The impact of employee responsiveness on perceived crowding outcomes: Evidence from Türkiye as an emerging market

This study explores the role of employees as a possible influencer in tempering consumers’ crowding outcomes. The research was conducted in the context of Türkiye, an emerging market characterized by a collectivist culture. This research fills a gap in the existing literature on the cultural influences on the retail environment and consumer behavior interactions. The proposed conceptual model is empirically analyzed using data from a field survey of over 500 consumers intercepted at a shopping mall in Bursa, Türkiye. Findings show that employee responsiveness plays a mediating role between consumers’ crowding experience and their patronage intentions and satisfaction. In contrast to previous results, findings in the Turkish cultural context indicate a positive relationship between retail crowding and shopping outcomes, including customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions (repurchase and recommendation). Moreover, employee responsiveness had a nonsignificant moderating effect. This study contributes to the previous literature on the impact of culture on consumers by examining the link between retail crowds and shopping outcomes in a developing country. This relationship is well demonstrated in the marketing literature, but primarily in the context of developed economies.