Feeling left out and losing control: The interactive effect of social exclusion and gender on brand attitude

Social exclusion is pervasive in our daily lives. Prior research has documented the impact of social exclusion on product choices, information processing, prosocial behavior and switching behavior. However, there is limited research on how gender moderates the impact of social exclusion on consumer attitudes towards a company. Drawing from previous research demonstrating gender as a proxy for agentic-communal orientation, we show that the effect of social exclusion on negative emotions and sense of control is more pronounced among females (vs. males). We further demonstrate that negative emotions and sense of control are the underlying mechanisms for the impact of social exclusion among females. Hospitality practitioners may want to minimize instances that might make consumers feel socially excluded, and this is particularly true for female consumers.