34] Kim Y, Smith R D, Kwak D H. Feelings of gratitude: A mechanism for consumer reciprocity[J]. European Sport Management Quarterly, 2018, 18(3): 307-329.
[35] Kim Y S, Baker M A. Observer reactions to other customer incivility: Emotional labor, gratitude, loyalty to employee and tipping intention[J]. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 2019, 31(3): 1292-1308.
[36] Kwak D H, Kwon Y. Can an organization’s philanthropic donations encourage consumers to give? The roles of gratitude and boundary conditions[J]. Journal of Consumer Behaviour, 2016, 15(4): 348-358.
[37] Lazarus R S. Cognition and motivation in emotion[J]. American Psychologist, 1991, 46(4): 352-367.
[38] Mafael A. How regulatory orientation and feelings of gratitude shape online review helpfulness[J]. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 2019, 29(4): 601-622.
[39] Mangus S M, Bock D E, Jones E, et al. Gratitude in buyer-seller relationships: A dyadic investigation[J]. Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, 2017, 37(3): 250-267.
[40] McCullough M E, Emmons R A, Tsang J A. The grateful disposition: A conceptual and empirical topography[J]. Journal of Personality & Social Psychology, 2002, 82(1): 112-127.
[41] McCullough M E, Kilpatrick S D, Emmons R A, et al. Is gratitude a moral affect?[J]. Psychological Bulletin, 2001, 127(2): 249-266.
[42] McCullough M E, Tsang J A, Emmons R A. Gratitude in intermediate affective terrain: Links of grateful moods to individual differences and daily emotional experience[J]. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2004, 86(2): 295-309.
[43] Mishra A A. The role of customer gratitude in relationship marketing: Moderation and model validation[J]. Journal of Strategic Marketing, 2016, 24(6): 529-549.
[44] Morales A C. Giving firms an “E” for effort: Consumer responses to high-effort firms[J]. Journal of Consumer Research, 2005, 31(4): 806-812.
[45] Morgan R M, Hunt S D. The commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing[J]. Journal of Marketing, 1994, 58(3): 20-38.
[46] Palmatier R W, Jarvis C B, Bechkoff J R, et al. The role of customer gratitude in relationship marketing[J]. Journal of Marketing, 2009, 73(5): 1-18.
[47] Park J, Choi J, Yeu M. Relationship between corporate philanthropy and consumer loyalty—The mediating role of gratitude, trust and commitment: South-Korean consumer perspectives[J]. Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, 2016, 20(1): 1-17.
[48] Raggio R D, Walz A M, Godbole M B, et al. Gratitude in relationship marketing: Theoretical development and directions for future research[J]. European Journal of Marketing, 2014, 48(1-2): 2-24.
[49] Romani S, Grappi S, Bagozzi R P. Explaining consumer reactions to corporate social responsibility: The role of gratitude and altruistic values[J]. Journal of Business Ethics, 2013, 114(2): 193-206.
[50] Septianto F, Seo Y, Errmann A C. Distinct effects of pride and gratitude appeals on sustainable luxury brands[J]. Journal of Business Ethics, 2020, doi: 10.1007/s10551-020-04484-7.
[51] Simon F. The influence of empathy in complaint handling: Evidence of gratitudinal and transactional routes to loyalty[J]. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2013, 20(6): 599-608.
[52] Simpson B, Harrell A, Melamed D, et al. The roots of reciprocity: Gratitude and reputation in generalized exchange systems[J]. American Sociological Review, 2018, 83(1): 88-110.
[53] Smith J B. Buyer-seller relationships: Similarity, relationship management, and quality[J]. Psychology & Marketing, 1998, 15(1): 3-21.
[54] Soscia I. Gratitude, delight, or guilt: The role of consumers’ emotions in predicting postconsumption behaviors[J]. Psychology & Marketing, 2007, 24(10): 871-894.
[55] Tsang J A. Brief report Gratitude and prosocial behaviour: An experimental test of gratitude[J]. Cognition & Emotion, 2006, 20(1): 138-148.
[56] Ullah N, Shabbir S A. The impact of service quality on customer referrals: The mediating role of customer gratitude[J]. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 2018, 40(6): 1-9.
[57] Weiner B. The attribution approach to emotion and motivation: History, hypotheses, home runs, headaches/heartaches[J]. Emotion Review, 2014, 6(4): 353-361.
[58] Williams L A, Bartlett M Y. Warm thanks: Gratitude expression facilitates social affiliation in new relationships via perceived warmth[J]. Emotion, 2015, 15(1): 1-5.
[59] Wood A M, Froh J J, Geraghty A W A. Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration[J]. Clinical Psychology Review, 2010, 30(7): 890-905.
Cite this article
Tu Hongwei, Zhang Zhihui, Ma Jianfeng. A Literature Review of Customer Gratitude and Future Prospects[J]. Foreign Economics & Management, 2021, 43(2): 68-83.
Export Citations as:
For
ISSUE COVER
RELATED ARTICLES
