Consumer Incivility in Virtual Spaces: Implications for Interactive Marketing Research and Practice

Abstract

The interactive nature of social media networks (SMNs) has contributed to the emergence of an adverse online phenomenon: consumer incivility, that is, a set of undesirable behaviors and hostile interpersonal interactions between individuals in virtual spaces. This chapter offers an overview of this increasingly prevalent dark side of SMNs. The chapter first provides a historical overview of conventionally researched uncivil online behaviors and their inherent drivers. Then, drawing on research across several disciplines, the chapter outlines distinct emerging forms of incivility in a consumerism context and discusses their distinguishing characteristics. Research into the causes and impact of consumer incivility is then reviewed, followed by a discussion of the strategies and actors that studies have put forward as suitable for managing consumer incivility on SMNs. Based on the review of existing consumer incivility research, three future avenues are highlighted for interactive marketing researchers and initial recommendations for marketing managers are provided.