The link between causal attribution and recovery satisfaction in mobile money transaction failures The mediating role of negative emotions

Abstract

Purpose – Despite the remarkable growth and impor tance of mobile money technology, there are reported concerns about transaction failures. This research study evaluates customer perception of and response to trans action failures and recovery in an emerging market con text. Specifi cally, the study proposes a model to analyze the direct eff ect of causal attribution of mobile money transaction failure, employing dimensions of control lability and stability on recovery satisfaction as well as indirect eff ects through negative emotions. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected through an online survey using a structured question naire on 344 mobile money subscribers who experi enced transaction failures in the past six months. Sažetak Svrha – Unatoč izuzetnom rastu i važnosti tehnologije mobilnog novca, javlja se zabrinutost zbog neuspjelih transakcija. Ova istraživačka studija ocjenjuje percepci je korisnika o neuspjelim transakcijama, odgovorima na njih kao i oporavku u kontekstu tržišta u razvoju. Točnije, predlaže se model za analizu izravnog učinka kauzalnog atribuiranja neuspjeha transakcija mobilnog novca ko rištenjem dimenzija upravljivosti i stabilnosti zadovolj stva oporavkom kao i neizravnih učinaka negativnih emocija. Metodološki pristup – Podaci su prikupljeni putem on line, strukturiranog anketnog upitnika od 344 korisnika (pretplatnika) usluge mobilnog novca koji su u posljed njih šest mjeseci doživjeli neuspjehe u transakcijama. Market-Tržište Vol. 32, No. 2, 2020, pp. 169-185 UDK 159.942.5:658.8:004.7:654.03 DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.22598/mt/2020.32.2.169 Preliminary communication Findings and implications – The hypotheses of this research study were tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 3 software. The study found that both the causal attri bution dimensions of controllability and stability sig nifi cantly infl uenced negative emotions and recovery satisfaction. Besides, negative emotions signifi cantly infl uenced recovery satisfaction. The results also re vealed that negative emotions mediate the relationship between causal attribution and recovery satisfaction. Therefore, service providers are advised to reduce pre ventable and stable transaction failures. Limitation – Since there was no database of mobile money subscribers who experienced transaction fail ures, a public online survey with screening questions was employed. Respondents fi lled in the questionnaire based on voluntary response, so care should be em ployed when generalizing. Originality – This is one of the few studies on service failure in an emerging market. It is the fi rst time that at tribution theory has been applied as the main theory to explain the perception of and response to transaction failures in a mobile money setting.