Consumers as volunteers? The influence of value congruence on consumers’ voluntary performance

The study explores how consumer–brand value congruence affects the quality of consumer relationships and drives the propensity to leave and consumers’ voluntary performance. It also examines how the quality of consumer–brand relationships mediates the relationships between value congruence and both propensity to leave and consumer voluntary performance. The study also examines the moderating role of relationship length and consumer age. Data from an online survey of 371 consumers drawn from contrasting service contexts (restaurants and hospitals) were collected. In both service settings, the results reveal that value congruence is positively related to consumer–brand relationship quality and voluntary performance, and the consumer–brand relationship quality is negatively related to the propensity to leave. Furthermore, while consumer–brand relationship quality influences voluntary performance in the restaurant context, its influence does not exist in the hospital context. Contrary to expectations, the length of a relationship with a brand does not enhance the quality of the relationship; rather, value congruence takes precedence. We emphasize the need for special efforts in fostering congruent perceptions among older consumers to get them engaged in voluntary performance. Since a few marketing scholars have examined the role of value congruence as an antecedent of consumer–brand relationship quality, we advance extant literature in examining the impact of value congruence on consumer–brand relationship quality and its outcomes.