TY - JOUR
T1 - So private, yet so public
T2 - The impact of spatial distance, other diners, and power on solo dining experiences
AU - Hwang, Yoo Hee
AU - Shin, Joongwon
AU - Mattila, Anna S.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Marriott Foundation.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2018/11
Y1 - 2018/11
N2 - Solo consumption contributes 1.9 trillion dollars to the US economy annually. However, there is scant research understanding solo consumption experiences. To fill this gap, we investigate the joint effect of spatial distance and other diners on enjoyment in solo dining. Results from Study 1 show that, when the spatial distance between the dining tables is small and nearby diners are solo diners (vs. social diners), individuals form a more favorable attitude towards their fellow customers. Such in-group bias has a positive impact on enjoyment. Study 2 investigates the moderating effect of power in influencing the impact of others on solo dining. Results show that powerless individuals evaluate solo dining experiences more (vs. less) favorably when the spatial distance between tables is large (vs. small). Conversely, powerful individuals’ ratings of solo dining experiences are uniformly favorable regardless of spatial distance. Implications for service providers catering to solo consumers will be discussed.
AB - Solo consumption contributes 1.9 trillion dollars to the US economy annually. However, there is scant research understanding solo consumption experiences. To fill this gap, we investigate the joint effect of spatial distance and other diners on enjoyment in solo dining. Results from Study 1 show that, when the spatial distance between the dining tables is small and nearby diners are solo diners (vs. social diners), individuals form a more favorable attitude towards their fellow customers. Such in-group bias has a positive impact on enjoyment. Study 2 investigates the moderating effect of power in influencing the impact of others on solo dining. Results show that powerless individuals evaluate solo dining experiences more (vs. less) favorably when the spatial distance between tables is large (vs. small). Conversely, powerful individuals’ ratings of solo dining experiences are uniformly favorable regardless of spatial distance. Implications for service providers catering to solo consumers will be discussed.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.07.004
DO - 10.1016/j.jbusres.2018.07.004
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85049934403
SN - 0148-2963
VL - 92
SP - 36
EP - 47
JO - Journal of Business Research
JF - Journal of Business Research
ER -