Coalition formation and firm representatives’ answers to complainers on social media: Their interplay and the coalition ripple effect
研究社交媒体上投诉者与企业代表之间的联盟如何影响企业回应投诉的概率，以及回应如何反过来影响联盟形成，发现联盟会大幅降低回应概率，而回应会减少与企业代表的联盟形成，并产生联盟涟漪效应。
• Examines coalition formation by others with complainers or firm representatives. • Coalitions greatly reduce the probability that firm representatives answer to complainers. • Complaint answers can curtail coalition formation by others with firm representatives. • Shows moderating effects of recovery quality and a coalition ripple effect. We ask whether complaint answers by firm representatives depend on coalition formation—others taking sides with complainers or firm representatives—and whether coalition formation by third actors depends on complaint answers. An online field study revealed that, from the firm representative perspective, the 73.2 % probability of a complaint answer in the absence of any coalition decreases to 10.9 %–12.8 % in the presence of a prior coalition with a firm representative or complainer. From the third actor perspective, the probability of the formation of a coalition with a firm representative decreases by one-third in the presence versus absence of a prior complaint answer; coalitions with complainers are not curtailed. Furthermore, a coalition with a firm representative shifts the average complaint answer from somewhat favorable to unfavorable, which facilitates coalitions with complainers, creating a coalition ripple effect. The results offer managerial guidance, as dissatisfying online complaint handling remains problematic.