I need the hook-up: the impact of shared race and ethnic identity on the expectations of service quality

Abstract

While extant research on Black consumers is plentiful, very little research is concerned with Black-owned businesses. Our study examines the impact of shared racial status and a consumer’s level of ethnic identification on service expectations when patronising Black-owned businesses. The results suggest that all consumers generally expect fair treatment, but Black consumers have an expectation of ‘preferential treatment’ when patronising Black-owned businesses. The strength of a Black consumer’s ethnic identity accentuated this and other aspects of service quality expectations. These findings could assist Black-owned businesses in the management of the anticipated and desired experience of their patrons. Implications and directions for further research are discussed.