Revisiting the effects of smile intensity on judgments of warmth and competence: The role of industry context

• Published in: International journal of hospitality management Vol. 102; p. 103152
• Main Authors: Min, Hyounae (Kelly), Hu, Yaou
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-04-2022
• Subjects: Compensation effect; Competence; Purchase intention; Service industry context; Warmth; Service industry context; Warmth; Competence; Compensation effect; Purchase intention
• ISSN: 0278-4319; 1873-4693
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhm.2022.103152

While prior work has assumed the compensation effect of social judgments in relation to smile intensity, this research proposes and finds that judgments of warmth elicited from broad smiles of service employees influence perceptions of competence, which in turn heighten customers' purchase intentions. Furthermore, this research unveils the moderating role of industry contexts on the smile intensity → judgments of warmth → judgments of competence relationship, suggesting that service employees' broad smiles increase perceptions of warmth, and the positive effect of judgments of warmth on judgments of competence is stronger for employees in a hedonic-oriented service industry (e.g., restaurant) than in a utilitarian-oriented service industry (e.g., law office).
•Customers tend to perceive employees with broad smiles as warm.•In service industry, an employee with a broad smile is seen as warm and competent.•Perceptions of warmth and competence increase intentions to patronize the firm.•Such effect differs in a hedonic and utilitarian-oriented service industry context.