Research Seminar by Prof. Luk WARLOP

Research Talk by Pr. Luk WARLOP, KULeuven

Date: 7th May

Venue: MONS - Building D – ROOM 13

Time: 11H-12H30 

Title: Jokers are smart: resolving humorous incongruity in advertising facilitates impressions of firm competence’,
with his student Chi Hoang and his colleague Klemens Knoefele, both at BI Norwegian Business School.

Abstract:

In sales and service interactions, buyers usually experience a power difference with sellers, due to their autonomy and outside options. Power feelings are often strengthened by the service orientation of the seller firm. We propose that self identification as a valued customer shifts attention from the interpersonal to the intrapersonal world compared to a neutral or ‘citizen’ identification. This unleashes our inner tiny Trump: it increases impulsiveness and reduces empathy, reduces perspective taking, and reduces overall sensitivity to social emotions like guilt and shame. These processes can explain a wide range of dark side phenomena like exaggerated profit and unfairness perceptions, impoliteness, reduced forgiveness and honesty in service interactions, and a range of other documented customer misbehaviors. They also suggest that remedies for customer misbehavior might require the activation of non customer identities in the sales or service context.