New dissertation reveals how consumer incivility shapes bystander perceptions on social media
Maqsood Bhutto’s dissertation combines a systematic literature review, a survey, and experiments to provide a comprehensive understanding of incivility across offline and online service environments.
“Incivility on social media does not only affect complaining customers or front-line employees,” Bhutto explains. “It also powerfully shapes how bystanders perceive brands. Even well-intended apologies and corrective actions lose their impact when complaints are expressed in an uncivil tone.”
Drawing on data from 112 prior studies, a survey of social media users, and a 2×2 experimental design with over 1,200 participants across airline and hotel contexts, the research demonstrates that complaint tone is a critical boundary condition in service recovery.
“While accommodative brand responses generally improve brand attitudes and purchase intentions, their positive effects are significantly weakened when customers use aggressive or offensive language.”
Practical guidance for service managers
Beyond theory, the dissertation offers practical guidance for service managers navigating highly visible digital environments such as Facebook/Meta.
“The findings highlight the importance of tone-aware, context-sensitive complaint handling strategies that protect brand equity while fostering fairness, trust, and responsible online engagement,” says Bhutto.
M.Sc. (Marketing) Maqsood Bhutto will publicly defend his doctoral dissertation in Marketing “Consumer Incivility: A Multi-Method Investigation of Service Challenges and Brand Responses” on Friday, January 23, 2026, at 12:00 noon in Hall C4 (Main Building), University of Jyväskylä. The opponent will be Assistant Professor Jani Holopainen (University of Eastern Finland), and the Custos will be Associate Professor Joel Mero (University of Jyväskylä). Public defense will be held in English.
