Towards Understanding Buyer Insecurity and the Moderating Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Relationship Quality

Abstract

The focus of this conceptual paper is the phenomenon of buyer insecurity. An antecedent/consequence model is presented that considers specific threats and risks that contribute to a buyer’s feelings of insecurity, as well as a complex variable that is believed to moderate the relationship between buyer insecurity and relationship quality. While the reasons for these feelings of insecurity may not always be apparent to the buyer, a set of threats and risks can produce emotions of doubt, worry and low self-esteem. Buyer insecurity is defined as the state of experiencing negative feelings (reflected as doubt, worry and low self-esteem) within the buyer-seller relationship that are a direct result of the antecedent organizational forces of job insecurity and role ambiguity.

A review of the literature to date does not appear to provide a direct examination of how these antecedents affect buyer insecurity. However, borrowing from management and organizational research, it is possible to construct a model of buyer insecurity that encapsulates key threats that are likely to yield these negative feelings and potentially influence the quality of the buyer-seller relationship. The model presented posits two key moderating factors, the level of social support and the salesperson’s emotional intelligence. Therefore, reflecting upon key organizational antecedents, the two moderating factors, and consequences of buyer insecurity, we develop a conceptual model and offer a set of six propositions.

The paper contributes to the existing literature by examining the emotional state of a buyer during a buyer-seller exchange. By considering the buyer’s feelings of insecurity (as reflected by doubt, low self-esteem, and worry) within a marketing exchange, researchers may be better able to understand when and how an individual seller may actually be constructively adapting to a buyer during the exchange, and when a seller may be reinforcing a buyer’s insecurity within the exchange. A seller who is able to judge these emotions and use this information to facilitate the exchange should be able to improve the quality of the relationship.