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Perceived Reasonableness and Morals in Service Encounters

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  • Nobuyuki Fukawa
  • Sunil Erevelles

Abstract

Companies have a moral responsibility to treat customers fairly. One way for companies to do so is to allow their employees to exercise reasonableness in their interactions with customers. We define reasonableness as a latitude or space that exists around expectations in the delivery of service. In this paper, we explore the concept of reasonableness from a customer’s perspective (i.e., perceived reasonableness) and the role that the morals of service personnel play in customers’ perceptions of reasonableness. First, through an open-ended survey on customers’ unreasonable service experiences, we identify themes of perceived reasonableness. We also discuss the role that the morals of service personnel play within these themes. Second, in order to identify the relationships between these themes, we create a cognitive map and discuss the implications of the identified relationships. Finally, we provide directions for future research on reasonableness. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Nobuyuki Fukawa & Sunil Erevelles, 2014. "Perceived Reasonableness and Morals in Service Encounters," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 125(3), pages 381-400, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbuset:v:125:y:2014:i:3:p:381-400
    DOI: 10.1007/s10551-013-1918-5
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Li, Xiaodong & Liu, Zibing & Ren, Ai & Gong, Bengang, 2022. "What fuzzy requests bring to frontline employees: An absorptive capacity theory perspective," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 67(C).
    2. Steven Kayambazinthu Msosa, 2021. "The Service Encounter In Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review," Baltic Journal of Economic Studies, Publishing house "Baltija Publishing", vol. 7(3).

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