The Role of Emotional Contagion in Service Encounters

Although the role of emotions receives increasing attention in service research, hitherto literature has not focused on the construct of emotional contagion, which is understood as a customer’s catching and mimicking of a service employee’s display of emotions. Drawing on interaction theories, this study examines the construction and relevance of emotional contagion in service interactions. To test the hypotheses, a field-study in the retail industry was conducted. The results show that emotional contagion positively influences customer satisfaction. The study thus helps to broaden our understanding of emotional contagion in service encounters. Implications for marketing management and research are discussed.