M.Sc. (Marketing) Maqsood Bhutto examined how consumer incivility affects brands, employees, and bystanders in his doctoral dissertation in Marketing at the Jyväskylä University School of Business and Economics, Finland. The research shows that consumer online incivility, defined as low-intensity, norm-violating consumer behavior that conveys rudeness, disrespect, or hostility, particularly in social media interactions, significantly undermines brand trust, community engagement, and purchase intentions, while also limiting the effectiveness of brands’ accommodative responses.

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.

Title: Consumer incivility: a multi-method investigation of service challenges and brand responses
Author: Maqsood Bhutto
Journal: JYU Dissertations
Published: 2026
ISBN: 978-952-86-1238-4
Publisher: University of Jyväskylä, Finland