In the context of the value co-creation era, customer citizenship behaviors (CCBs) – such as recommending products, assisting fellow customers, and providing feedback – are increasingly crucial for business success. While prior research has examined various antecedents of CCBs, including customer characteristics, this study focuses on the under-researched role of dispositional awe, a positive trait emotion. The research questions revolve around whether dispositional awe promotes CCBs and what mediating mechanisms (construal level and social connectedness) explain this relationship. The importance of this study stems from the potential for businesses to cultivate awe-inducing experiences to stimulate these valuable customer behaviors, moving beyond solely relying on stable personality traits as predictors.

The study draws upon the prototype model of awe (perceived vastness and need for accommodation) and the elaborated model of awe's prosocial effects (increased concern for interdependence). It reviews existing research on awe's prosocial impacts, including its links to helping behaviors, socially responsible consumption, and organizational citizenship behaviors. The literature highlights the limitations of prior studies focusing on stable personality traits and the potential benefits of examining more dynamic variables like trait emotions. The study's central premise is that dispositional awe's self-transcendent nature and cognitive restructuring capacity could drive CCBs. Further, it proposes that social connectedness mediates the awe-CCBs relationship, with construal level (abstract vs. concrete thinking) acting as a serial mediator between dispositional awe and social connectedness.

This study employed a quantitative, questionnaire-based approach using a sample of 701 Chinese adults recruited through Credamo's online data market. Power analysis was conducted to determine the necessary sample size, considering both model fit and parameter estimation. The study utilized established scales to measure dispositional awe (DPES awe subscale), construal level (Behavior Identification Form), social connectedness (Social Connectedness Scale), and CCBs (Customer Citizenship Behaviors Scale). Brand identification was included as a control variable to account for attitudinal factors. The questionnaire included 66 items, a screening question, a brand identification item, and demographic questions. After data cleaning, 701 valid responses were analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the measurement model's validity, and tests addressed common method bias. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with maximum likelihood estimation and bootstrapping (5000 samples) was employed to test the hypotheses. The construal level and social connectedness scales were parcelled to improve model efficiency and fit. Multiple model comparisons were conducted to determine the best fit for the data, using various fit indices (χ², df, χ²/df, RMSEA, SRMR, CFI, TLI, AIC, BIC). The final model was used for hypothesis testing, evaluating direct and indirect effects, and mediation effects.

The SEM analysis yielded strong support for the hypotheses. Dispositional awe significantly and positively predicted all three types of CCBs (recommendation, helping, and feedback behaviors). Social connectedness demonstrated a significant independent mediating effect between dispositional awe and each CCB type. Furthermore, a significant serial mediating effect was observed, with construal level positively influencing social connectedness, which in turn predicted CCBs. The direct effects of dispositional awe on CCBs were attenuated after accounting for the mediating effects of construal level and social connectedness. The bootstrap analysis confirmed the significance of both independent and serial mediating effects, providing 95% confidence intervals and effect sizes (PM) for each mediating path. The effect sizes of mediation were substantial, ranging from 12.3% to 50.6% for independent mediation, and from 12.8% to 13.6% for serial mediation. The R² values indicated considerable variance explained in the dependent variables (CCBs, construal level, social connectedness).

The findings provide strong evidence supporting the proposed model, demonstrating a significant positive relationship between dispositional awe and CCBs through the mediating roles of construal level and social connectedness. The results align with both the prototype and elaborated models of awe's prosocial effects, emphasizing the importance of cognitive restructuring (construal level) and the perception of interdependence (social connectedness) in driving prosocial behaviour. The study contributes to the literature by extending the research on CCBs antecedents, exploring the role of a dynamic trait emotion, and providing a more nuanced understanding of awe's prosocial mechanisms. It challenges the limitations of the small-self hypothesis, highlighting the role of intra-individual cognitive growth and the enhanced awareness of self-other interdependence.

This study offers valuable insights into the positive influence of dispositional awe on CCBs. The identified mediating mechanisms—social connectedness (independently and serially with construal level)—provide a more comprehensive understanding of how awe motivates prosocial customer behaviors. Future research should explore longitudinal relationships, investigate the role of state awe, examine additional mediating mechanisms, and investigate potential moderating factors, such as customer attitudes and brand characteristics, across different cultural contexts and industry sectors. Further research could also focus on the application of these findings to specific marketing strategies.

The cross-sectional nature of the data limits the ability to establish definitive causality. The study focused on dispositional awe, leaving the role of state awe unexplored. Potential mediating mechanisms beyond those identified warrant investigation. Moderating variables, including customer attitudes and brand characteristics, weren't considered. The sampling was restricted to a single online platform in China, potentially limiting the generalizability of the findings to other cultures and data sources.