Intellectual structure of consumer complaining behavior (CCB) research: A bibliometric analysis

Consumer complaining behavior (CCB) is an important field of research and practice, as it links the streams of service failure and service recovery. Despite extensive work, gaps persist in the understanding of CCB, for its intricate multi-dimensional nature. In this paper, we present a bibliometric analysis of CCB research published since 2000. Specifically, we analyze 729 articles containing 46,134 references, using citation and co-citation analysis. Our study reveals influential works in the CCB domain and identifies their clustering pattern. We supplement the exercise with social network analysis to decipher the centrality features of CCB research. We clarify the scholarly dialogue prevalent in the domain by interpreting the results through the process, valence, and actor perspective. Our review adds to theory by delineating the intellectual structure of CCB research and identifying future research potential. We contribute to practice by suggesting a four-pronged prescriptive approach toward CCB.