Consequences of customer powerlessness: Secondary control

This research investigated the consequences of powerlessness when consumers experience service failure with a company that has high-exit barriers. The specific consequences investigated were three types of secondary control, which are grudge-holding, avoidance (predictive avoidance), and retaliation desire. These secondary control coping strategies highlight consumers’ ability to control their personal behaviors and thoughts, even when they cannot completely control the outcomes of a situation. A qualitative study, followed by a scenario-based survey and structural equation model, suggest that the primary direct consequences of powerlessness in commercial relationships are grudgeholding and predictive avoidance, and that both predictive avoidance and a desire to retaliate are further consequences of grudge-holding. The results of this research underscore the importance of understanding the role of powerlessness and its consequences in consumer–firm relationships.